Proscuitto-Wrapped Asparagus

Now that summer weather is here to stay SP has asked that we do something simple, preferably on the grill, for dinner on Sundays. The first of these meals involved chicken seasoned with a spice mix with lots of heat and grilled asparagus wrapped with proscuitto.


I seasoned the asparagus spears with olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling it then wrapped each spear in a slice of proscuitto. I spritzed some lemon juice on before serving. It was a delicious pairing. At the same meal we had cantaloupe wrapped in more of the proscuitto, which is my absolute favorite way to eat proscuitto.

These would make a great appetizer for a cocktail party, especially if the asparagus was thinner. Mine was thick so the spears were chunky and small as opposed to thin and long.

Proscuitto-Wrapped Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Thin slices of proscuitto, one per asparagus spear
Lemon juice

Trim the woody ends off the bottom of the asparagus spears by holding each spear and snapping off the bottom where it naturally breaks. Toss the spears with oil, salt and pepper.

Preheat your grill. When hot, grill the asparagus to your desired doneness.

Wrap each spear in a slice of proscuitto. Arrange on a plate and spritz with lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Swap - Honey Mustard Salmon with Potatoes and Asparagus

Want to see what other Fish/Seafood recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Fish/Seafood Recipe Swap Roundup

The theme for this week's swap was Fish/Seafood. I don't cook a lot of fish so I was excited to get this recipe for Honey Mustard Salmon with Asparagus from Jenna at Jenna's Cooking Journey. I thought roasted potatoes would go beautifully with the salmon and asparagus so I added them to the recipe.


This was a gorgeous plate of food. SP took one look and whistled his approval, telling me he's happy we're on a restaurant hiatus since he loves the food I cook at home. I have to admit, I was pretty impressed myself. Our supermarket sells beautiful salmon already cut into fillets and vacuum-sealed, so this was a breeze to prepare. I also liked that everything cooks in the oven, aside from a few minutes on the stove-top to brown the salmon.

The glaze was delicious, but I agree with SP that it could use more Dijon to pack that flavor punch. I will definitely be making this one again. Thanks, Jenna!


Honey Mustard Salmon with Potatoes and Asparagus
Modified from Jenna's Cooking Journey

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 salmon fillets
1 lb potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or rosemary, finely chopped
1 bunch asparagus
Lemon juice
Grated Pecorino cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until they have melted together. Stir in the mustard, honey, and soy sauce.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan flesh side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fully browned and flip. Brush with half of the glaze and place the pan in the oven until the salmon is firm and flaky (but before the white fat begins to form on the surface) about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes on one half of a large baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme or rosemary and roast 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, place asparagus on the other half of the baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and return to oven to cook about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes and asparagus are both tender. Sprinkle asparagus with lemon juice and Pecorino before serving.

Recipe Swap: Grilled Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette

Want to see what other Chicken recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Chicken Part II Recipe Swap Roundup



I love chicken. It's tasty and versatile, but I'm always on the hunt for new ways to cook it. Once again I got my friend Jaida's recipe (Grilled Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette) and it was another winner. The vinaigrette elevates simple grilled chicken and potatoes to new heights.





I made the vinaigrette in the morning before work. Making the roasted garlic was easy - I wrapped the cloves of garlic in tinfoil and baked them at 400 for about 25 minutes until they were soft. I ended up adjusting the ratio of oil to vinegar because I like my vinaigrette tangy. It was easy to come home and prepare this meal, which is a huge plus in my book.





The original recipe called for fingerling potatoes, but I just sliced some scrubbed Yukon golds to resemble fingerlings instead of paying a premium for the cute little spuds. After parboiling them I finished them on the grill along with the chicken. Since our gas grill has been finicky lately and SP wasn't home to man the charcoal grill, I cooked the chicken and potatoes on my Griddler. It took much, much longer than it would have if I'd used gas or charcoal, so long that SP finally asked when the heck we were going to eat. So keep that in mind if you're using an indoor grill. I was happy that the potatoes got some grill marks on them, though:





The vinaigrette was so good that I even dipped the asparagus in the pool on my plate. The asparagus were simply roasted in the toaster oven with oil, salt and pepper. I'd have done them on the grill if I had room, but the chicken and potatoes had taken over both sides of the Griddler.



Grilled Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette

Modified from Sweet Beginnings



8 cloves garlic

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

12 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed (or 5 medium potatoes, cut into wedges)

Olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Freshly ground black pepper



Wrap garlic cloves in tinfoil and bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, until soft. Allow to cool.



Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chili flakes.



Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife inserted comes out with some resistance. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well and toss with olive oil.



Heat the grill to medium-high heat.



Brush the chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer.



Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette.

Roasted Asparagus

No real recipe for this, just a photo of delicious roasted asparagus we had recently.


I was going to grill these but our gas grill ran out of propane and SP didn't feel like setting up the charcoal grill, so I roasted them in our toaster oven. Drizzled with oil, salt and pepper and finished with a shower of grated Pecorino cheese.

