Easy Breezy Recipes

Easy and Delicious Asparagus Facts and
Recipes

Author: Sherry Frewerd

Asparagus is a delicious vegetable, but in addition to being good
tasting, asparagus is full of nutritional benefits that are good for you.
Rich in folic acid, potassium, fiber and other vitamins, asparagus is a
low calorie, fat-free food that is also low sodium and cholesterol free.
With all of the bonuses that come with adding the vegetable to your
recipes, there's no reason not to give asparagus a try.

When and how should you select and prepare fresh asparagus?
Asparagus has a rather short growing season that goes from April to
May. Although you can find asparagus year round, May is the month
where you can find the best choice in produce markets. Make sure to
look for stalks with closed, tight tips and bright green color from top to
bottom of the stem. After bringing it home, store fresh asparagus in the
refrigerator and use within 2 days.

Preparation is simple. Holding the base of the stalk firmly, bend it and
the end will break off at the tough part that isn't good eating. You can
then either leave the asparagus stalks whole or cut into pieces or
diagonally. To cook, heat to boiling in about half an inch of water in a
large skillet. Reduce to medium and cook for about 5 minutes or until
the vegetable is tender crisp. This is just the basic method of cooking
asparagus. Canned asparagus is also easily prepared in a variety of
casseroles and other family recipes. There are many very wonderful
recipes to try using asparagus; here are a few. Enjoy!

Cheesy Asparagus Casserole

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2 – 15 oz cans asparagus spears, drained
½ cup soft breadcrumbs

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until
smooth. Add soup and cheese; cook until cheese melts and mixture is
smooth, stirring constantly. Layer half each egg slices, asparagus
spears, and cheese sauce in a lightly greased 10x6x2 inch baking
dish; repeat layers. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 325 F for 30
minutes. Serves 8.

Asparagus with Lemon Sauce

1 ½ lbs fresh asparagus spears
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup butter
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp cornstarch
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon rind

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cook, covered, in a small amount
of boiling water until crisp but tender. Arrange in a serving dish.
Combine egg, butter, sugar, and cornstarch in top of double boiler;
bring water to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes or until thickened. Add lemon
juice; cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Pour over asparagus and sprinkle with lemon rind. Serves 4.

Article Source: http://sherryfrewerd.articlesbase.com/recipes-
articles/easy-and-delicious-asparagus-facts-and-recipes-385933.html
About the Author

Looking for ways to feed your family well and get out of the kitchen
quickly? Find easy and delicious family recipes at ‘Quick and Easy
Family Recipes’ http://quickandeasyfamilyrecipes.com