Advertisement March brings many reasons to celebrate. We might find ourselves gathering with family and friends to honor the official start of spring or for an Easter brunch or a special
St. Patrick’s Day luncheon. Or per chance, just getting together to celebrate a week without shoveling snow or for “March madness” and all of the great basketball games. For such times of celebration, a new recipe is frequently in order. When thinking about this month, the color green comes to mind; so what better vegetable to use than asparagus?
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that is a member of the lily family. One of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables, asparagus is an excellent source of folic acid and a good source of potassium, thiamin, vitamin B6 and fiber. It is low in calories, with fewer than 4 calories per spear, or 20 calories per 5.3 ounce serving, and is very low in sodium. Asparagus is a wise nutrition choice to include in almost any menu plan.
Select asparagus that is bright green with closed, compact, firm tips. If the tips are slightly wilted, soak the tips in cold water to freshen them up. Keep fresh asparagus moist until it will be used. When cooking fresh asparagus, use a small amount of water and cook until tender. Fresh asparagus will be crisp-tender in about 5 to 8 minutes.
There are many wonderful serving ideas and recipes to use with asparagus. Try fresh asparagus with lemon juice. Chives, parsley, chervil, savory, tarragon or other spices melted into a small amount of margarine or butter are delicious when poured over asparagus. Low-fat sour cream, yogurt and mayonnaise are easy toppings.
Why not try one of the following recipes for an upcoming March celebration?
Asparagus and Prosciutto Strata
1 pound asparagus, tough stem ends snapped off, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 loaf (3/4 pound) crusty, artisan-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
1-1/4 cups shredded Parmesan or asiago cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped chives
6 large eggs
31/2 cups 1 percent milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium pan over high heat, bring about 2 quarts water to boil. Add asparagus and cook until bright green and barely tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Spread half the bread cubes in a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Top with half the prosciutto, cooked asparagus, cheese and chives. Layer remaining bread cubes on top, followed by remaining prosciutto, asparagus, cheese and chives.
In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, lemon peel, salt and pepper to blend. Pour evenly over layered ingredients. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
Bake until center of strata is set and top is lightly browned,
40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm.
Makes 8 generous servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 332 calories, 23 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 19 grams fat, 915 milligrams sodium, 1.6 grams fiber.
Asparagus Melt with Pesto Spread
16 asparagus spears
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon commercial pesto
2 (2-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted
2 (1-ounce) thin slices ham
4 (1/4-inch thick) slices tomato
2 (1-ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cover and steam for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Preheat broiler.
Combine mayonnaise and pesto in a bowl, and stir with a whisk. Spread 2 tablespoons pesto mixture onto 1 side of each bread slice. Layer each slice with 8 asparagus spears, 1 ham slice, 2 tomato slices and 1 cheese slice. Place on a baking sheet; broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with pepper.
Makes 2 sandwiches.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 343 calories, 21.7 grams protein, 40.7 grams carbohydrate, 11.5 grams fat, 1,041 milligrams sodium, 2.8 grams fiber.
Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
2 pounds fresh asparagus
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato sprinkles
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Steam asparagus, covered, about 4 minutes. Place in a shallow dish.
Combine the tomato sprinkles and remaining ingredients in a bowl; spoon evenly over asparagus. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 66 calories, 4.1 grams protein, 9.4 grams carbohydrate, 2.6 grams fat, 187 milligrams sodium, 3.7 grams fiber.
Source: Cooking Light
Marla H. Withey is a registered dietitian at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center. The 500 Club is a healthy-eating program coordinated by Gundersen Lutheran registered dietitians, and its members include restaurants, grocery stores, delis and vending companies.
