Tag Archives: asparagus recipes

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Hints of Spring with Ham & Asparagus Egg Muffins

Lovely spears of asparagus are on sale at the grocery store, which is a sure sign that spring is on the way.  Of course, we are all hoping for a big thaw in some parts of the country and in my area, we are expecting the usual spring snow or two.  In fact, weather may be coming in this weekend, but for now, I am enjoying the sunny, but cold, days and the sight of asparagus in the grocery store.

So that’s the inspiration for this simple, very low carb recipe for ham and asparagus egg muffins.  They’re muffins only in the sense that they’re baked in muffin cups.  They make a wonderful breakfast-on-the-run — just grab one or two, pop ’em in the microwave and take them out the door with you.  One thing I wouldn’t recommend on this, and I tried it, is to use muffin papers with it.  The paper just sticks to the egg or vice-versa and it’s a bit of a mess.  Grease the muffin wells with butter or baking spray to get the entire cavity covered and they should come out fairly cleanly.

Ham & Asparagus Egg Muffins

8 Eggs
1/2 cup Ham, cubed
4 to 6 speaks Asparagus, chopped
1/4 cup Mini Peppers, chopped
3 tablespoons Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 355 degrees (F). Prepare a 12-well or two 6-well muffins tins by spraying with cooking spray or coating with butter or oil.  Make sure to come all the way up the sides.

In a large bowl, break the eggs and add the cream, salt and pepper and ricotta cheese and mix well with a whisk. Add the ham, asparagus and peppers, then stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop and fill each of the muffin cups to about 3/4 full  with the egg batter.

Bake for 25 minutes, then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of each muffin and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Let cool before serving or putting into storage bags to put in the refrigerator.  Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds or eat at room temperature, if preferred.

Makes 12 egg muffins

Nutrition Info per muffin:
Calories: 129 Fat: 9.6 g Net Carbs: 1.3 g Protein: 8.9 g

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Mexican Style Asparagus Salad Sides with Tostado

Skinny Girl Bistro (R. Averett)

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexican heritage and pride for those in the United States, and a day of victory over the French forces in the Battle of Puebla in the Mexican state of Puebla. In honor of the day, our household had Mexican themed food. I made tostadas using some of the leftover filling from my Enchiladas con Calabaza recipe and served a delicious, mildly spicy salad made with asparagus. The salad is a recipe that I got from a Wisconsin Cheese web site. To get the recipe, please visit this link.

Tostado Con Carne (with Meat)

To make the tostado, you need for each one:

1 or 2 Flax Corn Tortillas or 1 one low carb Flour Tortilla
2 or 3 tablespoons of the Filling
1/4 cup chopped or shredded Lettuce
1 tablespoon chopped Tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon chopped Olives
shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
1 tablespoon Guacamole (optional)
1 tablespoon Sour Cream (optional)

Heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the pan with a 1/4 inch layer. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium high and slide in a tortilla. Cook a couple of minutes, then use a pancake turner or heat resistant spatula to flip the tortilla over and cook a couple of minutes on that side. It should get lightly browned. I usually flip them a couple of times. Remove to a paper towel on a plate to drain any excess oil. Repeat for as many tostadas as you plan to make.

Heat the filling and spoon two to three tablespoons onto the tostado base. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives and jack cheese. Finish off with a tablespoon of guacamole and a tablespoon of sour cream if you wish.

The calories and carbs for this are dependent on which tortilla you use and what you top it with, but it should be about what the enchilada count is.

Calories: 155.7 Fat: 8 g Net Carbs: 8.25 g Protein: 10.7g

Mexican Style Asparagus Salad

This is a recipe too good not to pass on, which is why I’ve included the link to web site above. I made it pretty much as written except for a couple of slight changes. I added three tablespoons of chopped olives to it, which are mixed in when the tomato is added. I only used half a serrano pepper because I thought it might be too spicy. It could have probably used a whole one. I could not find queso blanco at my local grocery store so I used Greek feta cheese and it worked fine. However, it is probably a little saltier than the Mexican cheese. Next time, I am going to make my own queso blanco and I’ll let you know how that goes.

