Thanksgiving: Asparagus w/Rice

Alright everyone who checks this blog out, it's Thanksgiving time. This is an American holiday that is no stranger to gluttony and American Football. I have a few things I'll be posting up here between now and then (this upcoming Thursday) to be cooked for this grand event.

Ingredients:
1 lb Asparagus
1/3 stick Butter
Olive Oil
Rice
Italian Herb Mix
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Turmeric Powder
Ancho Chile Powder
Sweet Smoked Paprika
Teriyaki Sauce

To start off with, I went for the Butter. I cut it into slivers and put them in a large saucepan with the heat set to MEDIUM.

Once they started to melt, I added in a pinch of all the spices but the Italian Herb Mix.

Mmmm...tasty. Now put in the Asparagus.

Mix it around to cover it with the buttery spice conglomeration.

Drizzle in a little bit of Olive Oil to make sure there is no chance of burning once the Butter becomes scarce.

Now, the Rice was made in my rice cooker. 1 cup Rice to 1.5 cups Water. The instructional manual says 1.25 cups Water but I find that it leaves the Rice too sticky and not as good as it could be, so a little more was needed.

Once both are cooked to completion, just dish the Rice into a bowl and add the Asparagus on top with a sprinkle of Italian Herb Mix. I also drizzled some Teriyaki Sauce on top for fun. Enjoy.

Asparagus w/Fava Beans

I decided a nice non-meat dish was needed today. After work I went to Central Market to do a little grocery shopping. Right away I decided upon the Asparagus and Fava Beans. I was not sure what I would use them in just then, however I did have a few ideas. Once I got home, an idea popped into my head. This is the result.

Ingredients:
6 Fava Beans
1 lb Asparagus
1/2 stick Butter
Dill
Paprika
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Salt
Fennel Powder
Italian Herb Mix

I began by gathering my ingredients.

My second step was to focus on the Fava Beans first. I began by peeling the bean casings themselves apart and taking out the beans. I also started a pot of water boiling with a dash of salt in it.

Now in go the beans once the water is boiling. Look, pretty.

Get a mixing bowl with some ice in it ready for the beans. They need this right after they are done cooking, which is only a minute or three.

Turn off the heat and strain the beans out into the bowl of ice. You can use ice water if you want, either way it works to cool them off somewhat. Once they are cool enough to the touch, you peel the shells off of the beans. It's pretty easy, just get one end of the casing off and squeeze the bean right on out.

Now turn your attention to the Asparagus. Cut off the base of the stalks. This isn't really needed but I find it solves the issue of having one end overdone and the other just barely cooked.

Start some butter melting in a large saucepan.

Then add the Asparagus.

I dusted with the Ground Black Pepper and Garlic Salt at this point.

Then I mixed it all together and added the Fennel Powder with a smaller dash of Dill. On top of that a nice sprinkling of Paprika.

Mix again. Cook this way for awhile until done. Taste test to make sure, should not be more than 8 minutes. Then serve. I used the Italian Herb Mix as a sprinkle once plated.

Spiced Pork Chops on Asparagus Spears with Pureed Asparagus

Today I decided that a full meal was needed for lunch. I usually just snack on whatever is around or put together one thing. Today was a little more complicated than that, especially since it was sort of decided on the fly. I have found that balancing the pork chops I chose with asparagus was indeed a nice visual effect and nutritionally balanced while being incredibly tasty!








Ingredients:
Pork Chops
2 Butterfly Pork Chops
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Ground Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Dill
Paprika
Fennel Powder
Ancho Chili Powder
Italian Herb Mix
Olive Oil

Asparagus
Asparagus
1/2 stick Butter
Italian Herb Mix
Fennel Powder
Ground Black Pepper

Asparagus Puree
Asparagus from above
White Wine
Olive Oil

I began with gathering all of my ingredients.

I then started in on the Pork Chops portion of this recipe. I started with mixing the spices together. I did not put an amount of each since most of them were just a dusting with larger dustings of Italian Herb Mix, Lawry's, and Fennel Powder.

