Need an Energy Boost? Try Munching Down on Asparagus!

It's always a wee bit challenging to pick a "Foodie of the Week"... mainly because the week before, we consume A LOT of that ingredient.  So, this mama can try out new recipes + take photos for all the places of social.  

Sitting on the floor of the living room with loads of books scattered all around me, I kept mumbling... "what should be next week's "foodie"?  what should be next week's "foodie"? hmmm".   When a tiny pair of hands touched my arm and said, "spar-gus, mama".   Our little miss (who makes up 50% of our 4yr old duo) loves to cook asparagus... and manages to eat MORE when she cooks the side item than when it's simply placed in front of her on a plate.  

Now.  I love asparagus... and for awhile, I have been chopping it up into 2" bits for our twins to eat as well; however, I have learned that our little man (the other half of the duo) would rather the asparagus to stay LONG in it's spear form and not cut up into bits.  The reason, it looks like a sword... and we are in a wee bit of a ninja phase with him.  

So... our little miss helps mama cooks the asparagus (and she will eat it) while our little man gets full length asparagus spears (and he will eat it).  The hubster isn't particularly fond of asparagus, although he knows all the benefits... so he tends to eat it as FAST as he can.  Everyone has their thing, I suppose.  Me... I love asparagus:  roasted, sautéed, baked, wrapped in bacon, chopped in bits in a salad, etc.  LOVE it!!!  

Okay... enough about that, let's dive deeper into asparagus + why it should be on your plate!

How do you select ASPARAGUS? 

• Obviously.  You want to look for stalks that are rich in color (vibrant green) with a wee bit of white on the bottom.  The stalks should be firm, straight and smooth.  Avoid stalks that are dull in color as well as flimsy.  
  • A friend once told me the thicker stalks will be tougher when cooked + hold a woodsy taste while the thiner stalks will have a more delicate taste.  (and she was right!)
• The spears should also be tightly closed and not sprouting!  
• The hubster also likes to test the "freshness" by bending the asparagus... if the stalk snaps, it's fresh! 
• Asparagus is also one of the vegetables which we save our bucks with and get non-organic... but we do try to purchase State-side!  

NOTE: Want to dive a wee bit deeper in foods which you don't need to purchase organic, check it out HERE!!!

How do you store ASPARAGUS? And any tips of prepping? 

• We keep our asparagus in the fridge which lasts for ~4-5 days.  Do not soak or clean the asparagus before placing in the fridge!  
• Now... in full honesty, I use to just toss the asparagus in the fridge while placed in the same plastic veggie bag I snagged from the grocery store; HOWEVER, don't do that!  This will cause the ends of the stalks to dry out and when you are ready to cook the asparagus, you'll have to chop off more of the stalks (which is loaded with goodness, aka. antioxidants).  
• So.  What do you do, right?  We keep the rubber band around the stalks.... chop off 1/2 inch off the end of the stalks then place in a measuring cup (with about an inch of water in it!).  This allows the ends of the stalks to stay moist (gag. I thoroughly dislike this word) but the rest of the asparagus remains dry.  We also loosely cover the asparagus in the glass measuring cup with water.  Need some details, grab it here (includes pictures)! 

NOTE:  If you are feeling a wee bit gutsy, here's a guide on how to "grow your own asparagus"!  

What are the benefits of ASPARAGUS?  

The more I learn about asparagus , the more I fall in love with them... not because of all the goodness they hold BUT because there are so many ways to COOK them, seriously!  Anywho.  We will touch on that later, but for now, here's a few of the amazing benefits: 

• Loaded with antioxidants
• Improves vision health
• Aids in digestion
• Holds anti-inflammatory properties
• May help lower blood pressure
• Good source of vitamins (A, B12, C, E + K) and fiber
• May help fight cancer
• Contains the amino acid, asparagine which helps fight fatigue
• Helps prevent cognitive decline 

You can check out some more benefits + fun tidbits here, if you'd like!  

How do you use ASPARAGUS in your beauty regimen? 

