Time to post my 3 asparagus recipes for the One Perfect Ingredient event! If you still haven’t done it, there’s still time to take part, and enter the competition to win Marcus Wareing’s new book! Here’s HOW!
For some more info asparagus, check out my previous post: One perfect ingredient: ASPARAGUS.
RECIPE 1
This is how my mum and my grandmas prepare asparagus: boiled with whole eggs, and seasoned with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Eaten with bread. Simple and delicious.
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Asparagus with Eggs OR Sparoge s jajima
SOURCE: Family recipe
PREPARATION TIME: 5 min
COOKING TIME: 15 min
CUISINE: Croatian
SERVES: 1
INGREDIENTS:
A small handful of wild asparagus
2 eggs
water
red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt
METHOD:
1. Prepare asparagus, as advised in this post. Cut the shoots into about 7 cm pieces.
2. Put the eggs into enough water to cover them. Add the asparagus, and cook until the asparagus become soft. I like them slightly al dente.
3. When the asparagus are done, take the eggs out of the water, peel them, and cut into pieces, which you then add back to the asparagus. Reserve as much of the cooking liquid as you want, and add it to the asparagus and eggs (My mum eats it as a broth actually!). It’s nice to have some sauce to dip the bread in! Then, season with salt, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Eat with some good crusty bread! Enjoy!
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RECIPE 2
The next dish is a bit of a treat. My mum saw this recipe on TV, and it became an instant hit in the family! Not a big surprise, given that it contains prosciutto! 🙂 You can also use bacon or pancetta.
Istarska fritaja OR Istrian Frittata
SOURCE: As seen on TV
PREPARATION TIME: 5 min
COOKING TIME: 15 min
CUISINE: Croatian
SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
A small handful of wild or regular asparagus
a little water
4 eggs
oil
2 thick slices prosciutto, cut into pieces
METHOD:
1. Prepare asparagus, as advised in this post. Cut the shoots into about 3 – 5 cm pieces.
2. Warm the oil in a wide pan, and then add asparagus pieces to it. Cook on a low heat, until softened. Add a little water. This will evaporate quickly, and steam the asparagus slightly.
3. When the asparagus is al dente, add the prosciutto pieces to it, and cook until the prosciutto is cooked, and it changes colour. Then add the eggs, and cook, stirring, until the eggs have set.
We serve this with some nice bread and a salad of lettuce seasoned with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
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RECIPE 3
The final dish was inspired by the previous recipe. Actually, you could say it’s a vegetarian version of the previous recipe, because all I did was to replace the prosciutto with feta! In retrospect, the only thing I would do differently, is to add feta after the eggs have set. This would make it look prettier, and it would separate the tastes of individual ingredients a little.
Asparagus and Feta Frittata
SOURCE: My creation, inspired by the previous recipe
PREPARATION TIME: 5 min
COOKING TIME: 15 min
SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
A small handful of asparagus
a little water
4 eggs
oil
100 g of feta cheese, cut into pieces
salt and pepper
METHOD:
1. Prepare asparagus, as advised in this post. Cut the shoots into about 3 – 5 cm pieces.
2. Warm the oil in a wide pan, and then add asparagus pieces to it. Cook on a low heat, until softened. Add a little water. This will evaporate quickly, and steam the asparagus slightly.
3. Beat the eggs lightly, season, and stir the cubes of feta in. When the asparagus is al dente, add the eggs, and cook, stirring, until the eggs have set.
I serve this on a piece of buttered toast and with a leafy salad.
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Sylvie
/ 6 April, 2008That looks like three great ways to prepare asparagus. Thanks for the insoiration.
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Lore
/ 6 April, 2008LOVE your creation! The reason? I always make scrambled eggs with some cheese: framer’s cheese, feta or processed cheese and often a combination of these. Hehe! My palate likes the veggie-eggs combination topped with some cheese
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Maninas
/ 6 April, 2008SYLVIE, thanks! I’d be interested to know whether any of these are familiar to people.
LORE, Thanks and welcome to my blog! I love that combo, too! A friend of mine makes great scrambled eggs with mushrooms, cheese and herbs! Yum!
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Nicisme
/ 7 April, 2008I really like asparagus, not eggs unfortunately!
Nice photos.
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Maninas
/ 7 April, 2008Hi Nic!
You could try the first recipe without the eggs, and have grilled asparagus with feta or prosciutto as a version of the other two recipes.
Also, I think they could go really well grilled with some grilled halloumi, with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice and some freshly ground black pepper to boost the flavours! Actually, I like this idea so much, that I will add it to the post above! 😀
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sushma
/ 8 April, 2008I have always seen the canned version but never tried it.. guess tastes good.
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Maninas
/ 8 April, 2008Sushma, it tastes fantastic! Do try it if you get a chance. Mind you, it is a little bitter, but still great-tasting! 🙂
Thanks for visiting my blog!
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Nicisme
/ 9 April, 2008Hey – now you’re talking!
Great ideas, will have to try them.
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