I then trimmed my Pork Chops and set everything up.

Now I put the chops into the spice mix and proceeded to coat them with the spice mix.

I made sure to have a plate next to them to put them on.

Now, some Olive Oil into the saucepan. No measurement here, just put a bunch in.

Once that started to heat up, in went the Pork Chops.

After about 30 seconds I flipped them. I did this so the one side would be seared enough to keep the juices in while mostly cooking them with the opposite side down.

Here is where we cut in with the Asparagus portion of the recipe, somewhat. I chopped off the bottoms of the stalks and put the Butter in the other saucepan.

Once that was mostly melted, in went the spices. Just a dusting/sprinkle of each.

Then in went the Asparagus.

At about this point, check on your Pork Chops. I took one off to check if done, it was so they all came off, or just cover to retain their heat.

Mix up the Asparagus now as well, so there is more of an even cook through.

Taste test to see if they are done. If so, which they were for me, take off. Put some down on a plate for your Pork Chops to go on, the rest to the cutting board.

Now cut the Asparagus spears into small sections and put them into your food processor. Puree the life out of them. It should look very chunky, so add in a splash of Olive Oil and White Wine. Puree again for a minute. It should be done now.

Now all that's left is to plate your dishes and serve them up. I added flax seeds to the Asparagus Puree because the dark brown would offset the bright green quite well. For the Pork Chops, I placed them on a bed of Asparagus spears with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top. Enjoy.

Asparagus with Buttery Shallot Sauce

I picked up some Shallots this past week because I have never actually used them for cooking. Well, that needed to change. I've seen many recipes with them used and thought that a recipe I threw together would be a good start before delving into more complicated usages. So stay tuned if you like Shallots since I will most likely be using them in a lot of sauce creations in the future!

Ingredients:
5 Shallots
3 Garlic Cloves
1/2 stick of Butter
1/4 cup White Wine
Paprika
Sea Salt
Fennel Powder

First, I made sure I had everything I needed.

Once I had every thing together, I grabbed the Asparagus I had bought as well thinking that I can make this work. Well, I was right. The Shallots I diced up into as small of pieces as I could without mortally wounding my delicate fingers. I then did the same to the Garlic Cloves. Now that that is done, I turned to the Asparagus and trimmed off the thick ends. I did this because I wanted to cook everything properly without worrying that most of the stalks go bad just to cook the thick end.

Using a saucepan on the stove and setting the heat to medium, I waited for my half stick of Butter to melt. Once it was mostly melted, I dumped the diced Shallots and Garlic in and mixed them around with a pinch of Sea Salt. Once that was done, in went the half cup of White Wine and I topped it all off with a pinch or three of Paprika.

Once the Shallots started turning translucent I put in the Asparagus itself. Mix this around to get the buttery shallot mixture over everything. Taste test every once in awhile to find out if it is cooked properly.

Once it is done, turn off the heat and transfer the Asparagus to a plate. I put this plate in the microwave to let it stay warm easier, longer.

Now at this point I turned to making my Buttery Shallot Sauce. This part includes everything not Asparagus that was left in the saucepan. Scoop all of this, liquid included, into a small food processor. To this I added a little bit of Italian Caesar Dressing, a pinch or two of Italian Herb Mix, and some Fennel Powder. I closed it up and pureed the life out of it.

The final step in this recipe it to plate it. I chose a long narrow plate to compliment the shape of the Asparagus. I thought that skewing them by placing them diagonally would make the whole dish come together better. To top it off, the sauce I laid down in two simple lines to accent the length of the dish, almost make it seem even longer than it is. Enjoy.

Appetizer: Asparagus

This was simpler idea than the previously posted Asparagus and Mushrooms. This is just the Asparagus, but a little different. I like to change my recipes a little bit here and there because the exact same thing is just too boring! Let's get to it...





Ingredients:
Asparagus
Butter
Italian Herbs
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Salt
Sake

I began this recipe by cutting off the base of the Asparagus spears. I did this because I have noticed that the bottom end of the spear is the first part to get soggy and/or go bad. So instead of risking that ruining the entire thing, I just cut it off. Oh well, it's compost.

