Asparagus And Mint Flan With Poached Scallops And Shrimp Food

MARGARITA SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS

Steps:

• First preheat the grill to medium.
• Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the shrimp and scallops and set the bowl aside. Next, add all the salsa ingredients to a serving bowl and mix well.
• Remove the shrimp and scallops from the marinade. Put a scallop in the "U" (curved part of the shrimp) of the shrimp and skewer, first through the scallop and then through the shrimp. Arrange the skewers on the hot grill and cook approximately 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on 1 side, then turn and grill for 2 1/2 minutes on the other side. When done, remove the skewers from the grill to a serving dish. Drizzle with some extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with pink salt. Serve with the salsa and enjoy!

PAN-COOKED ASPARAGUS AND MIXED FISH

Steps:

• Get a really large frying pan, or 2 smaller ones, on the heat and add a glug of olive oil. Score the skin of your fish fillets all over, about 1/2-inch deep, and season. Put the fish fillets into the pan, skin side down, with the squid tentacles. Add the scallops. Run your knife down 1 side of each squid to open them out, then quickly and lightly score the inside in a crisscross fashion. Lay them in the pan, scored side down. Add the asparagus and gently shake the pan. Cook for a few minutes, then turn everything over and cook on the other side. Sprinkle over the thyme tips.
• You're the one in control of the pan, so if something looks cooked, take it out and keep it warm. Don't watch things burn! When the fish has crispy skin, the scallops are golden brown with caramelized edges and the squid has curled up and is nicely charred, remove the pan from the heat. Put the squid on a chopping board and roughly slice it into pieces at an angle, then return to the pan. Lay the fish fillets on each plate. Toss the asparagus, scallops and squid with half the chile, a good drizzle of good quality extra-virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Lightly season and mix together. Divide on top of the plated fish. Sprinkle with the rest of the chopped chile and the fennel tops, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

VENETIAN SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Lightly coat the sea scallops in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Discard remaining flour.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil (1 turn around the pan) and butter. When butter melts into oil, add scallops. Brown scallops 2 minutes on each side, then remove from pan.
• Add an additional drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat a little and saute garlic and shallots 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine to the pan and free up any pan drippings. Reduce wine 1 minute, then add stock, tomatoes and saffron threads. When liquids come to a bubble, add shrimp and cook 3 minutes. Return scallops to the pan and cook shrimp and scallops 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer shrimp and scallops to a warm serving dish and top with basil and lemon zest. Pass plenty of bread to enjoy the juices.

LINGUINE WITH SHRIMP, ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.
• Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the wine and asparagus. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle the shrimp with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and continue to simmer until the shrimp is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the basil, mint and oregano.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS SCALLOP STIR-FRY

Steps:

• If scallops are large, cut in half and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, chicken broth and soy sauce until smooth; set aside. , In a large skillet, saute the asparagus, onion and celery in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetable mixture and set aside., In the same skillet, stir-fry scallops in remaining oil for 2-3 minutes or until scallops are firm and opaque. Stir chicken broth mixture; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add vegetables; heat through. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with rice if desired.

ASPARAGUS SHRIMP LINGUINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook linguine according to package directions, adding asparagus during the last 3 minutes of cooking., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until tender. Add shrimp and garlic; cook 2-4 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in broth; cook over medium heat 1-2 minutes or until liquid is almost evaporated. Add Swiss cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper; stir until cheese is melted., Drain linguine and asparagus, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir linguine and asparagus into shrimp mixture, adding enough reserved pasta water to moisten pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

THAI-STYLE SCALLOPS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Combine the shallots, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, shrimp paste, coriander, lime zest and juice in a food processor or a large mortar. Thrash to a paste.
• Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan on high. Add the seasoning paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the asparagus and stir. Add the scallops, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring gently, another 3 minutes. Add the fish stock, coconut milk and sriracha, simmer another 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and more sriracha to taste. Serve with the steamed jasmine rice.