Now. Here's a sweet DIY all-natural facial mask recipe.  Being real, I NEVER would have thought to make this mask... who would, right?  Thankfully, I stumbled on a website which focused on home-spa recipes (link listed below in NOTES).  

So.  Here you go, love!

HOMEMADE HONEY ASPARAGUS FACIAL MASK

GROCERIES: 

• handful of asparagus (washed thoroughly)
• 1/2 of an avocado (remove skin/pit)
• 1 tbsp of honey 
• 1/2 cup of milk

NOW WHAT?

1. In a blender, purée the raw asparagus with milk
2. Once mixed well, then blend in the avocado and honey
3. Apply to a clean face and leave on for 15 minutes
4. Finally, rinse with warm water and pat dry 

NOTE:   You will have to experiment with the amount of ingredients... this worked for me when I attempted it; however, you may need to adjust the amount of milk/honey or even avocado.  I just couldn't bear to waste more than a half of an avocado :) ha! 

If you are looking for more amazing recipes like this one + full recipe, check it out here!!! 

“Asparagus inspires gentle thoughts.”

— Charles Lamb

What is your favorite recipe with ASPARAGUS? 

So. Seriously... you can boil + roast + sauté + pan roast + steam or even munch down raw!!!  Asparagus wasn't the normal side dish we would have at family suppers.  Not at all.  So it wasn't until I was married with kids that we started having asparagus on our plates.  

{ gasp of horror }  

And I think I'm trying to make up for lost time because we have asparagus at least once every few days!  If you want a few tidbits on all the ways to cook asparagus, here's a handy-dandy little article I came across . Enjoy!  Otherwise, here's a family favorite... and by family favorite, I mean, MY favorite way to eat asparagus.  

SUNNY SIDE ASPARAGUS RECIPE  

Makes 1 Serving

GROCERIES: 

• 2 eggs 
• 1 slice of Ezekiel bread 
• 6 asparagus spears (rinsed + ends chopped off) 
• 2 tbsp of butter (particularly grass fed cow's butter and organic)
• Black pepper to taste

NOW WHAT?

1. Toast the Ezekiel bread first... You got to have a place to put your goodies!
2. In a medium sized skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter then place asparagus in skillet.  
3. Sauté the asparagus on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.  I like the asparagus spears crunchy.  
4. Remove asparagus spears and place gently on top of toasted Ezekiel slice. 
5. In same skillet, melt the remaining tbsp of butter and gently crack each egg into the skillet (be careful not to crack the yolk or place any shells in the skillet)
6. Cook the eggs for a few minutes then gently flip (careful not to crack the yolk).  I like a sunny-side up egg, so a runny yolk.  If you would like a more firm yolk, keep cooking until desired level of yolk-firmness is reached. 
7. Once cooked to your liking, gently place the eggs on top of the asparagus spears... ENJOY! 

Please check back for further recipes from our kitchen using asparagus... until then, here are a few we enjoy + we hope you do as well! 

• Pork Wrapped Asparagus with Bacon Infused Spaghetti Squash
• Grilled Asparagus Plate + Cilantro Peptia Pesto
• Sweet Potato + Kale Pesto Bites
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Sources

1. Website: 7 Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic
2. Website:  What's On My Food
3. Website:  Guide to Growing Asparagus
4. Website:  Best Way to Store Asparagus
5. Website:  Asparagus Nutrition, Health Benefits & Recipes
6. Website:  5 Powerful Health Benefits of Asparagus You Probably Didn’t Know
7. Website: Advice From A Vegetable Butcher: What To Do With Spring Asparagus
8. Website:  Many Benefits of Asparagus
9. Website: 17 Impressive Benefits Of Asparagus
10. Website: 3 Ways to Boost Your Digestion & Improve Gut Health
11. Website: Smart Fuel: Asparagus
12. Website:  10 Kitchen Pantry Beauty Ingredients
13. Website:  Nutritional Profile of Asparagus
14. Book:  The Keto Reset Diet by Mark Sisson 

If you have any tidbits about ASPARAGUS, then share below or shoot me an email -- I'd love to learn more.  Because the more you know... the more you grow!  Until then...

love + gumption.

a. 

Brain + Gut Health Explorer