I put my large saucepan on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium. If you have not noticed by now, medium heat is my best friend for cooking. It lets me take care of many things at once since I have a pretty good idea how most things cook at that temperature. Back to point, I then grab a stick of Butter and cut approximately 1/3 of the stick off and toss it gently into the saucepan. It should melt pretty quickly, but good thing we have everything else ready.

The Asparagus spears should go in once the Butter is mostly melted. I just tossed them in there, no need to be gentle. Once they are in there, I moved the saucepan back and forth while stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure they are all liberally covered in Butter. I place the saucepan back down and turn to my spices. Ground Black Pepper first, followed by the Italian Herbs, and rounded out with the Garlic Salt. Choose your own amounts to fit your tastes, or to not fit your tastes and try something new!

About 3 minutes in, I grab my bottle of Sake and pour in about 1/3 of a cup. I do not recall how much exactly, I poured straight from the bottle. It sizzle right away, sounds amazing! Stir everything together to make sure the Sake gets to every one of the spears.

Taste test on occasion to make sure it's cooked properly. Once done, take out and serve. I chose to serve mine with a small Campari Tomato and a dash of those Italian Herbs and Sesame Seeds on top. Enjoy.

Sauteed Asparagus & Mushrooms

Today I decided an amazing feast was needed, so I took a look in my fridge. Low and behold what did I find!?! Asparagus and Cremini Mushrooms...what a great mix to make for an easy dinner! When I was growing up I stayed away from Asparagus due to that pungent aroma that wafted off of it, however now I have changed my ways and it is quite the tasty treat.

Ingredients:
Asparagus
Cremini Mushrooms
Green Onions/Scallions
Sake
Teriyaki Sauce
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Salt
Celery Salt
Italian Herb Mix
Butter
Sesame Seeds

I began with putting butter in a large saucepan and set the heat to medium. Then I covered it to speed it up a little bit, patience isn't exactly my strongest quality.

Once the butter was about halfway melted, I added in approximately half a cup of Sake. I moved the saucepan around so the butter and Sake mixed properly. To that, I added a healthy pinch or two of my Italian Herb Mix.

On top of this goes the Asparagus, which I then mixed into the butter/Sake mix by using a pair of tongs. Once that was done, I added a light dusting of Ground Black Pepper. To this part, you will want to mix it up every once in awhile. To test if done, just pull one out, let it cool, and take a bite. That's how I did it and it proved very tasty...I mean successful!

Once the Asparagus is going grab a knife, cutting board, and your mushrooms. Slice these into strips like you see on a pizza. They can be thin or thick, depends on your preference. I went with thick since that gives me an extra iota or two of time to run around checking on the Asparagus.

I then grabbed another saucepan and turned the heat to medium. To this pan I added in about a 1/2 cup of Sake, a couple spoonfuls of diced Green Onions/Scallions, heavy dash of Teriyaki Sauce, a little bit of the Garlic Salt, and the same for the Celery Salt. I say a little bit and a heavy dash, but what I really mean is just use however much you think you will enjoy. I like Garlic so more of that went in than the Celery Salt, but it could be the reverse with you.

Experimentation in the kitchen is always a fun learning experience! At least until things blow up!

Check on the Asparagus and use the tongs to move them around if necessary!

Ok, stir the Mushrooms. I used the same tongs for the Mushrooms and the Asparagus since the mixture used to sauté them in was similar. Normally this is a bad things since you will have flavors intermingle, but I risked it. Oh well, it was still delicious!

The Asparagus should be done by now, so put it on a plate and cover it to keep it warm. Then get the Mushrooms out since they cook pretty quickly. Now put the Asparagus on a plate with the Mushrooms and sprinkle Sesame Seeds on top. I also mixed together a dash of Sake, Soy Sauce, and Teriyaki Sauce as an extra dipping sauce or to drizzle over everything. Enjoy.