ASPARAGUS, LEMON, AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Cut tips from 6 asparagus spears, about 1 1/2 inches from the top; reserve for garnish later. Chop the remaining asparagus into chunks.
• Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat; cook and stir shallot in the hot oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chopped asparagus; season with mint, salt, and pepper. Cook until asparagus are slightly tender, about 3 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock into asparagus mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until asparagus are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in lemon zest.
• Blend soup using a hand blender or a food processor until smooth.
• Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook asparagus tips in the boiling water until just turning bright green, about 2 minutes. Strain asparagus tips and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Garnish soup with asparagus tips and hard-boiled egg.

SAUTEED SCALLOPS & SHRIMP PASTA

Steps:

• Pat shrimp and scallops dry; sprinkle with seafood seasoning., In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Cook and stir mushrooms about 3 minutes. Add peas; cook until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Remove. Add shallots and 1 tablespoon butter; cook and stir until starting to soften, 1-2 minutes. Stir in wine; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until ready to serve., Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Return pasta to pan. Over low heat, stir in 1/4 cup parsley, garlic, pepper flakes, salt, mushroom mixture and remaining butter, adding enough reserved pasta water to moisten., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add scallops and shrimp; sear until scallops are golden brown and firm and shrimp turn pink, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Combine with pasta and sauce; sprinkle with remaining parsley., ,

SHRIMP AND SCALLOP STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus, mushrooms, and onion; stir-fry until tender yet still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Melt remaining butter in the same skillet. Stir-fry shrimp and scallops until almost opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 minute more. Return cooked vegetables to the skillet; stir in lemon juice. Cook and stir until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

SHEET PAN LEMON BUTTER GARLIC SHRIMP WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed 9x12-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray.
• Place asparagus on the prepared baking pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss until well coated. Arrange asparagus in a single layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until slightly tender, about 6 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place shrimp on one side of the pan. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and smoked paprika; toss until well coated. Place shrimp in a single layer next to the asparagus. Top asparagus and shrimp with cubed butter.
• Roast in the preheated oven until shrimp is opaque, about 6 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and drizzle with lemon juice.

ASPARAGUS FLAN

Steps:

• Wash the asparagus and cut the hard stem.
• Slice cut the asparagus but save six ends.
• Blend the asparagus slices to get a green cream.
• Prepare a Béchamel sauce, put in a pan the milk (pre-heat), butter and a tablespoon of white flour and cook at low flame until you get a light condensed white cream.
• Add to the béchamel sauce the asparagus blend we obtained before and add the egg yolk, salt and pepper.
• Buttering and flouring the pudding molds (better aluminum made) then, add the asparagus cream.
• Cover the pudding molds with aluminum foil.
• Take a ceramic casserole and fill with water and dunk the pudding molds inside. The water level need to be at half of the pudding molds.
• Baking at 180°C (oven pre-heated) for 30 minutes.
• Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes to roast the surface of each flan.
• Take out the molds and when they're cooled remove the mold and decorate with the asparagus ends.

ASPARAGUS FLAN

Steps:

• preheat oven to 400.
• heat a pot of salted water, bring to boil.
• break off ends of asparagus, discard.
• cut off tips, reserve.
• cut asparagus into 2" pieces, add to water, boil for 8 minutes until soft.
• transfer to a food processor, reserving cooking water.
• add cream, eggs,flour, tarragon, salt and pepper to processor.
• puree until smooth.
• return asparagus water to boil, add tips, cook for 1 minute.
• drain, set aside.
• grease 6 ramekins and put in a roasting pan filled with 1" water.
• pour asparagus mixture into ramekins filling 3/4 full.
• bake for 30 minutes or until set.
• serve hot garnished with asparagus tips.
• drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh black pepper.

