Fans of the South Beach diet (which of course starts out as a diet for losing weight, then evolves into a healthful way to eat while maintain the new weight, much the same as Weight Watchers) either already do or should know about the great food blog Kalyn's Kitchen which is packed with weight loss tips, low-carb product recommendations and of course, South Beach recipes.Kalyn regularly features vegetables so I am often inspired by her site. Still, isn't it funny that the two recipes I've felt most drawn to both feature mushrooms? Carrots and mushrooms with thyme was soooo good and so is Kalyn's roasted asparagus and mushrooms! This is a total keeper!
SO WHY CAN'T WE WASH FRESH MUSHROOMS?
For awhile now, I've been washing fresh mushrooms. (I know, I know, you're supposed to just 'wipe' them. But grit, my friends, is not good!) The other day a 30-minute-famous food personality claimed on TV that washed mushrooms will be 'brown and tough'. She might be right, if the mushrooms will remain uncooked. But for cooked mushrooms? Baloney!
To prove the point (to myself, anyway), tonight I washed half the mushrooms and wiped the other half, then kept them separate while roasting. Now to be fair, before 'wiping', the mushrooms didn't start off all that gritty. But after roasting, the 'washed' mushrooms didn't turn out tough or brown (well, except that they were baby portobellas and so already brown). There was no telling the difference.
Another mushroom tip: break them into pieces, versus cutting them. I haven't tested side by side yet -- but someday, I will! -- but I believe that the rough uneven pieces shrink less and seem a whole lot less like the bits of mushroom you find in canned mushroom soup.
FAT SPEARS OF ASPARAGUS
Another kitchen myth is that thin spears of asparagus are best. And they are -- if you're steaming them. But the very best asparagus for roasting are the fat spears -- look how big these guys were, I've never had sweeter asparagus, ever.
FROM THE ARCHIVES It's my third season cooking asparagus for A Veggie Venture. Do you suppose the Recipe Box has the most asparagus recipes on the Internet? Maybe!
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ROASTED ASPARAGUS & MUSHROOMS
See Kalyn's Kitchen's inspiring Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms with Spike Seasoning
Hands-on time: 10 minutes up-front
Time to table: 40 minutes
Serves 8
Hands-on time: 10 minutes up-front
Time to table: 40 minutes
Serves 8
1 pound fresh mushrooms, portabello add great color but white mushrooms are fine, washed (or if you insist, 'wiped'!) and broken into pieces
1 pound fresh asparagus, preferably fat spears, washed well, woody ends snapped off, cut into one-inch lengths on the diagonal
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Spike Seasoning (or just salt and pepper)
Preheat oven to 400F.
Prep the mushrooms and asparagus, let rest on a double layer of paper towels to remove moisture while finishing the prep. (This is so the oil/spices will better adhere.) Toss all the ingredients and arrange evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, til beginning to brown. Serve immediately.
A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007
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Your Comments:
Thought you might be proud of him....
xx
On the asparagus, this is what I do. Cut off about an inch at the bottom and then I peel the tough outer skin off.
The bottom is my fave part anyway.
You are so very right about the skinny and fat asparagus!!
Thanks for letting me vent, and thanks for the great recipes!
Charlotte ~ Oh that Freddie is getting to be such a vegetable fiend. Thanks for sharing the news: I do love your big adventure.
Mz Pat ~ How easy is that?!
Nabeela ~ Oh I'm known for busting up foodie and food myths, for sure.
Tanna ~ Maybe you saw it here before? I first used the technique in the World's Best Green Bean Casserole last fall, just because the recipe specified it, but wondered why. The next time I sliced the mushrooms with a knife and couldn't believe the difference! Now I always break the mushrooms into pieces, they're just less like 'mushroom soup bits' that way. Try it and report back!
Lisa ~ Ah yes, we're of like mind. You do have to be careful how hard you scrub beets, however. If you scrub them too hard, you'll actually abrade the color/flavor/juices will actually ooze out of the abrasion. And carrots, yes, though I do sometime peel carrots if the outer layer seems tough. I'll remember to mention it the next time I try a new carrot recipe.
Thanks all, for visiting and commenting!
To choose asparagus, I look at the tips. If they are nice and closed rather than ragged and open, I buy them (as long as it's local asparagus). For what part to eat, I hold the tip and the end and bend it until it breaks. The part near the end is either composted or used to make stock for asparagus soup. And the tip end is perfect.
-Elizabeth
P.S. Ontario asparagus is just starting to turn up at the vegetable market. I'll keep Kalyn's mushrooms and asparagus recipe in mind.
i have to thank you for your recipes, i'm a new cook and your recipes are so easy to follow and your tips are wonderful. thanks! i always look forward to my emails to read about your next food adventure : )
Randi ~ Oh first successes are so important for new cooks, I'm so glad this was a hit. And I must tell you, you make me blush but you completely made my day, thanks for taking the time to say such nice things.
Jessica
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