Chicken and Asparagus Casserole

I love shopping at many of the local farms in my area.  I often find great deals on produce as it becomes ready for sale.  My kids enjoy the experience of shopping at a market with farm fresh products. It is almost a field trip for us; we check out all the veggies and fruits; we ask the workers questions about the produce. Sometimes, we bring home a delicious dessert or chocolate milk in the glass bottle!

This casserole was perfect for my family. This recipe is a bit more involved than typical recipes I try, but it is summer so I have a bit more time.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 4 cooked chicken breasts (I boiled mine)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T flour
• 3 cups milk, divided
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz wide egg noodles
• cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cups breadcrumbs
• 2 T olive oil
• pinch cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt 2 T butter in saucepan. Throw in onion to saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes. Throw in 2 T flour to make a roux. Stir. Add 1 cup cold milk. Stir well. Add 2 more cups cold milk. Stir. Add cream of mushroom soup and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Allow to simmer and thicken.
3. While working with saucepan, allow a large pot of salted water to come to a boil.
4. Boil asparagus for 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon. Set aside.
5. Using the same pot of boiling water, cook egg noodles one minute less than directed.
6. Drain noodles. Put back in pot. Pour in cream of mushroom mixture. Stir. Add cooked chicken stir. Add asparagus. Stir. Add 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Stir.
7. Transfer noodle mixture to 11 x 14 casserole dish. Moisten bread crumbs with olive oil. Put moistened bread crumbs on top of casserole. Top with a bit more cheese.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Difficulty: Medium (I was using lots of ingredients and pots, but it was worth it!)

Time: an hour or so

Source: Food Wishes with Chef John

Tomato and Asparagus Carbonara

I first made this yummy, meatless dish last September...I picked the basil from my garden and we ate on the deck.  We loved it; the quick prep and the fresh and simple ingredients made for a perfect late summer dish that was light and yet filling. Since that fall evening, I have made it numerous times - pretty much every time that asparagus has gone on sale at our local grocery store. It has been a hit every time!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1-1.5 lb diagonally cut trimmed asparagus
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 8 oz uncooked penne pasta
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil water for pasta; cook according to package directions.
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add asparagus; saute for 3 1/2 minutes.  Add garlic; saute for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes; cook for 6 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
3. Combine cheese, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  
4. Drain pasta and toss immediately with egg mixture.  Add tomato mixture, tossing until sauce thickens.  Top served pasta with basil.

Difficulty: very easy
Time: 20 minutes
Source: Cooking Light, September 2012

Crispy Asparagus Fries

Our family gets tons of asparagus in our CSA box in May and early June so I look for different ways to prepare it. I found this recipe on pinterest. The asparagus looked SO good! The bloggers at SpoonForkBacon who shared the recipe had directions to make three dipping sauces as well, but that was a bit too much for me. When I read the directions, the words dredge and food processor stood out to me. I don't like the mess associated with dredging and the additional dirty bowl, and I don't own a food processor. Despite my cooking shortcomings, I made them (and it has gotten easier each time I make them). They did not disappoint. My husband and kids enjoyed picking up the fries and eating them. John even requested that I only prepare asparagus this way; he must really like them because he will eat ALL of them.


INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup of flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 pound of asparagus, cut in half (dont' skip this step, it is much easier to work with when halved)
• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grind up panko and almonds in food processor until a fine powder (since I don't have one, I used a mini-chopper...it took awhile). Pour into a shallow dish.
3. Dredge spears in flour and shake off.
4. Dip spears in egg, followed by panko mixture.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Lay on aluminum foil covered baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Difficulty: Medium

Time:20 minute prep, 20 minute baking time

Source: SpoonForkBacon blog

Simple Asparagus

Kids are notorious for being picky eaters and veggies seem to be one of their biggest eating obstacles.  I try to make a wide variety of foods because I have found that if I always make the same kind of foods, they only want the same kinds of foods.  Asparagus is not a common "kid food," but it can be!  I only began making asparagus a few years ago, and at first had no idea how to even prep it to be cooked.  Since then, I have tried making it many different ways, from grilling to baking and with different seasonings; some I have liked better than others, some have been easier than others.  There is nothing fancy about this recipe - it is as simple as it gets - but it is perfect for a quick side dish that the whole family can enjoy.  To make it a little more appealing for the kids, I let them eat the spears with their fingers, like french fries.

INGREDIENTS:

• Asparagus
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Parmesan cheese
• Lemon Pepper seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the asparagus by washing the stalks and snapping off the ends.  (Gently bend the stalk, holding it at both ends.  It will naturally snap in the appropriate place.  My five-year-old likes to help with this.)
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add the asparagus; immediately turn the heat to medium and simmer for 2-2 1/2 minutes (not longer!).
3. Drain and put the asparagus in a bowl or back into the pot.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lemon pepper to taste.

Difficulty: Super easy

Time: The time that it takes to boil water + less than 5 minutes.

Source: I researched many ways to prep and cook the asparagus in cookbooks and online and found this to be one of the easiest and most foolproof; then I tried different combinations of seasonings and settled on this.  Perfectly simple.

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