SHRIMP. SCALLOP AND ASPARAGUS CAKES

Steps:

• Whisk olive oil, chives, lemon juice and shallots in bowl to blend (can be prepared 4 hours ahead. let stand at room temperature).
• Shrimp cakes: Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold water and drain well.
• Finely dice 4 asparagus spears. Transfer to large bowl. Reserve remaining asparagus for garnish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add 2/3 cup shallots and saute 2 minutes. Add shallots to chopped asparagus. Mix in shrimp, scallops, breakcrumbs, bell pepers, eggs and chives. Season generously with salt and pepper. Form shrimp mixture into 8 rounds 3 1/2 to 4 inches. Place on baking sheet (can be prepared 2 hours ahead. cover and refrigerate).
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp cakes and cook in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Place 1 shrimp cake in center of each plate. Arrange 4 asparagus spears around each shrimp cake, overlapping at corners to form box. Spoon some vinaigrette over. Serve, passing remaining vinaigrette.
• Note: I add a little lime juice, garlic and ginger and don't use salt.

ALASKAN SCALLOPS AND STRIPED SHRIMP IN SAVIGNON BLANC AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• For the poaching liquid: Place all ingredients in a casserole large enough to hold the liquids. Bring to a rapid boil, remove from heat and set aside. Let sit for 15 minutes. Strain and keep warm. For the Parsley-Tarragon Puree: Place parsley, tarragon, and 1/2 cup poaching liquid in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside. For the Beurre Manie: In a bowl, mix together the butter and flour to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
• Bring 3 cups of the poaching liquid to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add 4 each of the scallops and shrimp and poach for 3 to 4 minutes or until the shrimp tails are firm. Remove from broth. Remove heads and shells. Keep tails intact. Keep scallops and shrimp covered and warm. In a large saute pan melt 2 ounces butter and saute shallots and garlic. Add the remaining scallops and shrimp and saute for 1 minute. Add Sauvignon Blanc and 1 cup poaching liquid. Drain liquid into a clean pan, setting aside shrimp and scallops, and add two teaspoons beurre manier. Add half-and-half and whisk to a smooth sauce. Simmer for a few minutes. Add 3 ounces butter, whisk without cooking the sauce. Add both sets of scallops, the wine poached shrimp, lemon juice, kosher salt, and white pepper, to taste. Place one portion in a deep-dish plate. Garnish with one plain poached shrimp and one plain poached scallop. Place the tarragon and parsley puree making three dots in the sauce. Lean 3 fresh chives against the shrimp and scallop.

ASPARAGUS-AND-MINT FLAN WITH POACHED SCALLOPS AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• For the flan, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Steam the asparagus spears until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Place in a food processor and add the cream. Process until smooth. Add the yogurt cheese. Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the mint. Whisk in the eggs, salt and pepper.
• Spray 4 6-ounce ramekins with vegetable oil. Divide the mixture among the ramekins. Place in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until flan is set, about 30 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the pan and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, for the sauce and shellfish, heat the 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Add the scallops and cook until opaque, about 1 minute longer. With a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and scallops from the pan. Peel the shrimp and reserve the shells. Add the wine to the pan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, to deglaze the pan. Add tomato, water and shrimp shells. Simmer for 15 minutes. Pass sauce through a fine mesh sieve. Place in a clean pan. Add the cream, bring to a boil and cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• Heat the 1 teaspoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus tips and the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• To assemble, run a knife inside the rim of each ramekin to loosen. Invert 1 flan onto each of 4 plates. Warm the sauce over low heat and toss in the shrimp and scallops. Divide among the plates, placing the mixture beside the flans. Place the asparagus tips and mushrooms over and around each flan. Serve immediately.

SCALLOPS WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Trim asparagus, then cut stems into 1/4-inch-thick diagonal slices, leaving tips whole.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté asparagus, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate, reserving skillet off heat (do not clean).
• Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté half of scallops, turning over once, until browned and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer scallops with tongs to another plate as cooked.
• Wipe out skillet with paper towels, then add remaining tablespoon oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté remaining scallops, turning over once, until browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total, transferring to plate. (Do not wipe out skillet after second batch.)
• Carefully add wine and vinegar to skillet (mixture may spatter) and boil, scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Add any scallop juices accumulated on plate and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated.
• Add asparagus and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
• Serve scallops topped with asparagus and sauce.

