White Asparagus With Cashew Cream Sauce Recipes

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH CASHEW-CURRY MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• On baking sheet, drizzle oil over trimmed asparagus. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss together to evenly distribute oil and seasoning. Roast in oven for 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the asparagus. While asparagus is roasting, prepare mayonnaise.
• Process 2 tablespoons of cashews in a blender until finely ground. In a small bowl, stir to combine ground cashews, mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.
• To serve, divide asparagus among 4 plates and top with a dollop of mayonnaise mixture. Garnish with a few chopped cashews.

WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH CASHEW CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the dry ends off the asparagus. If necessary, peel the fibrous exterior of the bottom half of each spear. Cut the top 3 1/2 inches of each stalk and set aside. Using a sharp knife, very finely julienne two or three of the stalk bottoms (reserve the rest for another use) and place in a small bowl. Add the chives, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
• On a sheet of heavy-duty or a double layer of aluminum foil, place the asparagus tips standing up and crimp the foil around them at the bottom so that they remain standing. Add the butter on top of the spears, and continue to crimp the foil closely around the spears, sealing it closed at the top. Place in the oven and roast until barely tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the cashew cream.
• In a food processor, pulse the cashews into a fine powder; be careful not to over-process and turn into a paste. Place 2/3 of the ground cashews into a small saucepan; set aside the remainder for garnish. Add the milk to the pan, with 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil and immediately turn off heat. Mix well; set aside.
• When the asparagus is ready, open the packet and baste it with the juices from the bottom of the foil. On each of 4 small plates, arrange a spoonful of cashew cream and top with two asparagus tips. Place the asparagus julienne on the side and garnish with crushed cashews.

ASPARAGUS AND CASHEWS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a wok over low to medium heat. Add ginger, and stir-fry until slightly brown. Add asparagus, and stir-fry for a few minutes before adding soy sauce and cashews. Cook until asparagus is tender but still crisp and bright green, stirring frequently.

AUSTRIAN WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH BROWN BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel the asparagus. Line the asparagus from the spear end and cut into approximately 6-inch lengths. Discard ends.
• In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender being careful not to overcook.
• Drain the asparagus. Set aside. In a large saute pan, heat the butter. Add the brioche crumbs and saute until golden. Add the reserved asparagus and saute until well coated with the browned butter and brioche crumbs. Sprinkle with parsley, season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

ASPARAGUS WITH CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together 2 tablespoonsmayonnaise, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1tablespoon white-wine vinegar, and1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Season withsalt and pepper. Drizzle over chilled Steamed Asparagus.

CREAMED ASPARAGUS ON TOAST

Steps:

• Place asparagus into a large pot or skillet and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Mix 3 tablespoons butter and flour together in the same pot over medium-low heat until flour is dissolved and mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk, asparagus, and salt to butter-flour mixture and simmer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Spread about 1 teaspoon butter onto each piece of toast. Pour creamed asparagus over each piece of toast.

ROASTED WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH HERBES DE PROVENCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Trim 1 1/2 inches off the bottom of each asparagus stalk. Lay flat on a cutting board and peel off outer layer.
• Transfer to a casserole dish and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle herbes de Provence, salt, and black pepper over asparagus.
• Roast in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place asparagus on the baking sheet and season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly toss to coat evenly.
• Roast in the preheated oven until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 10 minutes for thin asparagus, or 14 minutes for large asparagus.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until softened, taking care not to burn garlic. Sprinkle flour onto butter and cook, whisking constantly until mixture is golden and thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a light boil until sauce starts to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese and continue whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat - sauce will further thicken.
• Place asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with cheese sauce. Garnish with lemon zest and serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS WITH CASHEWS

Steps:

• Preheat wok or skillet to medium high or 325.
• Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces.
• Pour oils around top of a preheated wok or skillet for 2 minutes. Add ginger, stir-fry for 30 seconds.
• Add asparagus, and stir fry for 2 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, and stir fry 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.
• Add cashews and soy sauce; toss gently.

ASPARAGUS WITH CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, bring water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, garlic powder, lemon-pepper and salt until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Add the parsley, vinegar and dill., Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low; whisk in sour cream. Drain asparagus; arrange on a serving platter. Top with cream sauce.

