Ziti With Asparagus Peas And Lemon Cream

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

1/2 c  Shelled fresh peas (about
-1/2 lb unshelled)
1/2 lb Asparagus, trimmed, peeled
-and cut on the diagonal
-into 1-1/2' pieces
8 tb Unsalted butter
1 1/4 c  Heavy cream
1    Juice of lemon
1 ts Finely grated lemon rind
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 lb Ziti or tubular pasta
3    Hearts of Bibb or butter
-lettuce, separated into
-leaves
1/2 c  Freshly grated Parmesan
-cheese

(From ‘Perla Meyers’ Art of Seasonal Cooking,’ Simon and Schuster).

Place the peas in a vegetable steamer, set over simmering water, and steam,
covered, for 3-5 minutes or until just tender. Remove and run under cold
water to stop further cooking. Drain and set aside.

Add the asparagus to the vegetable steamer. Cover and steam for 3-5 minutes
or until just tender. Remove and run under cold water to stop further
cooking. Drain and set aside.

Add asparagus to the vegetable steamer. Cover and steam for 3-5 minutes or
until just tender. Run under cold water, drain and reserve.

In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the
cream. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until reduced by
one-third. Add the lemon juice and rind. Season with salt and white pepper
and keep warm.

Bring plenty of salted water to a boil in a large casserole. Add the ziti
and cook until just tender, al dente. Add 2 cups of cold water to stop
further cooking. Drain thoroughly, and add to the lemon cream together with
the peas, asparagus and Bibb lettuce and simmer until the sauce lightly
coats the pasta and the lettuce has just wilted. Add the Parmesan and toss
gently. Taste and correct the seasoning and serve at once.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 642.3 calories; 52.6 grams total fat;
(33.7 grams saturated fat); 10.9 grams protein; 26.5 grams carbohydrates;
179 milligrams cholesterol; 230.5 milligrams sodium.

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Tilapia En Papillote With Asparagus And Shrimp

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

Stephen Ceideburg
1/2 lb Thin or medium asparagus
2 tb Unsalted butter, softened
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground
-pepper, to taste
4 lg Or 8 small tilapia filets (1
-1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tb Fresh lemon juice
2 oz Tiny cooked shrimp rinsed
-and drained

Snap off the thick ends of the asparagus, cut the spears diagonally into
bite-size pieces, and blanch in lightly salted water.

Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, beat the butter until light and blend in the lemon zest; season
to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

For each portion, fold a 12-inch square of baking parchment in half
diagonally and crease the corners.

Arrange one portion of tilapia filet on one side of the paper.

Season with a little lemon juice and top with a quarter of the shrimp and
asparagus.

Dot with a quarter of the lemon butter.

Fold the other side of the paper over the fish and seal the package into a
half oval with a series of creases, starting with one corner and finishing
with a twist at the opposite end.

Repeat for the remaining portions.

Bake the packages on a sheet pan until the paper is browned and puffy, 7 to
8 minutes.

To serve, slit open each package and slide the contents, out onto a plate;
or serve in the paper, letting each diner cut open his own.

PER SERVING: 205 calories, 31 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (4 g
saturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 38 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Jay Harlow writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 3/18/92.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg

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Summertime Salad

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

Lettuce Of Choice
Sliced Fresh Mushrooms
Sliced Small Carrots
Diced Green Onions
Sliced Radishes
Diced Bell Pepper
Fresh Avocado
Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Marinated Artichoke Crowns
Marinated Mushrooms
Marinated Brussel Sprouts
Marinated Asparagus
Bean Sprouts
Alfalfa Sprouts
Bacon Bits
Croutons
Sliced Cucumber
Sliced Zucchini
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Fresh Or Canned Shrimp
Fresh Or Canned Crab
Dressings Of Choice

Over the years I have gotten to where I will put just about anything in a
tossed summer salad. To add some variety to your summertime salads try any
or all of these ingredients. Try leaving out the lettuce sometime, it
makes for an interesting salad. From: Syd’s Cookbook.

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Stir-Fried Onion-Pepper Asparagus

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

3/4 lb Asparagus
2 tb Oil
4 md Mushrooms; sliced
1 bn Green onions; sliced, white
1    Cl Garlic; minced or pressed
1/2 md Green pepper; slivered
8 oz Waterchestnuts; drained
3/4 c  Chicken broth
1 tb Cornstarch
2 tb Soy sauce

Recipe by: My Great Recipes Preparation Time: 0:20
Trim asparagus and cut diagonally into thin slices.

Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms
and cook, stirring, until lightly browned.

