Marinated Asparagus or Mushrooms in Fennel Sauce
This simple dressing works equally well for marinating
asparagus or  mushrooms.
Both make a unique addition to an appetizer tray, zippy
salad ingredients or a healthy snacks.
1 Lb. fresh asparagus cut into 2" pieces
Dressing
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C peanut or canola oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
2 tsp. drymustard powder
3/4 tsp. ground fennel
1 T lemon juice
1/8 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
Mix all dressing ingredients together and marinate asparagus
in dressing for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve chilled
or at room temperature.
Notes on Asparagus:
-
Generally available February through
June.
-
A versatile vegetable that can be cooked in a variety
of ways and served either alone or as part of a recipe.
When buying asparagus look for vibrant color and heads
that are tightly formed. Before cooking, grasp the stem
in both hands and snap. The spear should break just
above the point at which the stalk will be tender. Discard
the tough, bottom portion.
-
Generally the thicker the stalk, the more mature the
plant. If your asparagus is particularly tough, use
a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer part at
the bottom of the stalk.
-
Also available is white asparagus, which is grown underground
to prevent it from turning green. Fresh white asparagus
if very expensive and generally thicker and smoother
than its green counterpart.
-
While asparagus is best cooked on the day you buy,
it can be stored in the refrigerator -- either tightly
wrapped in plastic or standing upright in about an inch
of water with a plastic bag covering the stalks. As
this vegetable grows in sandy soil, be sure to thoroughly
wash it before using.
-
Both white and green asparagus are also available canned,
the green variety is available frozen.
For more great-tasting (yet low fat) recipes, along
with tips, cooking lessons and much more, please visit Cheri's
website Fabulous
Foods.
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