Tag: Quick Meals

• Keep the cooking time short to keep the crispness (cook it too long and it will get soggy)
• If the bottom of the asparagus is woody (the bottom of it will look like wood), snap it off – where it snaps off will be at the top of the woody part
• Keep your asparagus fresh longer by standing it up in a glass with a little water; cover with a sandwich bag, tie on with a rubber band, and put it in the refrigerator!
• Boil your asparagus for about 4 minutes or steam for 6-8 minutes on the stove until crisp-tender.
• Microwave your asparagus with about 1 Tbsp of water in a microwave safe container covered in plastic wrap for about 4 minutes.  Let stand covered for 2 more minutes and drain before serving.
• Keep your asparagus bright green by putting the cooked stalks in cold water before serving.
• Serve asparagus cold on salads or warm in sautes, soups, or side dishes.

 Spring Vegetable Soup

STARTING PREPARATION:

• Cut carrots, onion, and celery according to directions (you can do this ahead of time and store together in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days).

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups water
• 1 lb new (or fingerling) potatoes, in 1” chunks (some I left whole, some I cut in half, and some I cut into quarters depending on the size – I bought mine at the grocery store but they were like these)
• ½ bunch asparagus, cut into 1 ½” pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas (or fresh if you can find them!)
• 15 oz Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat.Add the carrots, onion, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.While that is cooking, prepare the potatoes.
2. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and basil and cook for another minute.Add the bay leaf, water, and potatoes.Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes start to soften.
3. Add the asparagus, peas, and beans, return to a simmer, and cook for about 4 minutes until the asparagus is crisp-tender.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN:

• Substitute 1 lb browned ground meat for the beans
• Substitute cannellini or small red beans for the Great Northern beans
• Add 2 cups fresh spinach or kale with the asparagus

Asparagus-Artichoke Vegetable Sauté

STARTING PREPARATION:

• Cut up asparagus and artichokes (you can leave the artichokes in fairly large pieces, but remove any harder outside pieces – they stay hard even after you finish the saute).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 12 spears asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
• 2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 6 oz artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 ½ cup frozen okra
• 15 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
• ¾ tsp dried minced onion
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat.Add the garlic and asparagus and cook for about 1 minute.Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the asparagus is crisp-tender and everything else is heated through.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN:

• Brown ¾ lb chicken, diced, first in the oil in the skillet (cook, stirring occasionally until it appears brown – about 5-8 minutes).Drain most of the excess fat and continue with adding the garlic and asparagus.
• Add in 15 oz chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or kidney beans for a vegetarian protein option
• Substitute in ½ lb of other vegetables, such as diced carrots, peas, kale, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, or cauliflower.
• Boost the vegetables by about a 1/3 each and serve without the quinoa for a grain-free, low carb meal!