Asparagus
is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium,
fibre, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamine
Asparagus has
No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in SodiumIt is the greatest source
of glutathione (powerful anti-oxidant) of any food
Don't be nervous
about cooking asparagus - it's so easy Wash the spears, run your thumb and finger
along the spear, from the root end, until you find the place where the end snaps
off naturally
Discard the root Have ready a pan of boiling salted water,
about 2" deep (finding the right pan can be a problem as you don't want the
tips to touch the water)
Keep the asparagus as upright as possible and cover
the tips with tinfoil so they just steam (I use a stainless steel jug which is
just perfect for the job) Cook for 3-4 minutes and drain carefully
Eat
hot with melted butter or cool them quickly with cold water and serve with a dressing
or toss them into a salad of your choice
Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
Small
bunch of Asparagus - washed, trimmed and cut into pieces (about 3 per stalk)
250gms
Italian rice
1 medium onion
2 tsps olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
2
tomatoes skinned and chopped
125 gms peas
125 gms courgettes or any other
quick cooking vegetables
50gms butter
50 gms freshly grated parmesan
chopped parsley
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan (a wok
is perfect) and fry the garlic and onion for 5 minutes or so on a medium heat
Add
the rice and stir around until well coated with the onions and oil
Add chopped
tomatoes with a ladle of stock and stir
Add the asparagus and other vegetables
with more stock
Continue adding stock a little at a time until the rice is
cooked* The rice needs to be wet and sticky (like a rice pudding) not swimming
in liquid
This takes about 20 minutes and there may be stock left over
Add
a knob of butter, the parmesan and parsley
Stir for a few seconds and serve
