Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza

I'm up to my eyeballs in asparagus. This time of year it goes on crazy sale overload, and no matter how many bunches I have in my fridge, I just can't seem to pass a deal like this by. So this week we've had asparagus in everything from omelets to teriyaki wraps to soup. But my favorite way to eat asparagus is on pizza. It's dense enough that it holds up well when cooked, and lends a light, fresh flavor.

Marinating the asparagus ensures a loaded flavor in this simple and delightful pizza! The way I made this was to eyeball the toppings, so don't worry too much about exact measurements and get creative! You can add a little or a lot more of what I did, or add other veggies as they suit you.

Ingredients:

1 pre-made pizza dough, stretched and ready for topping
1 bunch of asparagus, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon minced garlic
olive oil
1 lemon, halved
salt and pepper to taste
herbed goat cheese
parmesan/fontina/mozzarella mix, (or similar) pre-shredded
2 green onions, chopped

In a bowl, combine asparagus, green onions and garlic. Drizzle with oil and the juice of half of the lemon. Salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate 20 minutes and up to a few hours, depending on how long you have to prepare.

Meanwhile, bake your un-topped pizza dough on a cookie sheet or pizza round at 425 degrees, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a minute or two, then proceed to the next step.

Top your pizza dough with a sprinkling of your shredded cheese mix (not too much now!) Then layer on the asparagus mixture, drizzling any juices on top of the pizza as well. Top with spoonfull/dollops of goat cheese and another light layer of shredded cheese mix.

Bake another 10 minutes, at 425 degrees, directly on the rack. Remove carefully, cool 5 minutes, slice and enjoy.

We like to top our pizza with a bit of fresh arugula that has

been tossed with olive oil, pepper and lemon.

(Here is another version of the pizza we made,

this one with mushrooms)

Asparagus and Rice Soup

Why is it that some of the best recipes are born on nights when you don't know what the heck to make?  I can't say I have an answer for that, except that we had a ton of asparagus and some left over rice in the fridge...maybe I have a helpful kitchen sprite that I'm channeling....who knows?

So good, I had to make it two days in a row! Just to be sure!

Ingredients:

2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small bunch asparagus, chopped
2 boxes of clear vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, whole
1/4 cup of uncooked jasmine rice

Saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until fragrant and soft. Add in the broth and rosemary and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and cook 10 minutes.

Add in the asparagus and cook another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Asparagus and Pecan Pasta

What an unlikely combo for a pasta: asparagus, peppers and pecans?  But I bought a huge bag of pecans this month and tonight what seemed like a crazy idea turned out to be one delicous dinner hit. You can use any pasta you like and it will be just as amazing.

I did use chicken-less strips in this dinner. As a general rule, we don't eat much in the way of these kinds of things, as they tend to be very processed, but it can be a special treat every now and then.

Ingredients:
1 package pasta of your choice
1 tbsp. olive oil for cooking veggies
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 bunches of asparagus, roughly chopped
1 cup veggie broth
3 tbsp. pesto
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. olive oil for sauce
1 pound of Chicken-less strips (optional)
1 cup of grated parmesan (optional)
1 cup pecans

Boil pasta according to directions.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pan and saute garlic, pepper and asparagus for about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, bring to a simmer and add the pesto, the rest of the olive oil, salt, pepper, chicken-less strips (if using).

Cook until everything is cooked through.

Serve over the pasta, tossing to coat, and fold in the parmesan and pecans.

Asparagus and Potato Chowder

Let me preface this post with a caution: There is no photo on earth that could do this recipe justice. It was "the best soup I've had in a long time" according to the Mister.

I use two methods to make vegetarian and vegan soups thick (not liking to use cream, myself).

1. Make a roux

2. Blend 1/4 of the soup in the blender before serving

It really does make a difference, and I usually use both methods in the same soup, although the blender is the most successful, the roux adds a bit of flavor.

Let's Dive In!

Ingredients:

2 cups diced red potatoes

1 pound fresh asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 or 6 cups of vegetable broth

1.5 cups of plain soymilk

1 to 1.5 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 cup of butter or substitute

4 tbsp. flour

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/4 tsp sage (or two leaves fresh)

1 cup finely shredded cheese of your choice (optional)

1/2 tsp. liquid smoke  (optional)

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in a large pot, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the broth, soymilk, salt, pepper, asparagus, potatoes, and herbs and bring to a simmer.

Roux: In a skillet, melt the butter and then add in your flour, mixing with a spoon or whisk until the flour is incorporated and no chunks are left. Be careful to do this  over low heat and not to burn. (You cannot just add the raw/cold flour to the soup, it will only result in lumpy clumps of flour.) Add the roux to the soup, and the liquid smoke, if using.

Continue to simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Then transfer, carefully, about 1/4 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Add this back into the soup, mixing well.

If you want to add cheese, do so now, and cook another two minutes, stirring constantly.

Viola! Asparagus Chowder!

We served ours with a fresh garlic baguette from the local bakery. Heaven.



Asparagus Quiche with Potato Crust and Grilled Romaine

Savory and filling without being heavy, this quiche uses no pastry crust, no butter, no added milk (aside from what's in the cheese). I love this crust so much I may never make another quiche with pastry again!

Ingredients:
about 6 red potatoes, thinly sliced
7 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup veggie broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
a handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
a handful of shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
about 6 or 7 asparagus spears, whole
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a brush, coat the bottom of a pie pan with olive oil and cover the bottom and sides of the pan with the sliced potato.

Meanwhile, saute your onion until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add to the eggs: the cheeses, tomatoes, salt, pepper, onion, broth and spices, mix well.

Pour the egg mix on top of the potatoes and arrange the asparagus in a swirl on top of the egg mix. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese.

 Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top feels springy (bounces back when pushed on), about 45 minutes or so.

Now. Grilled Romaine. Yup, that's right, I said it, cooked lettuce. The husband was skeptical of course, but it ended up tasting like a very healthy version of a Caesar salad. 

I waited until the quiche was about 10 minutes from being done, halved the romaine, brushed it with olive oil and baked it, directly on the rack, at 350 for about 5 minutes each side. Then simply drizzle with a bit more olive oil, a tsp of apple cider vinegar, sprinkle salt and pepper and top with parmesan.

We decided it was better eaten when cooled, rather than hot. There was so much left over, I can't wait to see how the romaine will taste tomorrow, straight out of the fridge! Will it still be good? We'll find out!

Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant, sliced thinly

1 cup bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten **

pasta noodles of your choice

mozzarella cheese (optional)

pasta sauce of your choice

**I've made this dish vegan before as well, the only difference is you will skip the egg wash and replace it with non-flavored soymilk, continue as directed and opt out any cheese topping.

Coat each slice of eggplant in egg wash and then coat with bread crumbs. Place on oiled cookie sheet and bake at 350, turning once. Place mozzarella on top of eggplant and heat until the underside of the eggplant is crispy and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Top noodles with sauce, layering the eggplant on top, and dolloping with a bit more sauce.

Serve next to your favorite veggies: here we used steamed asparagus, topped with lemon juice, salt and pepper.