Tag: asparagus

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INDULGE IN CREAMED ASPARAGUS

Back when almost everyone either lived on a farm, or knew someone who did, creamed vegetables were very popular.  That was before anyone had made the connection between animal fat and heart disease.  In the springtime, asparagus was plentiful and cheap.  It grew all over the place, even along the railroad tracks! Any good  cook would serve bowls of creamed asparagus in April and May.  Never mind the calories. Every once in a while, we’ll give into temptation and indulge in creamed asparagus, just for old times sake.

Asparagus is a nutritional power house. First of all, it is  high in fiber–especially insoluble fiber that adds bulk to the stool and supports regular bowel movements. It also contains soluble fiber which is good for the digestive tract by feeding friendly bacteria in the gut. It’s  low in calories and packed with at least 10 essential  vitamins and minerals.

Asparagus can be eaten in many different ways.  For just plain, low calorie asparagus, I simply cover it with water and microwave it for 7 minutes.  You can add butter and salt for extra flavor. Or, you can line the spears up on a lettuce leaf to make a marvelous salad. Another favorite is asparagus bacon quiche—there are many recipes on the internet.

Indulge in Creamed Asparagus. It's a nutritional powerhouse.
Indulge in creamed asparagus. Make it with either cream or milk.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, and we decided to forget about our diets for the day.  I don’t know how many calories we consumed,  but we certainly enjoyed a fine meal which included creamed asparagus.

When preparing asparagus, be sure to separate the edible part from the tough woody ends.  Hold each stalk in the middle and at the bottom. Bend the stalk, and the woody end will snap off. Discard the bottom.

CREAMED ASPARAGUS

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (about 1 pound)  trimmed asparagus, cut in 2 inch pieces

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

1  1/2 cups Half n Half cream or milk

Directions:

Cover asparagus with water. Either boil for 3 minutes in sauce pan, or cook in microwave for 3 min , just until tender.  Drain asparagus and set aside.

In saucepan, melt butter. Add flour to make a roux and cook for one minute.  Stir in milk. Bring to a boil and add asparagus.  Salt to taste.

Serve as a side dish, or over toast.

If you love asparagus as much as we do, this is as good as it gets.

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EASY ASPARAGUS PIMENTO SALAD

Are you tired of serving tossed salad every night? Looking for something fresh and different?  As a senior fixing dinner for two, I don’t want fancy recipes that take too many ingredients.  I’ve been making  easy asparagus pimento salad for years, especially in the springtime when asparagus is plentiful.

Five ingredients are all that’s needed:

Looking for an alternative to tossed salad? Try asparagus pimento salad.
Asparagus Salad needs only 5 ingredients and it’s super easy to assemble

Lettuce leaf

Half a pound  asparagus

Two teaspoons diced pimentos,

Bottle of 1,000 island dressing,

One sliced, hard boiled egg.

Preparation  takes only a few minutes:

Wash the asparagus, then trim off tough ends. I use about five spears for each individual salad .  Don’t bother steaming or boiling; just place the asparagus in a shallow bowl  with a little water.  Cook in microwave for about 3 minutes or when asparagus is crisp/tender. Run under cold water. Pat until dry..

On two salad plates, arrange  lettuce leaves topped with asparagus spears.

Sprinkle about one teaspoon of diced red pimento over spears.

Top with egg slices.

Provide a bottle of 1,000 island dressing, and let each person help themselves, according to their taste.

The salad itself is a mere 20 calories.  1,000 island dressing adds extra calories, depending on the serving size.

If you want something a little more unusual , you can find many asparagus pimento salad recipes on the internet.

For a healthy meal, serve with baked salmon and new potatoes.

Enjoy!