SCALLOPS AND ASPARAGUS STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Place asparagus in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth and soy sauce until smooth; set aside., In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry scallops, mushrooms and garlic in canola oil until scallops are opaque and mushrooms are tender. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until sauce is thickened. , Add the asparagus, tomatoes, onions, sesame oil and pepper; heat through. Serve over rice.

SCALLOP & ASPARAGUS STIR FRY

Steps:

• Boil one inch of water in a large saucepan.
• Add the asparagus and cook, covered for 3-5 minutes (Do not overcook).
• Drain and rinse under cold water.
• In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, cornstarch and soy sauce, and blend until smooth.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over high heat until hot.
• Fold in the scallops, mushrooms, garlic and sesame oil and stir-fry for about 4 minutes, or until scallops are opaque throughout.
• Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook, continuing to stir until the sauce thickens and boils.
• Add the asparagus, cherry tomatoes and scallions.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stir-fry until heated through, and then serve over rice or pasta.

ASPARAGUS FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut 1 1/2 inches from the tip of the asparagus; set 16 pieces aside. Cut asparagus stalks in half crosswise. Cut the bottom halves into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside; you should have about 2 cups. Halve remaining half crosswise and chops; you should have about 1 cup. Set aside separately.
• Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add coarsely chopped asparagus bottoms and season with salt; cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup water and continue cooking until water is almost completely evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add milk, cream, and spinach; cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer asparagus mixture to a bowl and set in ice-water bath; let cool completely. Transfer to the jar of a blender or the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth. Add eggs and yolk; season with salt and blend until combined.
• Set 16 1/4-cup heatproof glass bowls in a roasting pan; divide asparagus mixture evenly between bowls. Set roasting pan on oven rack and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the bowls. Cover with parchment-paper-lined aluminum foil and bake until asparagus mixture is set, about 18 minutes. Remove flans from roasting pan and transfer to refrigerator until chilled.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Add reserved asparagus tips to boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Remove from water bath and pat dry; halve tips lengthwise and transfer to a small bowl; set aside. Add finely chopped asparagus to boiling water; cook until bright green in color, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.
• Bring another medium pot of water to a boil; add white vinegar. Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Carefully crack quail eggs into a large bowl, taking care not to break the yolks. Using a spoon, stir boiling water to create a swirling motion and carefully add eggs to water. Cook until whites are set, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain and transfer eggs to ice-water bath to cool. Trim whites using kitchen shears so that you have 16 individual poached quail eggs; season with salt.
• When flans have chilled, drizzle asparagus tips and finely chopped asparagus with olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar each; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Divide finely chopped asparagus evenly among flans. Top each with a quail egg and two asparagus spears. Using kitchen shears, snip each quail egg to expose yolks; serve.

SEA SCALLOPS POACHED IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• For 1 1/2 pounds whole scallops. Simmer 1/2 tablespoon minced shallots for 3 minutes with 1/3 cup each of dry white French vermouth and water plus 1/2 teaspoon salt and a small imported bay leaf. Then add the scallops and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, just until lightly springy to the touch. Remove from heat and let cool in the liquid at least 10 minutes, to pick up its flavor. Remove scallops, discard bay leaf, and rapidly boil down liquid until almost syrupy.
• serving suggestions: fines herbes
• Stir fresh minced parsley and/or dill, tarragon or chives into the reduced liquid, and briefly reheat scallops, folding in, if you wish, a few tablespoons of heavy cream.
• provençal-with tomatoes
• Stir 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped fresh tomatoes (see box, page 30) and 1 large clove of minced garlic into the reduced liquid. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, then uncover and boil down rapidly to thicken. Season. Fold in the scallops and reheat briefly. Fold in minced parsley or other green herbs and serve.
• Note
• Simmering times for quartered sea scallops and bay scallops, 15 to 30 seconds; for calicos, bring just to the simmer.

