I love spring. One of the main reasons I love it is that the temperatures get warmer and everything that is bleak and bland gets more colorful – including food!!
One of the great foods of spring is asparagus. I love it every way I have ever eaten it – raw, wrapped in prosciutto, in an omelet, roasted, blanched, breaded, with pasta, without pasta..you name it. It’s a wonderful tender vegetable that is also packed with nutrition and springtime is when it is in season! When choosing asparagus, make sure you try and go for the skinnier stalks as they are more tender and do not need peeling.
The other day, I went to the store and our local grocer was a having a really good sale on this yummy veggie. It was $1.49/pound. Considering this was the cheapest I had seen asparagus go for in years, I stocked up. Like crazy. So, we have been eating asparagus with pretty much every meal and no, I am not sick of it! The other night I made a shrimp and asparagus pasta that was okay, but needs tweaking. When I get it right, I will share it with you.
Today, I made a great springtime salad using Bulgur wheat. Bulgur wheat is a very nutritious grain. It is low-fat, low-calorie, high in fiber and has no cholesterol. It can be found in the organic section of most grocery stores or in the rice section. If you cannot find Bulgur wheat, do not fear. You can make this salad with pasta, couscous, rice, lettuce, quinoa, etc. As always, you can alter or change the ingredients to fit your taste, but I definitely think this one is a keeper!
Ingredients:
1 cup Bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups of water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
sprinkle of garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 bunch of asparagus, cleaned with the bottom parts snapped off (nature tells you where to snap them – just bend the bottoms and they will break off)
cherry tomatoes
feta cheese
Directions:
1. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil.
2. In the meantime, put one cup of Bulgur wheat along with about a teaspoon of salt into a glass bowl.
3. Pour boiling water over Bulgur wheat and salt. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Add olive oil, lemon juice and garlic powder.
5. Cover and refrigerate for about two hours.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Toss asparagus spears with olive oil, salt and pepper. Enough to coat generously.
8. Line a baking sheet with foil and roast the asparagus for about 8 minutes (you do not want them too soft).
9. Let cool, cut into 1 inch pieces and add to Bulgur wheat.
10. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and add to salad.
11. Add feta cheese. I don’t really measure the cheese. Just add enough to your liking.
12. Optional – add freshly chopped parsley and one more squeeze of lemon juice. You could also add cooked shrimp or chicken or beans for a little protein.
Enjoy!!!
The Cooking Goose 