Add asparagus, green onions, garlic and greep pepper. Stir-fry for 2 to
3 minutes.

Add water chestnuts and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes.

Blend broth, cornstarch adn soy sauce. Stir into mixture. Cook,
stirring, until thickened. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes
or until vegetables are of desired doneness.

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Springtime Chicken Salad

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

3 x  Chicken breast halves
1 lb Fresh asparagus
Head iceberg lettuce
Lemon slices for garnish

—————————-LEMON-HERB DRESSING—————————-
1/2 c Lemon juice
2 tb Lemon juice
2 x Sm clove garlic, pressed
1 ts Oregano
1 ts Basil
1 ts Salt
1/4 ts Pepper
1/4 c Slivered toasted almonds

VARIATION: 1lb of boneless chicken breasts can be poached with 1/4 c lemon
juice and water or broth to cover in a 9-in skillet. Place over med heat.
Bring to a boil slowly. Reduce heat. Simmer for 1 min. Remove from heat.
Cover. Let stand 20 mins. Remove chicken, pat dry and shred. PREPARATION:
Place chicken in a saucepan. Cover with water. Simmer for 20 min. until
done. Remove. Cool. Wash asparagus. Snap off stalks at the point of
tenderness. Partially fill a large skillet with water. Bring to boil. Add
asparagus. Cover and heat until water comes back to a boil. Uncover. Boil
slowly for 4-5 mins until spears bend a little when lifted. Drain. Cool.
With a knife, shred half of the lettuce. Place in a large salad bowl.
combine the dressing ingredients. Shake until blended. Drizzle half of the
dressing over the lettuce. Shred the chicken. Slice the asparagus into 2-in
diagonal pieces. Combine with the lettuce. Drizzle with remaining dressing.
Garnish with lemon slices. Serve, sprinkled with almonds, if desired.

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Springtime Asparagus Salad

Servings: 6
Ingredients:

2 lb Asparagus, peeled *
1/2 c  Olive oil
1/4 c  White wine vinegar
1/2 ts Dijon mustard
1 lg Clove garlic, crushed
Salt and ground pepper
1 ts Worcestershire sauce
ds Tabasco sauce
1/2 c  Chopped onion
1/2 c  Chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c  Parmesan cheese
3 tb Pine nuts,toasted(see below)

1. Steam the asparagus spears for 5 minutes. Drain well and place in a
serving dish.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, Dijon, garlic, salt,
pepper, Worcestershire, Tabasco, onion, parsley, and Parmesan. Stir in the
pine nuts.

3. Pour the vinaigrette over the asparagus. Cover and let marinate in the
refrigerator 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Serve chilled with the marinade
spooned over the spears.

6 portions

* I always peel asparagus, as the stalk can be quite tough, especially on
mature asparagus. If you purchase the pencil thin asparagus, it is not
necessary to peel them, as they are generally quite tender.

HOW TO TOAST NUTS

Spread nuts out on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350F degree oven for 5 to
10 minutes until golden. Different sizes and types of nuts toast at varying
times; the smaller the nut, the faster it browns, so you have to keep a
watchful eye on the oven.

Source: The Uncommon Gourmet by Ellen Helman (ISBN 0-89815-519-3)

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Shrimp And Asparagus Salad

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

1 lb GREEN OR PURPLE ASPARAGUS
1 lb Cooked, pealed and cleaned
1/2 c  Chopped red bell pepper
1/4 c  Finely chopped parsley
1/2 ts Celery seed
1 tb Prepared horseradish
Endive or Green leaf lettuce
4    Lemon wedges
TRIMMED and CUT IN 1/2 'Pieces
Shrimp..................
1 c  Mayonnaise (not salad dressg
1/2 ts Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 c  Freshly squeezed lemon juice
2    Hard-cooked eggs, diced

Cook green asparagus in boiling salted water until barely tender, about
1 minute. If purple asparagus is tender, don’t cook at all. In mixing
bowl, combine asparagus, shrimp and bell pepper. In another bowl, mix
mayonnaise, parsley, pepper, celery seed, salt, horseradish and lemon
juice; stir into shrimp mixture. Spoon onto endive or lettuce; sprinkle
with eggs and garnish with lemon wedges.

