Asparagus – Health Benefits
This super vegetable is generally first available in Spring, but we can see some of the first crops arrive in California around February. Fortunately for us, with our globalized crops, we can typically get it year round. It is considered one of the healthiest foods in the world due to its high vitamin K and folate content and asparagus is said to help with digestion. It is also said to be an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, keeping sickness at bay.
Easy to Prepare
For me, I try and get a cup of green vegetables with every major meal and this one is the easiest to prepare. Asparagus already tastes good and needs minimal cooking in order to make it just right. To be honest, I prefer to bake mine, but baking takes more prep than simple blanching. With both these minimal cooking methods, nutrients are maintained and all the goodness of asparagus is better absorbed by the body.
Thin asparagus is the best and will be the most tender when you bite into it. If you only have thick asparagus available to you, then use a vegetable peeler to peel some of the stem to make it more tender. All asparagus has a natural “snapping point” where the tough spear and the tender part will separate when you bend it. I personally like a little more spear to my veggie, so instead, I will cut about 1 inch off the bottom and then use a peeler to peel away some of the tougher part, thereby giving me more bite for my buck.
Superfood: Quick Lemon Herb Asparagus
Course: Sides5
minutes1
minuteIngredients
Asparagus
Directions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil
- Break asparagus ends off at the natural breaking point and then put in the water for 30 seconds
- Remove & baste with Chef Shamy Lemon Herb butter
- Done!
- Caution don’t over cook asparagus. It just needs to be warm enough to melt the butter.
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