Asparagus plays supporting role in two meals
As the weather warms up, some locally grown springtime
specialties are showing up at the grocery stores again. One of our
favorites is asparagus. During the winter we get our fix with
frozen asparagus, but the fresh kind in season can’t be beat. We’ve
found ways to incorporate the green, stalky vegetable into two
meals that we enjoy quite frequently.
Asparagus plays supporting role in two meals
As the weather warms up, some locally grown springtime specialties are showing up at the grocery stores again. One of our favorites is asparagus. During the winter we get our fix with frozen asparagus, but the fresh kind in season can’t be beat. We’ve found ways to incorporate the green, stalky vegetable into two meals that we enjoy quite frequently.
One meal I especially enjoy on a busy night is frittata. We first started making this recipe because it offered a healthy way to get some low-fat protein and plenty of veggies, but it has stuck. The recipe can be altered to include a variety of different vegetables, and Eggbeaters can be used to lower the cholesterol. Or just use a few egg whites, and dump the yolks. In my house, we incorporate diced red onions, bell peppers, asparagus and tomatoes into the mix. One of the tips to speeding up the cooking time is to cook the bell peppers and asparagus in the microwave until they are al dente. Then they just need a quick saute in the pan before the eggs are added.
Another recipe that incorporates asparagus is steak fajitas. We incorporate the traditional fajita ingredients of sliced bell peppers and onions, but we add in Portobello mushroom slices and asparagus. This meal can be made on an outdoor grill or it can be altered to work on the stove top for bad weather days.
Steak fajitas on the stove top
1 ½ lb. steak, sliced thinly into strips (some grocery stores sell it already cut)
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 red onion, sliced into strips
1 lb. asparagus with ends trimmed off
2 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced into strips
1 c. shredded cheese of your choice
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 flour tortillas
Chili powder, ground cumin and ground oregano to taste
Sour cream, cilantro and guacamole for garnish
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add meat and cook until no longer pink, about four min. Add asparagus and cook about four min. Add in Portobello mushrooms and spices. Cover and cook for three min. more. Add in onions and bell peppers. Cover and cook for three min. Add more spice if needed. Check tenderness of vegetables. When desired tenderness is reached, remove from heat.
Warm tortillas up on a skillet or flat pan.
Serve fajita mix and tortillas with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and cilantro.
Vegetable frittata
1 red onion, diced
2 bell peppers, chopped into large dice
3 tomatoes, diced
6 asparagus stalks with ends trimmed off
8 eggs (Egg beaters or egg white can be substituted)
1 c. shredded cheese of choice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream for garnish
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large saute pan that is oven safe, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until onions become clear, about four minutes. While onions are cooking, slice bell peppers and trim asparagus. Cook each in the microwave on high for two minutes. Check tenderness – vegetables should be al dente.
Add vegetable to pan and mix in with onions. Allow to cook a minute more. Then start adding the eggs. Stir eggs as you would scrambled eggs, making sure to mix them evenly with the vegetables. Allow to cook until eggs firm up, about three min.
Place pan in oven for 10 min., which will help the frittata set. Sprinkle cheese on top and cook for five min. more. Remove from oven and serve hot. Frittata can be sliced as a pie or into squares. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on each slice.
