Wednesday, May 19

Lemony Asparagus Salad

Lemony Asparagus Salad

This next recipe is far and away my favorite. It is fresh, simple and tastes like spring. I recently served it with salmon grilled on the BBQ. I thought it made a delicious meal. And, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must tell you this too is my mom's recipe. Ha! Perhaps she is the one who should have a blog!

Serve this salad cold or at room temperature (my preference.) It is even better the next day as leftovers. So, go! Run to the store and collect these ingredients. This salad won't disappoint.

Lemony Asparagus Salad

1 1/2 cups white long grain rice
1 bunch asparagus
1 medium onion
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup pine nuts
S & P

1) Prepare rice according to the package directions. Set aside.

2) Cut off rough ends of the asparagus and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Place blanched asparagus into ice water to stop cooking and bring out the bright green color.

3) Cut asparagus into 2-3 inch pieces. Set aside.

4) Roast pine nuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. The are finished when you smell them and they have turned golden brown. Set aside.

5) Chop onion and saute in a little olive oil. Set aside.

6) Prepare vinaigrette*: Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, zest, S & P.

7) In a large bowl toss rice, asparagus, and onion with the vinaigrette. Add more S & P as needed. Sprinkle with pine nuts before serving. If you are making this salad in advance don't add the pine nuts until you are ready to serve it.

* you may want to double the vinaigrette. Depending on your rice and taste preference more vinaigrette may be needed. Like it lemonier? Add more zest.

Lemony Asparagus Salad

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We can hardly discuss asparagus without exploring it's unique side effect when ingested - Smelly Pee (or wee, for those of you who speak the Queen's English.) Well, being the stealth googler that I am I looked into it for us.

Apparently there are 2 chemical compounds in asparagus that may be responsible for the smell - methyl mercaptan and asparagine. It is the breakdown of these compounds in our digestive tract that causes the odor. Here's the weird part, not everybody notices an odor after eating asparagus. Scientists are not sure if some people don't have the gene required to smell the odor OR if they don't have the gene required to break down the chemical componds. Huh. Who knew.

Do I even dare ask? Do you have the gene? I do.

7 comments:

Potters said...

This looks delicious! Can't wait to give it a try. Sounds perfect with Salmon..maybe this weekend.

christie said...

me too.

likeschocolate said...

I guess it is a diretic and I have heard the French love to feed it to their pregnant woman. I love it second to cucumbers.

Emily Malate said...

So, I'd like to hire you as a full time nanny and private chef in exchange for room and board, and 24 hour access to your cutest nephew in the world. What do you think?
I love love mom's asparagus salad!

Road Trippers said...

Ooh yippee! Here's the recipe I was looking for! Delish.

The Expatresse said...

I got the gene. All I have to do is LOOK at asparagus.

The Expatresse said...

Just back from the store . . . will make this tonight with a roast chicken.

I always liked salad on rice, so this sounds good. Thought I might add some arugala/rocket and maybe some chopped fresh herbs like basil, chives at the end . . . maybe a bit of thinned pesto. I'll have to see.

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