Our Veggie Kitchen

I love asparagus. This time of year, when it is fresh and cheap, I make it at least a couple times a week. And, this year, I've been making it the same way, over and over again. Asparagus doesn't need much, with a hint of lemon and butter (EB) is a perfect complement. And its one of the easiest things you'll ever make.



Asparagus with Lemon & Garlic
1 bunch asparagus
6 cloves garlic, peeled & bruised
1/2 lemon, sliced thin
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine, in thin slices
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break off the tough, fibrous ends if the asparagus. Arrange in a 8x8 casserole. Arrange the whole garlic cloves, spaced evenly around the asparagus and push to the bottom. Arrange the margarine over the garlic and asparagus. Add a layer of lemon slices on top. Cover with tin foil or a lid and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Medium spears take about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss in the sauce before serving.

4 servings: 79 cal (3g fat, 10g carbs, 5g protein)

This is one of my favorite stir fry sauces. It is very gingery, so if you're not a big fan, cut back on the ginger. I've cut the ginger back to 1 tbs and it is still very good, just not as potent.

This is also a great sauce for Fried Ginger Tofu



Ginger Tofu Stir Fry
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lb tofu, drained and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 lb bok choy, leaves & stalk separated
2 carrots, sliced on the bias
1 lb broccoli florets
1 lb asparagus spears
Sauce:
2 tbs cornstarch
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1 tbs sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs ginger, grated

Combine the sauce ingredients and whisk together.

Heat the oils in a large saute pan over medium high. When the oil is hot enough to spatter, add the tofu. Let it fry for a couple minutes, until it begins to brown. Gently turn or toss and cook until the tofu is evenly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

If necessary, add a little more oil to the pan. Add the carrots, bok choy stalks and onion slices. Stir fry until the carrots begin to soften. Add the broccoli and asparagus. Continue to stir fry until the broccoli and asparagus begin to soften, but are not cooked through yet. Add in the tofu and roughly chopped bok choy greens. Pour in the sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens and the greens wilt.

Serve over rice or noodles.

4 Servings: 341 cal (13g fat, 37g carbs, 17g protein)

And now for something completely different, a Monty Python Quote:

"Dead Monkeys are to split up again, according to their manager, Lefty Goldblatt. They've been in the business now ten years, nine as other groups. Originally the Dead Salmon, they became for a while, Trout. Then Fried Trout, then Poached Trout In A White Wine Sauce, and finally, Herring. Splitting up for nearly a month, the re-formed as Red Herring, which became Dead Herring for a while, and then Dead Loss, which reflected the current state of the group. . . After nearly ten days, they reformed again as Sole Manier, then Dead Sole, Rock Cod, Turbot, Haddock, White Baith, the Places, Fish, Bream, Mackerel, Salmon, Poached Salmon, Poached Salmon In A White Wine Sauce, Salmon-monia, and Helen Shapiro. This last name, their favorite, had to be dropped following an injunction and they split up again. . ."

So my choices in naming this were Linguine with Asparagus & Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce, shorten it to Linguine in White Wine Sauce or Helen Shapiro. This last name, my favorite had to be dropped following an injunction . . .

Update: I wrote this late at night, so for those of you who have no Idea what just transpired, it's an obscure Monty Python reference. Feel free to ignore it.



Linguine in White Wine Sauce
1 lb linguine
2 tbs olive oil
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup soy creamer
1 tbs cornstarch
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup parsley
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine

Set a pot of water to boil. While the water boils, saute mushrooms in hot olive oil, over medium heat until they have softened. When the water comes to a boil, add linguine to the pot and cook according to package directions. When ready, drain and set aside, reserving some of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, push the mushrooms aside and cook the shallots and garlic until the garlic is fragrant, just a minute or two. Stir into the mushrooms, then add the asparagus and white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer rapidly until the asparagus is
cooked, but still firm and the white wine has been reduced by half. Stir the cornstarch into the soy creamer and add to the saute pan. Bring back to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Stir in the margarine, until melted. Stir in the linguine, tossing to combine. Add the parsley and lemon juice and toss again. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce. Serve immediately.

5 Servings: 523 cal (15g fat, 68g carbs, 15g protein)

Asparagus hit the shelves last week and I finally found some that looked pretty good. For as long ad I can remember, that has meant Primavera with loads of veggies and mushrooms. In years past I made a cream sauce (35g fat, 17g saturated), but this year, I went for an equally decadent cashew sauce that turned out to to be far more appealing to the midsection (21g fat, 5g saturated), and that could probably be trimmed further.

So this was my Valentine's Day meal. Pasta Primavera, made to please the pallet and a fresh loaf of crusty baguette.



Pasta Primavera
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 lb asparagus, cut into 3" spears
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, sliced on the bias
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped, including greens
1 lb pasta (penne or fettuccine are good)
1 cup cooking liquid (reserved)
Sauce:
1 cup cashews, ground
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbs miso
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup basil, minced (or 1 tbs dry)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

For the sauce, blend together the cashews, soy milk, wine, miso, garlic, salt and pepper. When well blended, add the basil and pulse, just to combine. Set aside until needed.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. The veggies and sauce takes just a little longer than the pasta. Melt margarine in a saute pan. Add the mushrooms, asparagus and carrots. Saute until the carrots begin to soften. Stir in the green onions and zucchini. Add the sauce and bring to a boil.

While the asparagus, sautes, add the pasta to the pot of water. Boil until the pasta is tender, but not completely cooked. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of water. Add pasta to the sauce and simmer until the pasta has finished cooking, just a couple of minutes. Add up to a cup of reserved cooking water to thin the sauce, if necessary.

5 Servings: 650 cal (21g fat, 92g carbs, 26g protein)