1 yellow onion, sliced (or diced)
1 bunch thin asparagus spears, cut into ¼ inch pieces
5 eggs beaten (can substitute as many as 3 of the eggs for a liquid egg substitute)
2 Tablespoons milk
¼ cup of parmesan/asiago grated cheese
Salt and pepper
1 lb small spiral type pasta
Flake the cooked fish with a fork and set aside. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil for cooking the pasta. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, and when they begin to soften, add the asparagus. Salt and pepper the mixture and sauté for 5 or so minutes until the asparagus are just tender, and then set aside off the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk and cheese together
and set next to the sink. When pasta is
“al dente,” toss in a colander and shake to drain excess water. NO COLD WATER NEEDED! When you’ve drained the excess water, toss
the pasta into the mixing bowl and stir constantly and softly for about a
minute, coating all the pasta with the sauce.
You should notice the sauce thickening a bit. Add the asparagus and
onions, and then gently fold in the fish flakes last. Taste, and adjust seasonings with salt,
pepper, and even more cheese as you see fit.
Background:
I mentioned in an earlier post that I’d be talking more
about asparagus! Asparagus is one of the
first vegetables of spring. To me, it is
a VERY welcome sign of spring and with it, more diversity of ingredients to
cook with. To my husband and children,
not so much… Last year, I tried steaming
asparagus, broiling them with their favorite flavors, even smothering them in
hollandaise sauce; all to no avail. I
just couldn’t get Vidal to eat them, I don’t think MariaBella even tried them,
and Joaquin dutifully swallowed just as many pieces as we made him swallow
before having mercy on him. Such a sad
foodie Mamá! Here I was hoping to start
my own asparagus patch in my back yard vegetable garden, moving one step closer
to a more sustainable and seasonable kitchen and I couldn’t get my family to
enjoy one of the first tender and delicious heralds of spring!
Well, throughout this past year, I’ve learned a few things
as I’ve worked super hard at getting more vegetables and less meat into my
husband’s body. The most important thing
that I learned, besides serving only the freshest possible ingredients, is to
cut them up small! I have yet to find a
vegetable that goes straight from my back yard and onto the dinner plate, that
Vidal won’t eat and dare I say it? Even enjoy!
Turns out, vegetables picked at their peak and served super fresh, are
the tastiest, and the difference in flavor is so great, that those like my
husband, find they may actually like veggies after all.
Anyways, getting back to asparagus… It surprises me how many people I meet that say
they don’t like them. It also kind of
bums me out… Asparagus is not only a sign of warmer weather and a fun new season;
it is so good for our bodies boasting loads of vitamins and even folic acid! So, when I saw the first bunches of asparagus
offered at the market the other day, I just HAD to try them again with the
family. I’d learned about cutting things
up small, after all, hadn’t I?
My other challenge this time of year is Lenten Fridays. In our house, it means we feature seafood or
fish for dinner. It’s amazing how hard
it is for me to do something when I “have to do it” and how easy it seams the
rest of the year! We eat fish every
week, at least once, but for some reason, Lent makes it hard on us… I feel my
taste buds getting bored, and Vidal pouts every Friday when he asks what the
dinner plan is. So as I roamed about the
market with my asparagus already in my basket, I also roamed the internet
thanks to my handy phone. I found a
variation on this recipe, and thought it was a true sign from above! I’d found a new way to serve fish, and a
chance to overcome my family’s “dislike” of asparagus. Happy Jazzy!
Vidal, Joaquin, and even MariaBella ate the salmon and
asparagus pasta I made! Vidal even
commented that the meal was “pretty good!”
The best part for me was that when I told them what they were eating,
Joaquin could have cared less as he kept chomping, and Vidal was only mildly
surprised. Sigh…
Additional Notes:
I broiled my salmon in the oven after rubbing it down with
lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
Salmon can be a strong tasting fish, so for those who are
unsure of fish, a lighter yet still firm (and easy to flake) fish to try is
Tuna. For me, Tuna is so different in flavor
that it is an entirely different dinner, and that helps avoid taste bud
boredom!
To read more about how great Asparagus is, visit:
http://asparagusnutrition.net/
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