Holiday Cooking: Thanksgiving


Fresh Asparagus w/ Lemon Butter & Pine Nuts

If you're wondering about how to cook asparagus, this recipe offers several delicious options in one, as this could be used for a grilled asparagus recipe, a steamed asparagus, or a microwave asparagus recipe. (I generally go for grilling asparagus, personally). Because I live in Southern California, I can get fresh asparagus at farmer's markets pretty much all year round, which makes this asparagus recipe a no-brainer to include as a festive Thanksgiving dinner side dish. But in many places, fresh asparagus are only available and taste best in spring, which also makes this an ideal vegetable side dish to consider for Passover seder or Easter dinner.

Steam asparagus until tender in a steamer (10 minutes), or microwave asparagus by placing in a glass dish with 1/8c. of water (about 3-5 minutes depending on your microwave). You can also make into a grilled asparagus recipe , just grill asparagus about 3 minutes per side

Melt butter and olive oil in a pan. Add the pine nuts, and saute until toasted and golden (about 1-2 minutes) Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste. Drain asparagus then place in a serving dish. Drizzle pine nut mixture over top. Top with lemon zest or lemon verbena leaves.

Makes 4 servings.


Lemon Verbena Leaf, 1 oz.

Ingredients

4 tbsp. ghee* or
lightly salted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. asparagus
1/4 cup fresh pine nuts
2 tbsp lemon juice
zest from one lemon or two crushed lemon verbena leaves
salt & pepper




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Ghee is Indian clarified butter. Ghee is available in most Indian specialty stores as well as many organic/health food type stores and markets. It is ideal for cooking because it does not burn unless heated to excess and can be kept indefinitely without refrigeration as long as it is covered and stored in a cool, dry location. In Aryurveda, ghee is believed to be a healing food, promotive of memory and intelligence and also the base for herbal ointments to treat burns, skin rashes. Ghee is considered good for all doshas (body types) however, Kapha types are warned not to overdo it.