Asparagus

Asparagus and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts


Asparagus and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Grilled Chicken Breast
Serves 4

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (approximately 6 ounces each)
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 ounce bleu cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Spices and herbs of your choice (I used Penzey’s Greek Seasoning)

  1. Preheat your grill on high.
  2. Carefully cut into the side of the chicken breast, making a pocket. Do not cut all the way through.
  3. Combine the cheeses and herbs.
  4. Spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture in each pocket. 
  5. Fill the pockets with the asparagus.
  6. Use a toothpick to keep the pocket closed.
  7. Rub the chicken with the olive oil.
  8. Clean the grill’s grates with your grill brush. With additional cooking oil, a paper towel and long tongs, rub oil on the grates.
  9. Lay the chicken on your prepared grill.
  10. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and grill another 4-5 minutes.
Nutritional data:
Calories:      290
Fat:             12g
Sat fat:       4.9g
Chol:      109mg
Sodium:  176mg
Carbs:        2.3g
Fiber:         0.7g
Protein:    41.9g

Sauteed Asparugus with Shallots

Sauteed Asparagus and Shallots
Serves 4

1 pound asparagus (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 large shallots, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Trim woody ends from asparagus (either cutting the ends off, or picking up one stalk at a time, and bending it until it snap, discarding the base of the stem.)
  2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
  3. Add asparagus. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until they get hot.
  4. Add shallots, salt and pepper. Toss ingredients occasionally. Serve when the shallots begin to brown. (If you don’t have shallots, you can use onion instead. Shallots have a lighter flavor than onion, but onion would work.)
Nutritional data
Calories:       75
Fat:             3.4g
Sat fat:        0.3g
Chol:           0mg
Sodium:  2.4gmg
Carbs:         4.9g
Fiber:          2.6g
Protein:       2.7g

Asian Steak with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Asian Steak with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Serves 4

1 pound lean beef steak, 1/2 inch thick
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 discs of fresh ginger, 1/8 inch thick, sliced into matchsticks
2 cloves of garlic, mashed and chopped
1 pound asparagus, chopped into 2 inch lengths
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoon Hoisin sauce (optional, but important)
Salt and pepper
Chinese Five Spice powder (optional, but important)

1.   Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Also use a touch of five spice powder. Set aside.
2.   Heat a large non-stick skillet. Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
3.   When hot, add onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
4.   Add mushrooms and asparagus. Toss to mix.
5.   Add water, vinegar and Hoisin sauce. Stir, turn heat to high and cover.
6.   Heat a second non-stick skillet (11 inch). When hot, add the remaining sesame oil.
7.   Pan fry steaks, about 2 minutes per side.
8.   Turn the heat off the vegetables. They should be hot, but a bit crunchy.
9.   Remove the steaks, and cut into strips, about 2 inches long and a 1/2 inch wide.

Nutritional data:
Calories:       311
Fat:                  14g
Sat fat:            4.6g
Chol:               98mg
Sodium:    114.5mg
Carbs:         10.2g
Fiber:            2.3g
Protein:         37g

Shrimp and Asparagus on Gnocchi

Shrimp and Asparagus on Gnocchi
Serves 6

1 pound store-bought potato gnocchi (or approximately 60 homemade)
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound raw asparagus, tough ends trimmed off, and cut into 1 inch lengths
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 cup sliced onion
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best, of course)

1.  Bring 1 liter water to a boil. Add gnocchi. Let simmer until they float.  Drain.
2.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Carefully add gnocchi.  Saute, stirring often, until the gnocchi begin to brown. Remove from the skillet, cover and keep warm.
3.  Add remaining olive oil to skillet. When hot, add onions.  Cook over medium heat until they turn translucent -4-5 minutes.)
4.  Add garlic. Stir often, for 1-2 minutes. The onions should be just starting to turn brown.
5.  Stir in asparagus, broth and wine, turn heat to medium-high.  Cover and cook until the asparagus are just beginning to get tender.
6.  Add shrimp. Reduce heat to medium. Cover, simmer until the shrimp turned pink and opaque (about 3 minutes.)
7.  Return gnocchi to pan. Add lemon juice. Cook until heated through (about 2 minutes)

Nutritional data:
Calories:         219
Fat:                    5.1g
Sat fat:              0.8g
Chol:                 54mg
Sodium:          481mg
Carbs:            31.8g
Fiber:               3.7g
Protein:            9.6g

Note: This recipe was amde using store-bought, shelf-stable gnocchi. Use that added a lot of sodium. When I make this next, I will make homemade potato gnocchi. (I’ve never done that before and before I make a new dish, I try to make it as easy as possible.)

Chicken Scaloppine with Pan-Roasted Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

In case you are wondering the meaning of scaloppine, it generally refers to very thin slice of meat (usually veal or chicken), dredged in flour, sauteed and served with a sauce. This recipe uses whole chicken breasts that I pounded flat and panko bread crumbs for the breading.

Chicken Scaloppine with Pan-Roasted Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes
Serve 4

4 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless (5 ounces each)
2 egg whites
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Your preferred seasoning (I used Penzey’s Sunny Spain.)

2 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed off and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, whole

1.  Separate egg yolks from the whites. Throw away (or fry and give them to your dog. Ours loves the yolks!)
2.  Mix the panko crumbs and seasoning to taste. I used about 1 teaspoon of the Sunny Spain.
3.  Place the chicken breasts between heavy sheets of plastic or in a Ziplock freezer bag. Using a mallet, pound the breasts flat (to about 1/2 inch.)
4.  Run the breasts through the egg wash, and then dredge in crumbs. Set aside.
5.  Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
6.  Pan fry on each side until done (3-4 minutes per side.)  Remove from the skillet, set aside and cover.
7.  Respray the same skillet and return the the heat.
8.  Lay asparagus in skillet.  Season to taste (again, Sunny Spain works well here.)  Cook for about 2 minutes over medium-high heat, turning once halfway through.
9.  Add whole tomatoes to the asparagus.  Continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to burst and get soft.

I did not serve this with a sauce, but you could certainly make a red sauce, or deglaze the pan after cooking the chicken with about 6 ounces of white wine, and cook that down to 4 ounces and serve over the chicken. However, in my opinion, the chicken is moist and flavorful and does not need to be sauced.

Nutritional data (one chicken breast):
Calories:     233
Fat:             5.3g
Sat fat:        1.9g
Chol:         81.2mg
Sodium:   122.4mg
Carbs:         9.6g
Fiber:          0.5g
Protein:     34.5g