All about Asparagus

The month of March has arrived and lets in this vegetable that we love so much: asparagus.

We can certainly find it all year round in frozen food or in a jar, but let's take the opportunity to taste this seasonal vegetable.

Depending on its color, its taste is different: the green ones have a marked flavor, the violets are more fruity and bitter, and the white ones have the real taste of asparagus :)

Do we really know this vegetable, what are its benefits? How to store and cook them properly?


The benefits of asparagus:

Calorie wise, asparagus contains only 29 calories per 100g , 4g of carbohydrates, 3g of protein and 0.3g of fat. We are not going to deprive ourselves of it:)

On the health side, asparagus has many benefits: rich in fiber, it is composed of 90% water so is ideal for transit. Fiber helps fight intestinal laziness.

Do not panic if the smell of your urine is strong after consuming asparagus (this vegetable indeed contains asparagine and aspasragusic acid, which will eliminate a sulfur substance called methyl mercaptan which will accentuate this odor. , I won't go into details :).

Asparagus therefore have a diuretic action which facilitates weight loss thanks to its high level of potassium compared to sodium.
 
Asparagus has a strong antioxidant power . Excellent source of vitamin B9, and vitamin K. good source of copper, and iron. It also contains manganese, zinc, phosphorus ...

How to buy them?

Ideally, buy your asparagus of the same size, brittle and their tips are closed and compact . Contrary to what one might think, the fines are less tender than the coarse ones.  They can converse for one to 2 weeks if they are well moistened at the base of the stem and sealed.

However, pay attention to the accompaniment (not too much vinaigrette or mayonnaise).


How to cook it?

The asparagus is covered with a skin, which does not need to be peeled.
- Boil in salted water:
It all depends on the size and whether or not crunchy taste you like but the cooking time varies from 15 to 20 minutes. Poke your knife tip in one of the tips if the blade goes in easily, then the cooking is done.
- In the microwave: spread your asparagus in a dish with a base of water, a little lemon juice. Cover with a micro-perforated film and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
- In the oven: the cooking time is 15 to 20 minutes at 220 degrees.
- In a pan: blanch your asparagus 5 minutes beforehand in boiling water then brown them for 10 minutes with a drizzle of olive oil.

Receipts:
Asparagus can be eaten on its own. You can also serve them with a hard-boiled egg, for example, a 0% yogurt sauce, white fish or meat.

Here are my favorite recipes with this vegetable:

- An asparagus omelet: brown the diced asparagus and at the end of cooking pour the eggs and cook over high heat.
- A pan-fried asparagus and its vegetables: fry them in a pan with 5 g of butter, add green beans, carrots, onions, vegetable broth, some spices: curry, cumin. Cover and cook for 20 minutes over low heat.
- An asparagus soufflé: make a light bechamel sauce, off the heat add the eggs and the diced asparagus, with 4 white snow. Pour into a cupcake mold for example and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
- Ideas for sauces as an accompaniment: light mayonnaise (with 2 egg whites whipped into snow, a hollandaise sauce (made from egg yolks whisked in butter on a double boiler, and lemon), a white cheese sauce with juice lemon, mustard, paprika or a light cream sauce seasoned with chives or curry.

The limits of this vegetable:

However, if you are taking anticoagulant drugs, limit this vegetable to one intake per day because it is rich in vitamin K (a vitamin necessary for blood clotting among others).