Asparagus Carbonara

I've been having a love affair with asparagus lately, so when I saw this recipe for Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon, and Egg I couldn't wait to try it.


The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much the recipe reminded me of carbonara, which if you've read this blog for any length of time you'll know is my all-time favorite pasta dish. I decided to combine the two recipes, subbing the asparagus for the onion in the original recipe. The result was a delicious and beautiful spring dish that feels healthier because of the beautiful, crisp, green asparagus.



Asparagus Carbonara
Recipes from The Local Cook and Nigella Lawson

4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
Splash of vermouth
8 ounces short-cut pasta
2 eggs
Splash of heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
salt and pepper to taste
Freshly ground nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until brown. Add the asparagus and cook to desired doneness (5-10 minutes). Once asparagus is cooked, add the vermouth and let it bubble so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to coat the pasta with the winey syrup. Take the pan off the heat.

In a bowl beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Add the mixture to the pan, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Top with more grated cheese, if desired.

Asparagus with Tomato and Feta

We always have asparagus as part of our Easter celebration, but this year I wanted to try something different. I'd seen this recipe for Asparagus with Tomato and Feta on Annie's Eats awhile ago and knew it would be perfect.


I made the tomato and feta mixture the night before and reheated it just to take the chill off before serving. I roasted the asparagus instead of steaming them because we like the flavor of roasted asparagus. Grilled would be even better, I think. I bought 3 bunches of beautiful, thin asparagus spears and we barely had half a bunch left after 6 adults descended on the platter.

Asparagus with Tomatoes and Feta
Modified from Annie's Eats

1 bunch asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely minced
2-3 vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lay the asparagus in a single layer (or as close to a single layer as you can get) on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then bake for 10-15 minutes until the asparagus are as tender as you like.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallot until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, just to warm and wilt very slightly. Remove the shallot-tomato mixture from the heat, stir in the feta, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the warm asparagus on a serving platter (or individual plates) and top with the tomato-feta mixture.

Spicy Pork with Asparagus and Chili

Brianna over at Oishii recently posted this recipe for Spicy Pork with Asparagus and Chile. It looked great and was a departure from our usual meals so I put it on this week's menu. The same day I was planning to make it someone posted about it on my cooking board, prompting a discussion about the dish. As it turns out, the recipe (which came from Bon Appetit) lacked a little something according to those who had made it. Suggestions were thrown out about how to make it better so I ended up modifying the recipe.


The result was really good. I don't usually cook with ground pork and I liked the flavor, plus now that asparagus was in season I was happy for an excuse to use it.

Spicy Pork with Asparagus and Chili
Modified from the April 2011 issue of Bon Appetit

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry, brandy or Madeira
2 teaspoons cornstarch
12 oz. ground pork
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 bunch thin to medium asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red (or green) jalapeño, minced with seeds
2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine/brandy/sherry/Madeira, and cornstarch. Add the pork and toss to blend.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy large wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add asparagus, chili, and ginger. Toss until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus mixture to plate.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil to wok. Add pork mixture and stir-fry until browned, using wooden spoon to break up pork into small pieces, 2 to 3 minutes.

Return asparagus mixture to wok. Add oyster sauce, honey and rice vinegar. Stir-fry until pork is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add water by tablespoonfuls if it becomes too dry. Add green onions; toss to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve over steamed rice.

Christmas Eve: First Course

SP and I always have a special dinner on Christmas Eve just the two of us. I love to start the meal with this roasted asparagus dish:


What makes it so great is the gooey egg yolk that mixes with the cheese to create a sauce for the asparagus. Just look at that yolk:

Christmas Eve Dinner

For Christmas Eve dinner I wanted to make something special, so I turned to one of our favorites - baked stuffed shrimp:


I just love the way the shrimp look all ready to go into the oven:


I also made baked potatoes and we had my favorite asparagus as a first course:


... roasted asparagus topped with a fried egg, salt, pepper and some grated Pecorino cheese. Delish!

Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Slightly Modified from Cook's Country Feb/March 2008

4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bottled clam juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley
4 scallions
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt
1 1/4 pounds extra-large or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs. Transfer crumbs to broiler pan bottom and bake, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove crumbs from oven and reduce temperature to 275 degrees.

Add parsley, scallions and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine crumbs, mayonnaise, clam juice, parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon juice and zest, mustard, cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt. Grease the broiler pan with vegetable or other light oil. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a 1-inch opening along the back of shrimp (where the vein was located) to butterfly it. Arrange the shrimp cut-side down on the broiler pan. Divide bread crumb mixture among the shrimp, pressing it into balls between the tails and body. Bake 10-15 minutes for extra-large shrimp or 20-25 for colossal. As soon as the shrimp turn pink, they're done.

Combine lemon juice and melted butter. Remove shrimp from oven and drizzle with lemon juice and butter mixture before serving.