ASPARAGUS SEA SCALLOP RISOTTO

Steps:

• Prepare the asparagus: Wash the asparagus and snap each stalk in half. Cut the bottom halves into pieces and boil them for 10 minutes in 12 ounces of water. Discard these woody bits and save the water. Cut the top halves into three portions. Boil these more tender pieces in the same water for 5 minutes. Set the asparagus pieces to one side and save the water that now has been infused with the asparagus flavor.
• Cook the scallops: Drain the scallops and dry well between layers of paper towel. Put a heavy bottomed 10" or 12" sauté pan over medium-high heat and add a Tablespoon of oil and a teaspoon of butter. Salt and pepper one side of the scallops and, when the pan is nice and hot, cook the scallops for 2 minutes on the seasoned side. Remove to a plate, salt and pepper the other side of the scallops, and put any liquid from the pan in with the asparagus water. Add another Tablespoon of oil and a little butter and cook the other side of the scallops for 2 minutes.
• Break the barely cooked scallops into pieces. Remove to a plate and keep the scallops warm in a 200º oven.
• Put any juices from the pan in with the asparagus nectar. Deglaze the pan with a few Tablespoons of water or white wine, as desired, and add the liquid to the asparagus water.
• Bring the asparagus water back to temperature, add the 2 cups of broth and the other 8 ounces of water and let simmer. Depending on the saltiness of the broth, you may want to add a little more salt, according to taste. By now, you will have a very nice broth with which to season the rice. Keep it hot but not boiling as you cook the rice.
• Sautee the chopped onion in 2 Tablespoons of oil and a Tablespoon of butter over medium heat until translucent. Add the dry rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the white wine and simmer for 1 more minute. Raise the heat on the burner to medium high and set the timer for 16 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of the hot broth and allow it to cook in for 3 or 4 minutes. Then add another cup of broth, stirring to lift the rice off of the bottom.
• Add more hot broth as necessary to keep the rice wet and just a little soupy, keeping the heat fairly high throughout.
• Three minutes before the time is up, add the scallop pieces and any juice from the plate. One minute before time is up add the asparagus and carefully incorporate so the tips don't break apart.
• Add a small amount of broth if the rice is super-absorbent. There should always be a little extra liquid in the pan.
• When the time is up, remove from the heat and mix in the cheese. Top the risotto with a spoonful of parmesan and serve piping hot with crusty bread. Such good flavors - enjoy!

ASPARAGUS WITH MINT BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the butter: Melt butter with mint, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat until just bubbling around edges.
• Make the asparagus: Cook asparagus in a pot of salted boiling water until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Drain.
• Drizzle a few tablespoons mint butter over asparagus, and toss gently to coat. Garnish with mint leaves.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Cut the tough stalk ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus into one-inch pieces.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter with the oil and cook the leeks and shallots until they are soft. Add shrimp, in their shells, and cook until they are pink but still juicy (do not overcook them). Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon, cool, peel and devein them. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set the shrimp aside.
• Add the chicken stock and water with the asparagus and simmer it for 15 minutes or until it is tender. Puree the mixture in a blender and return it to the saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and heat through over moderate heat.
• In a separate pan, warm the shrimp. Pour soup into six bowls and add shrimp to each serving and sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve hot.

STIR-FRIED SCALLOPS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Discard seasoning package from ramen noodles or save for another use. Cook ramen noodles according to package directions; keep warm. , Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry asparagus and red pepper until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add green onions and garlic, stir-fry 1 minute longer. Add scallops. Stir-fry until scallops are firm and opaque, 3 minutes. , Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and hot pepper sauce; stir into skillet. Serve with ramen noodles.