Aiming for a healthy lifestyle? Rather than staying loyal to bacon and other juicy stuff, why don’t you start altering meal ingredients to fit your exercise routine? Given that most fitness enthusiasts undergo a lot of hardcore workouts every week, it is important to supply the body with good energy by eating nutritious foods that fit our budget. There are numerous ingredients to choose from but Asparagus beats the competition in providing an excellent woody flavor that complementsevery course of the meal.
Asparagus is a spring vegetable that packs a nutrition powerhouse in every stalk, especially the ends of the spear. It is considered to be one of the easiest vegetables to grow and cook, making it popular in both homes and restaurants. Most people love using asparagus as the main ingredient in their appetizers, which is considered to be the first course, although small, in every meal. Its richness in nutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, protein, zinc, foliate calcium and many more makes it the perfect companion for budding fitness enthusiasts and believers of healthy living.
There are lots of appetizer recipes that highlight the delicious asparagus. Below, you can find the recipes that aim to take asparagus to the center stage, not that it needs any help.
Cream of Asparagus Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups of trimmed, fresh asparagus in ½ inch pieces
- 2 separate cups of water
- 1 teaspoon onion powder or ¼ cup of green onions, finely chopped
- 5 tablespoons of all- purpose flour
- 4 cups of milk
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 5 tablespoons of butter
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon granules
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare a saucepan and put the fresh asparagus in it.
- Pour 1 cup of water and boil it for 3-5 minutes. Cover the saucepan while waiting.
- Observe if the asparagus is already crisp- tender. Turn off the saucepan and drain the liquid for later use.
- Have the onions sauteed in butter using another saucepan until it is tender enough.
- Put pepper, salt and flour in the saucepan and mix them well.
- Pour in the reserved liquid from the boiled asparagus along with the milk, bouillon and another cup of water.
- Boil the mixture. Make sure to stir them well for the next 2 minutes or until you determine that it is thick enough for the soup.
- Add asparagus and give the mixtureanother stirring.
- Heat the soup.
Note: The above recipe can produce up to six servings using a small-sized bowl. The preparation time is 30 minutes at maximum.
Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Fresh Thyme
INGREDIENTS
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound of trimmed asparagus
INSTURCTIONS
- Prepare the oven and preheat it at 400 degrees Celsius
- Get an 11x 17 baking dish and coat it with cooking spray.
- Put garlic on the baking dish and spread asparagus on top of it.
- Pour olive oil on the layer.
- Mix thyme and salt. Spread them evenly on the asparagus.
- Put the baking dish inthe oven and set it at 400 degrees Celsius.
- Wait for 15 minutes for it to cook or until the asparagus is tender yet crispy enough
- Serve the asparagus on a medium- sized bowl.
Prawn and Asparagus Pasta Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 12 extra large prawns
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey mustard
- 1 finely chopped clove garlic
- 2 liters of water
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 450g of trimmed, fresh asparagus in 2.5 cm pieces
- 225g orzo pasta
- Salt and Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by peeling the prawns. Do not throw the shells for later use.
- Cook 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in medium heat using a frying pan and mix the garlic and prawns. Frequent stirring is a must to prevent the browning of garlic.
- When the prawns are finally cooked, turn off the heat. The pawns should be sliced into 1.25 cm pieces.
- Using a saucepan, boil water on high heat. Pour the reserved shells in the water and wait for 5 minutes.
- Remove shells by straining and throw them away. Cook orzo in the boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Add the asparagus pieces in the past. Continue cooking until the pasta is firm enough.
- Using a mesh sieve, drain the pasta and rinse in cold water.
- The pasta and asparagus should be tossed with spring onions, prawns and another 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Prepare a separate bowl for mixing lemon juice, mustard, vinegar and basil.
- Toss the pasta mixture well. Put salt and pepper to add flavor as necessary.
- The pasta needs at least 2 hours to chill.
Asparagus is a good ingredient to play around with. There are lots of asparagus recipes that will surely satisfy your taste buds while keeping you fit and healthy at the same time.
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