The other slight change is that I didn’t remove the crushed garlic from the dressing, but let it sit in the mix and continue to add flavor. But then I love garlic. If you prefer the milder taste, let it sit for maybe 30 minutes and then remove it.

So my variation on it:

1 pound fresh Asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally in 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped finely
1/3 cup diced Onion
3 tablespoons chopped Olives
1/2 Serrano Chile, chopped

Vinaigrette:
1 clove Garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano leaves
2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice

Assembly:
1 medium Tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled Queso Blanco Cheese

For the asparagus salad:
Bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil and add a dash of salt, then add the asparagus. Let water return to a boil and cook for a minute and tests the asparagus with a fork. It should be slightly tender, but still crisp. If it isn’t, cook another minute and test again. You don’t want the asparagus to be overcooked. Rinse with cold water and drain. Place the asparagus in bowl, and add the cilantro, onion, olives and chile and mix together.

For the vinaigrette:
Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well to mix. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then shake again and remove the garlic, if you wish.

Toss the asparagus mixture with the vinaigrette, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, add the tomato and Queso Blanco Cheese, then stir it together.

While this is made with asparagus, which is now in season and is reasonably priced, I think it would work equally as well with broccoli or cauliflower or a mix of the two. It might work with Brussels sprouts as well, but I would cut them in half and steam them until tender. And don’t overlook zuchinni as a possible substitute. The flavors would be excellent.

Nutrition Info for the asparagus salad (1/4th recipe):
Calories: 199 Fat: 4.7 g Net Carbs: 6.4 g Protein: 3.9 g

Posted on 5/6/2013

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Spring Green Goodness: Asparagus Leek Cauli-Risotto

The idea of ricing cauliflower came from other places, but once I got into the idea, it became a wonderful alternative to rice. My first foray into adapting a rice dish to cauli-rice was my grandmother’s Spanish rice recipe and it was wonderful. I use 1 tablespoon of rice in the dish to bring a little of the real rice texture and flavor to the dish, but it really doesn’t need it.

With the drop in price of asparagus last week for Easter, I bought a couple of bundles and was inspired by a California Asparagus Risotto recipe that also included leek to try this version using riced cauliflower and daikon radish to replace most of the rice in the dish. The result was deliciously wonderful and so good for you. Just look at the beautiful colors in the dish and it shouts Spring!

Asparagus Leek Cauli-Risotto

1 1/2 Cups Cauliflower, raw (fresh or frozen)
1 cup Daikon Radish
1 cup Asparagus, fresh
1/2 cup Mushrooms, fresh
1 tablespoon Rice, white, long-grain, raw
1/2 cup Chicken Broth or Bouillon,
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 Lemon Pepper seasoning
1/4 cup White Wine (I used a California Risling)
2 cloves of Garlic
1 cup Leeks, slices (bottom only)
1 tablespoon Butter
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cut cauliflower into pieces and microwave for about 5 minutes to partially cook. If using frozen cauliflower, microwave about 2 minutes to defrost. Peel the daikon and cut into cubes. Put cauliflower and daikon in food processor and pulse until the pieces are about the size of rice. Set aside.

Cut asparagus into one inch segments on a diagonal and microwave in a bowl for about 30 seconds to just slightly steam. Cut or break mushrooms into pieces. Finely chop two cloves of garlic. Slice leek into thin slices. Melt butter in a deep skillet, brown garlic and rice until just golden brown. Add leeks, then add the cauliflower and daikon mixture and stir together in the skillet. Add one cup of water and stir it around.

Cook on high heat until it boils, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup of bouillon or chicken broth and stir in. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring every five or so minutes. When almost all the liquid is gone, add white wine, asparagus, mushrooms and seasonings.

Cook over low heat until the liquid is almost gone and the dish is just moist. Sprinkle on cheese and serve. This took about an hour to reduce the liquids from start to finish. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Nutrition Info 1/4 of recipe:
Calories: 140.8 Fat: 5.8 g Net Carbs: 10 g Protein: 5.6 g

1/6 of recipe:
Calories: 93.9 Fat: 3.9 g Net Carbs: 6.7 g Protein: 3.7 g

Posted on 4/2/2013