Asparagus is a tasty vegetable that many of us love. A cup of asparagus has under 30 calories and is nutrient dense, with vitamins A, C and K, along with folate, potassium, fiber, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and more! But it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of boiling or steaming it. If we feel a bit more motivated, we roast it or put in in a quiche or omelet, but that is as far as most of us go. While the vegetable is tasty, even when plain on the plate, it can be better. We like to keep meals light and enjoy sharing little tips, so, when roasting, use a spray bottle for oil instead of pouring it on top of vegetables prior to going in the oven. If you want to go beyond roasting, here are four asparagus recipes that can spice up your meals!
This wonderful side can be the star of a meal, outshining the main dish. There is a lot to love about this recipe. It takes only 17 minutes — including prep time — to cook. Also, it can be modified to be even lighter than it is just by swapping brown sugar for a substitute or removing the potato starch. Without modifications, Yummly calculates the recipe as having 110 calories and 12 grams of carbs per serving. Get the recipe.
We like salads. But sometimes we get lettuce fatigue. Swapping it out for asparagus and trading regular croutons for homemade whole grain ones makes this dish light and delicious. The recipe suggests using store-bought dressing. As always we urge you to read the label because store-bought dressing can have a lot more sugar than you expect and a ton of hidden ingredients you don’t want. As this recipe is presented, it has 95 calories and 11 grams of carbs per serving. Get the recipe.
Pickles are a delicious low-calorie snack. The punch of flavor can curb your desire to mindlessly snack when you’re not hungry. Many of us eat because we’re bored. Pickles can satisfy your desire for a treat without munching through a larger snack. These asparagus pickles use paprika and garlic to great effect, making them different from what you can buy in the supermarket. While they take three hours to pickle, they only actually require you to wash and trim the asparagus and boil your pickling solution. The sugar used in the recipe can be swapped out for the sweetener of your choice. The serving size is estimated at over ¼ of a cup, which seems a bit much to us. If you follow that large portion size — and use real sugar — you’ll eat 70 calories and 12 grams of carbs. Get the recipe.
Vegetable noodles are a low-carb seeker’s dream. A great way to get delicious sauces to your mouth without carb-heavy pasta to worry about? Yes Please! But, until recently, we hadn’t heard of asparagus noodles. The vegetable is shaved into strips like fettuccine in this recipe and mixed with pesto and peas. If you omit the bacon that the meal calls for, the dish becomes vegetarian as well! We love this recipe, and we like that the stove is only on for a few minutes to heat — but not fully cook — the asparagus. Summer is coming and the less heat we introduce into our kitchens, the better! Get the recipe.
We hope you enjoy these recipes! Let us know what you think by emailing socialmedia@neulivenhealth.com.