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Seafood And Asparagus Stir-Fry

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

----------------------------MARINADE INGREDIENTS----------------------------
1 tb Dry sherry*
1 ts Cornstarch
1/4 ts Salt
1 pn White pepper

—————————-STIR-FRY INGREDIENTS—————————-
1/2 lb Shrimp,medium,raw**
1/4 lb Sea scallops***
1/2 lb Asparagus
2 tb Vegetable oil
2 ts Garlic,minced
1/2 c Baby corn,canned,drained****
1/2 c Whole water chestnuts
1/2 c Chicken broth
2 tb Sherry*
1 ts Sesame oil
1/2 ts Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
1 pn White pepper
2 1/2 ts Cornstarch*****
5 ts Water

* - or Chinese white wine

** - shelled and deveined

*** - cut in half horizontally

**** - and cut in half diagonally

***** - dissolve cornstarch in water

Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and
scallops; stir to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes. Snap off and discard the
tough ends of the asparagus and cut the spears diagonally into 1 1/2′
pieces. Place a wok or wide frying pan over high heat until hot. Add the
vegetable oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the garlic and cook,
stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the shrimp and scallops;
stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the scallops turn opaque and the shrimp
turn pink. Remove the seafood from the wok. Add the asparagus, baby corn,
water chestnuts, and broth; cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sherry,
sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Return the seafood to the wok and add
the cornstarch solution. Cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and
thickens.

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Roasted Aspragus (Ew)

Servings: 12
Ingredients:

4 lb Asparagus
4 ts Olive oil
Salt and freshly gorund black
-pepper to taste
2 ts Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 F. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if
desired, peel the stalks. In a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with
sides, toss the asparagus with oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread
the asparagus in a single layer. If the pan is not large enough, use two
pans.

Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender and browned, shaking once during
roasting. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and toss. Taste and adjust
seasonings. Let cool to room temp., serve within 2 hours.

Entered by: Diane Pahl (1:2410/120) Recipes from: Eating Well, The Magazine
of Food and Health ™ ISSN 1064-16399

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Quail Breasts And Truffle Salad

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

Herb vinaigrette (see below)
Truffle juice vinaigrette
-(see below)
32    Asparagus tips
50 g  Chanterelles   (cleaned)
12 qt Breasts
1    Or 2 uncooked yellow
-zucchini (sliced into 48
-very thin circles)
1 lg Tomato (brunoised)
15 g  Frisee lettuce (cleaned)
12    Italian parsley leaves
30 g  Truffle (sliced into 12
-very thin circles)
Butter
Seasoning - salt, pepper,
-chicken stock
White wine

The remaining recipes are Western and somewhat Frenchified to my eyes.
They’re ‘nouveaux’ at the very least. Little dabs of food artfully
arranged here and there on a plate, sometimes connected by skeins of
sauces. Expensive too. This one calls for chanterelles and 30 grams of
truffles, a little over an ounce.

Establishment: The Regent Hotel (Hong Kong) Salisbury Road, Tsimshatsui,
Kowloon. Western Cuisine Practical Class Gold Award - Hors d’oeuvre Chef:
Patrick Lin (The Regent Hotel)

To prepare: 1. Make herb vinaigrette from onion, chives, Italian parsley,
parsley and a pinch of tarragon, all finely chopped together. (Keep some
chopped herbs aside to use in chanterelles preparation - see below.) Add
salt, pepper, walnut oil, sherry and vinegar, according to taste.

2. Make truffle juice vinaigrette from bottled truffle juice, salt, olive
oil and vinegar. (For both vinaigrettes recommended ratio of oil to
vinegar is 2:1.)

3. Cut asparagus tips off stems with slanting cuts (so that they will
stand up at an angle in central garnish.)

To cook: 1. Lightly salt chanterelles and saute over a low flame in butter,
with a drop of white wine, a few drops of chicken stock, and a mixture of
the same herbs that were used to make herb vinaigrette (see above).

2. Reduce sauteed mixture completely, and then marinate chanterelles in
herb vinaigrette for 30 minutes.

3. Clean quail breasts and season with salt and pepper. In a restaurant
kitchen they would be grilled - for home cooking, pan-fry in hot melted
butter quickly for about one minute top and bottom until they are golden
brown all over.

To present: 1. Create central garnish by arranging a wheel of eleven
overlapping yellow zucchini slices, placing a small heap of tomato brunoise
on one central slice. Place asparagus tips pointing outwards from centre.

2. Create three distinct islands of chanterelles topped with frisee
lettuce and Italian parsley. Place three truffle slices between
chanterelle islands and lay one quail breast on each. Pour a little
truffle juice vinaigrette over quails and central garnish, and a little
herb vinaigrette over lettuce.

Makes 4 servings.

From ‘Champion Recipes of the 1986 Hong Kong Food Festival’. Hong Kong
Tourist Association, 1986.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; October 28 1992

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