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Mother’s Day Brunch – Shaved Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto

Posted on April 29, 2011 | 1 comment

Photo by KathyHuntPhoto.com

I have plans to spend Mothers Day with my mom this year but I won’t have the opportunity to cook for her. For those of you that will, and with Mothers Day a little more than a week away, I wanted to come up with a couple of recipes on a brunch theme with just the touch of class that moms so much deserve.

This simple but classy salad will be the first of several Mothers Day recipes and although it is intended as a salad course for a brunch menu…with a poached egg perched on top (and a warm crusty baguette) this salad made for an elegant yet light dinner entrée for my wife and I last night.

After first slicing the whole tips off of the asparagus spears, I used a vegetable peeler to “whittle” the rest of the stem into shavings. This was a little awkward at first but once I got the hang of it I breezed through the bunch almost before the pot of water even came to the boil. Don’t fuss too much with this step; the rusticity of the shavings add to the appeal of this dish.

I make it a point to mention not to over-dress the salad because last night, I pretty much did just that. I think our dish would have been perfect with a little less of the dressing. This too isn’t complicated, just add the dressing a little at a time until the asparagus is “just” coated. This is also why I emphasize getting the asparagus as dry as possible after blanching it. The point is simply; this salad is best if you don’t drench it with the dressing…use a gentle touch and all will be good!

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto

1 Bunch – Asparagus (about 1 Lb.), tough bottoms trimmed away
1 – Med Shallot, diced small
¼ Cup – Prosciutto, thin sliced and cut into (roughly) 1/8” wide strips
¼ Cup – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of – 1 Fresh Lemon
1 Tbsp – Sherry Vinegar
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Asiago Cheese, for garnish
Green Onion, green parts only, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Meanwhile, cutting at a sharp angle, slice the tips off of the asparagus then using a vegetable peeler, shave the remaining stems into roughly 1 to 2 inch pieces. Place all of the asparagus into a sieve or strainer (that will fit into the pot) and lower it into the boiling water to blanch for 1 minute. Remove the asparagus from the boiling water and rinse under cold water for at least 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Discard the water.

Spread the asparagus on a paper towel lined cookie sheet and pat dry then move the asparagus to another paper towel lined cookie sheet to make sure excess water is removed. Allow to air dry 10 to 15 minutes before placing it in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat and when hot add the olive oil. Stir in the prosciutto strips and cook until dark (but not too dark), 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the prosciutto, reserving the oil. Spread the prosciutto on a paper towel to crisp and return the oil to the pan.

Sauté the shallots about 1 minute, until they just begin to turn transparent, then add a few good grinds of fresh black pepper and the lemon juice. Boil and reduce until the lemon juice begins to turn syrupy, about one minute more. Add the vinegar, return to a boil while stirring, then remove the pan from the heat.

Using a slotted spoon remove most of the shallots from the pan and transfer these to the bowl of asparagus. Set aside some of the prosciutto for garnish then stir the rest into the asparagus. Toss gently to mix the ingredients while adding just enough of the pan juices to moisten the asparagus throughout…do not over dress! (You should have just enough dressing to coat the asparagus but not enough to pool in the bottom of the bowl.)

To serve plate the salad, topped with a poached egg if desired. Garnish with shaved Asiago cheese, some of the crispy prosciutto and green onion tops sliced lengthwise into approximately 1-1/2 X 1/8 inch strips.

Enjoy,

Randy

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Mmm…Turkey Stroganoff

Posted on January 28, 2011 | 1 comment

(or What to do with all that Chicken Stock – Part 3)

We’ve been eating a lot of plain non-fat yogurt lately and I have been using it more and more in my cooking. I started out utilizing it in place of sour cream on baked or twice baked potatoes, then we started mixing it with a little sugar-free fruit preserves and a touch of agave nectar for a guilt-free dessert. Nowadays I use non-fat yogurt in everything from cornbread and pancakes to French onion dip.

To boost the acidity to more closely resemble sour cream, I nearly always add a little lemon juice to the recipe. When using plain non-fat yogurt in a sauce remember to remove the sauce from the heat before incorporating the yogurt. The reason for this is because with no fat to assist in thickening or emulsifying, plain non-fat yogurt will separate or curdle if you boil it.

You can lessen the chances of your sauce separating by using Greek yogurt which is thicker by nature or by straining your plain non-fat yogurt to thicken it. This is done by draining the yogurt through a fine sieve, cheesecloth, or coffee filter to remove the whey (the watery stuff) and thicken it. This results in a thicker more flavorful “yogurt cheese” that is delicious in dips and cold sauces like Tzatziki. There is a great article here that explains better how to do this.

This Turkey Stroganoff is a “lower” fat recipe that is a good example of using plain non-fat yogurt in a savory recipe. It is also another way to use that good homemade chicken stock I’m always preaching about. Reducing the stock with the turkey, mushrooms, and onions creates a rich sauce with a depth of flavor that would fool even the pickiest of eaters in your house.

Turkey Stroganoff

1 Lb – Ground Turkey
1 Lb – White Mushrooms, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
1 – Med Onion, chopped
3 Cups – Homemade (or low sodium) Chicken Stock
1 Cups – Plain non-fat yogurt
Juice of ½ Fresh Lemon
1 Tbsp – Dry Rubbed Sage
1 Sprig – Fresh Rosemary
1 – 16 oz Package Whole Wheat Extra Wide Egg Noodles
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Fresh Parsley, chopped

Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a very large (12” or more) sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, carefully add the mushrooms and cook them stirring constantly much as you would a stir fry. When the mushrooms begin to release their liquid slow down a little on the stirring but keep them spread out so the liquid will evaporate quickly.

As the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown, stir in the onions, sage, rosemary, and a few good grinds of black pepper. Continue cooking and stirring one more minute, then lower the heat to medium high. If the pan seems dry add one more Tbsp of olive oil then add the ground turkey and continue to cook stirring often and gently breaking up the turkey until the meat is mostly cooked through.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with 2 quarts of water and 2 Tbsp of kosher salt. Place the pot over high heat to come to a boil.

Stir in two cups of chicken stock into the turkey mixture, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to the pan, continue to cook stirring only occasionally. Allow the stock to come to a boil and cook stirring from time to time, until most of the stock has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add one more cup of stock and return to a boil cooking about 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

When the pot of water has come to a full boil, stir in the noodles, reduce the heat to medium high, and cook according to the package directions.

When the noodles are done drain them in a colander and while the noodles are draining remove the turkey mixture from the heat. Gently (so as not to break up the mushrooms) stir the yogurt into the mixture to form a sauce. Now gently add the noodles to the same pan, folding the noodles and sauce until well mixed. Garnish with the fresh parsley and serve hot.

Enjoy,

Randy

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