HOW TO COOK ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Asparagus is best and freshest in spring from a local source. Generally, the West Coast season runs from February to May; East Coast asparagus appears in May and June. Asparagus from Peru is available year-round, of course, but it is not as good.At the market, look for spears that are brightly colored and have compact, tightly closed tips. Spears that are ridged or look dry have lost their flavor. Check the root ends to see how dried out they are; if they are truly brown, reach for a different bundle.For stovetop cooking, a stainless steel or enamel-coated cast-iron pot is best. If you're stir-frying, you'll need a wok or a deep-sided cast iron skillet. For roasting, use a baking sheet or a small roasting pan.Asparagus cooks quickly, so make sure to have all your ingredients ready by the stove. It's best served warm or room temperature; ice-cold asparagus is unpleasant.
• Asparagus comes in different shades and sizes, and each has its strengths. Here are some tips on how best to choose, clean and store it. There are three colors of asparagus: green, purple and white. Green asparagus is by far the most common and is available year-round in American supermarkets. You'll find thin, medium and fat green spears in almost any market. Whatever its thickness, green asparagus should be cooked al dente. White asparagus is more common in Europe. It is white because the plants are covered in mulch to prevent them from developing chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color. White asparagus must be completely peeled from tip to tail, and, unlike green, should be well-cooked. It is a mistake to cook green and white asparagus together. Purple asparagus has a beautiful violet skin that turns dark green when cooked. Its taste is similar to that of green asparagus. Asparagus usually comes in three sizes: Pencil-thin, medium and jumbo. The thickness of the asparagus does not indicate its maturity; a thin asparagus spear does not grow into a fat one. What you'll choose is based on personal preference and what you're cooking. Some describe thin spears as grassy or thicker ones as meaty.Thin asparagus is great for stir fries and sautéing. Fat asparagus is good for roasting or grilling, and best when you want to serve whole spears, even simply steamed. Medium spears work in almost any cooking method. Store your asparagus in your crisper drawer, wrapped in a damp paper towel and then in a plastic bag, no longer than three days. Do not clean it first. Or you can store asparagus upright in a container with an inch of water. Place it in the fridge, uncovered.
• Before you begin cooking, take a minute to snap or cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus. If you have nice fat spears, peel their tough skin away too. We'll show you how. Snapping off woody asparagus bottoms gives you spears of slightly different lengths, but guarantees no tough ends when you sit down to eat. To snap, hold a spear with both hands and find the natural bending point near the bottom of the stalk. Then snap. Make sure your hands really are near the bottom, or you risk discarding too much; a stalk will snap in the middle if you're not careful. The spear should break at a point where the asparagus has started to lose its moisture.Cutting your spears is fine as long as you take care to avoid the woody ends. (But please, don't use the discarded ends to make anything but compost.)The skin on larger asparagus spears doesn't soften with cooking, which is why it's best to peel the lower stalks of medium or fat spears, both green and purple. Always peel white asparagus.To peel, place the spear flat on your work surface. Using a vegetable peeler, preferably one with a swivel blade, peel the asparagus from about halfway up the spear toward the root end. Never peel the tips. Use a light hand, or you'll peel off too much of the sweet core. Asparagus can be peeled a few hours ahead of time, wrapped and refrigerated.
• Roasting asparagus allows for a slight caramelizing of the vegetable's skin, and it's just luscious. It's also a fast way to get delicious asparagus on the table without standing at the stove.Here's a very simple method for roasting that just requires olive oil, salt and pepper, but you can add other spices as well: cayenne, red pepper flakes or smoked salt. Or try chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.Heat your oven to 425 degrees, and dress asparagus spears lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan in one layer and roast until lightly browned and sizzling, and just firm-tender. If you are roasting on a baking sheet, that should take 10 to 12 minutes, or about 15 minutes in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. The trick here is getting the spears nicely colored without overcooking them, and you should always err on the undercooked side - asparagus will continue to cook off the heat.
