Kitchen Conundrum

Asparagus Tart and Crispy Fried Asparagus Recipes, Spring Has Sprung!

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AsparagusOne of my favorite vegetables is asparagus and even though you can find them all year round, its Spring and Summer when I purchase them every week for us to enjoy. I prefer the nice plump ones to the thin ones because I feel that the fatter ones have the most delicious flavor. There are so many great recipes for asparagus that I could post about them for a week, but here’s a few ways we like to enjoy them.

First off, there is grilling with just a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon over top. Simple, easy and perfect for the outdoor dinner.

The most classic way to cook them is to peel them, lop off the extra thick ends and blanch them briefly in boiling salted water. You can serve them immediately or you can refrigerate them and eat them cold with a tangy vinaigrette to dunk the spears in to.

Then of course there is roasting them. Drizzled with a bit of olive oil and salt, roast them on a sheet pan covered with foil in an oven that’s been preheated to 425 degrees for about a half hour or until tender. Roasting the asparagus brings out the sweet essence of the vegetable and is so simple yet so incredibly delightful, you’ll end up eating all of them before they arrive at the table if you are not careful.

Two other ways to enjoy this very versatile vegetable is to encase them in cheese and puff pastry or to batter and fry them. We have enjoyed both ways!

 

Asparagus Tart

Ingredients

Flour, for work surface

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

1 pound asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed

1 egg yolk + 1 tbs water, beaten to blend

1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

1 tsp. nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle being careful to not cut all the way through the dough. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings (called Docking) to prevent air bubbles from forming and puffing up the center too much. Bake until a pale golden, about 10 minutes. Remove pastry shell from oven, and set aside.

In the meantime, mix the ricotta cheese with the Gruyere, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the cheese mixture over the center of the pastry and arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer over the top alternating the ends and the tips.

Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

 

Crispy Fried Asparagus With Ancho Chili Mayo

 

Ancho Chili Mayo

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise *homemade is preferable, but you can use jarred too and not worry about the raw eggs

½ lemon, zested and juiced

1 tsp. Ancho chili powder

½ tsp. turmeric

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. hot sauce (Tabasco works nicely)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix until the spices are blended through.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you are making the asparagus to let the flavors meld together. Be sure to taste to see if it spicy or tangy enough for your tastes and adjust seasonings as necessary.

 

Crispy Fried Asparagus Spears

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine’s  April/May 2011 Asparagus Fries with Smoked Paprika Aioli.

Ingredients

1 lb. asparagus, rough ends trimmed

½ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

2 egg whites

2 tbs. cold water

½ lemon, zested and juiced

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

¼ cup plain bread crumbs

3 cups vegetable oil

Method

Cut the asparagus to about 4-5 inches long. (You can save the stalks for another recipe!) If they are very thick you can split them lengthwise.

Create your breading station by laying out three large shallow dishes with rims.

In the first shallow dish, mix the flour, salt and pepper.

In a second shallow dish, combine the egg whites, water, and lemon juice.

In a third shallow dish, mix the Panko bread crumbs, plain bread crumbs, and the lemon zest.

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over a medium flame. If you have a candy thermometer or deep fryer heat the oil to 375 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can tell if the oil is ready by dropping in a few of the Panko crumbs and if they bubble and rise to the top then the oil is ready.

Divide the asparagus into 4 smaller bunches, first toss them into the flour mixture, shake off the extra, and then dip them into the egg whites, and then into the Panko/ bread crumbs.

Carefully place the asparagus into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown.

Remove the asparagus from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs, and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt.

Repeat the process for the remaining asparagus.

Serve with the Ancho Chili Mayo on the side.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Everything Tuna With Udon Noodles Recipe

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Tuna 3To be honest, we are really meat and potatoes people. Or rather, poultry and potatoes people. When we first married, Ari’s idea of tuna was canned tuna and while I did like some sushi and some fish, I only ate it out of the house. On occasion. And very rarely at that.  But because we are both trying to live a little healthier as we get older (never to late to start, right?!) our red meat intake has been significantly reduced and our fish intake has increased in it’s place.  So,  we have been experimenting with fish varieties and recipes we think will please our entire family. We love Udon noodles and cooking with Mirin and this Everything Tuna steak is a perfect match. Fish sticks, stand back!

Everything Tuna With Udon Noodles Recipe
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 tuna steaks (4-5 ounces each)
  • ¼ cup dried onion
  • ¼ cup dried garlic
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
  • 2 egg whites
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1lb Udon noodles (cooked per package directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup Mirin ((sweet, cooking rice wine))
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1-2 scallions (chopped, green part only, for garnish)
Method
  1. Rinse the tuna steaks and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
  2. Set up your “batter” station by setting out two flat pans with rims. In one pan, break up the egg whites with a fork for the egg wash. In the next pan, combine the onion, garlic, seeds and salt.
  3. Because the tuna takes very little time to sear, go ahead and cook your Udon noodles per the package directions. Be sure to reserve a cup of the pasta water to add to the sauce. Add the water and noodles back to the pot and keep over a very low flame. Add the soy sauce, Mirin and rice wine vinegar. Keep warm.
  4. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil over high heat being careful not to let it smoke.
  5. Working quickly, dip the tuna into the egg wash and then the seed mixture and coat the steak completely.
  6. Place the tuna in the hot skillet to sear. About 1 minute on each side for rare tuna.
  7. Add a portion of noodles in a large bowl with sauce and top with a tuna steak and a sprinkling of scallions.

 

 

Enjoy with a glass of Rose or a crisp Riesling and you will have a lite, healthy meal.

 

 

 

Ultimate Fajitas

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We love to make fajitas because the kids really enjoy making their own variations using lots of different ingredients. Then, they can wrap everything up and eat with their hands.  Who doesn’t love to eat with their hands?!  It’s fun for all of them.

We call these Ultimate Fajaitas because we try to get as many garnishes into the wrap as possible without losing anything out the sides. Sometimes, we just have to eat them open faced.

Fajitas-3

I am listing all the ingredients we serve with them- but you can pick and choose what you like to use in yours.

 

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 large red onion, sliced

4 mild green or red Chili peppers, seeded and sliced into strips

2 Red peppers, cut into strips

2 Yellow peppers, cut into strips

1 Green pepper, cut into strips

8 flour tortilla, warmed

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet; cook the chicken strips over high heat, 5-7 minutes, or until fully cooked. Drain and remove to a plate.

Add the onion and chili peppers to the pan and sauté over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers cooking over high heat for 4 minutes or until the vegetables have begun to have a blackened look around the edges.

Return the chicken to the pan and heat until sizzling hot. Serve right away, with warm tortillas, and many, many garnish options.

Small Bowls filled with the following garnishes:

1/2 cup sour cream

Guacamole (preferably homemade!) or avocado slices

1 bunch cilantro, broken up

1 large vine ripe tomato, diced

1 can black beans, heated through

1 can refried beans, heated through

Fresh corn kernels, roasted or 1 can corn, drained completely and heated in a large skillet.

Diced jalapenos

Diced Ancho chilies

Taco sauce

Montery Jack cheese, shredded

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Yellow rice, cooked per package instructions

 

Enjoy!