• Simply steamed or simmered asparagus is delicious, and you can dress the spears however you like: in a bagna cauda, or a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, or nothing at all. These are very easy cooking methods, and any size spear will work, although medium is best. We'll also tell you how to blanch asparagus, a useful method when incorporating the vegetable into other dishes. It's easy to cook asparagus in a steamer. Bring one inch of well-salted water to boil in a pot with a steamer insert, and place the spears in the steamer in a single layer. (If necessary, work in batches; do not pile in the asparagus or try to cook too many at a time.) Cover the pot and cook for about 3 minutes, depending upon size of spears. Err on the undercooked side - asparagus will continue to cook off the heat. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon or tongs and blot the excess water away with a towel.Simmering asparagus is another easy way to cook asparagus quickly, and a good option if you don't own a steamer. In a wide pot, boil a few inches of generously salted water and add your asparagus. Cook at a rapid simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of your asparagus. Again, don't cook too many at one time; a dozen in the pot at once is plenty. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon or tongs and blot to remove any remaining water. Old recipes sometimes call for using twine to tie asparagus into bundles, to make it easier to retrieve them from the water. If you do, blot the cooked bundle, transfer to a platter and snip the twine with kitchen shears. Some recipes, such as spring pasta dishes, call for blanching asparagus. It's easy to do. In a wide pot, boil a few inches of generously salted water and add your asparagus, either whole stalks or cut into pieces. Cook at a rapid simmer for 1 minutes. Then immediately plunge the spears into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking and to keep them green. Remove from ice water and blot, otherwise risk waterlogged asparagus.
• Tender, sweet asparagus can be delicious raw and dressed simply with olive oil, lemon and salt. And you don't even need to turn on your stove.Fat asparagus works best in raw preparations, like this fast recipe for a delicious asparagus salad.Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice 6 to 8 fat asparagus spears very thinly on the diagonal. (Alternatively, you can cut them on a mandoline, or use a peeler to slice them lengthwise into long, thin ribbons.) Pile them into a bowl and dress with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Toss and serve.
• Asparagus is great quickly stir-fried or sautéed over high heat. You could sauté spears in butter or olive oil with delicious results, but throwing some chopped herbs or sliced chiles into the pan adds wonderful flavor. Both of these methods produce juicy asparagus that retains its crunch.Thin spears are best for sautéeing or stir-frying. For Asian recipes, use a wok if you have one; otherwise, a cast-iron skillet or large sauté pan will work fine. Here's a simple method for spicy wok-fried asparagus (you can leave out the spicy elements if you wish): Cut 6 to 8 cleaned and trimmed medium asparagus spears into 2-inch lengths. In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until nearly smoking. Add the asparagus to the wok or skillet, season generously with salt and pepper and cook about 2 minutes until it is bright green, stirring constantly and making sure that the asparagus is coated completely with oil. Then, add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated ginger and one finely chopped serrano or other hot chile pepper. Cook for another 30 seconds or so, then transfer to a serving platter and scatter on top a handful of chopped fresh basil, mint or cilantro leaves (or all three.) And here's how to sauté asparagus: Heat a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cut 6 to 8 cleaned and trimmed medium asparagus spears into 2-inch lengths. Add olive oil or butter to pan; when hot, add asparagus, season generously with salt and pepper and cook about 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green, shaking or stirring the pan frequently. The key is to cook the asparagus just enough so that the exterior browns a bit, but the interior remains crunchy. Finish it with anything you like: a squeeze of lemon, a favorite sweet vinegar, a fistful of chopped herbs.
• Frying asparagus is easier than it sounds, and results in crispy, tender spears that you won't want to stop eating. Don't forget a good dipping sauce.You'll need a deep heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, to make tempura, and a thermometer to test the temperature of your oil. Medium spears work best. Here's an easy method:In your heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop, heat three inches or so of vegetable oil until it reaches 360 degrees. While it heats, in a bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons corn starch and ½ teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups ice water and 2 eggs, lightly beaten, and then add that to the flour mixture. Mix it briefly with a fork or chopsticks, but do not overbeat; lumps are fine. Dip your cleaned, snapped asparagus spears in the batter and drop them gently in the hot oil. Fry for about two minutes, until the spears are just lightly browned. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on absorbent paper.

ASPARAGUS WITH WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Place water in bottom of steamer and bring to a boil.
• 2. While water is heating, trim tough ends off the asparagus stalks. If the asparagus is tough peel them slightly.
• 3. Place asparagus in top of steamer. Steam them 5 to 10 minutes or until tender.
• 4. While it is steaming, Melt butter and shortening in a small skillet.
• 5. Sprinkle with the flour, stirring constantly until mixed.
• 6. Slowly add warm milk stirring constantly. Add the cheese and keep stirring until cheese is melted.
• 7. Place asparagus on serving plate, pour sauce over it. Serve immediately.

WHITE ASPARAGUS IN WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• Drain asparagus spears, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid.
• Heat margarine in a saucepan.
• Add flour; blend.
• Gradually pour in asparagus liquid and milk.
• Stir constantly over low heat until sauce thickens and bubbles.
• Add cooked ham and seasonings.
• Gently stir in asparagus spears; heat through but do not boil.
• Serve in preheated serving dish.