Asparagus With Nutmeg Butter Food

ASPARAGUS ON TOAST

Steps:

• Melt butter and stir in four, salt and nutmeg.
• Drain broth from mushrooms and add milk to broth to make 1-1/4 cups.
• Add to flour mixture and cook, stirring until thickened.
• Add mushrooms and heat through.
• Blend in sour cream.
• Arrange warm asparagus spears on toast.
• Top with sauce and garnish with pimento.

PAN-FRIED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook garlic in butter for a minute, but do not brown. Add asparagus, and cook for 10 minutes, turning asparagus to ensure even cooking.

ASPARAGUS WITH SPICY NUTMEG BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat your broiler.
• Mix nutmeg, garlic salt, and pepper into melted butter.
• Wash and break asparagus.
• Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking pan lined with foil.
• Drizzle with oil and roll around to coat evenly.
• Broil asparagus 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning once.
• Place in a serving dish and pour seasoned butter over asparagus.
• (Garnish with nuts, if desired.).

FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
• Cut off tough ends of asparagus spears. Cut each on the bias into 1-inch lengths. There should be about 1 1/2 cups. Rinse well and drain.
• Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook about 2 minutes. Remove asparagus with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Drop the fettuccine into salted boiling water. Let cook to desired degree of doneness (cooking time will range from about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for fresh pasta to 9 minutes or more for dried). Reserve 2 tablespoons cooking water. Drain the pasta.
• Heat the butter in the pot in which the pasta was cooked. Add the asparagus pieces and the fettuccine. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of cooking water and basil. Toss to blend. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese on the side.

BUTTER-BRAISED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap off and discard the tough bottoms of the asparagus spears. If using large, thick asparagus, peel the lower ends with a vegetable peeler.
• Put butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus in one layer and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the asparagus is firm-tender, about 3 minutes. Take care not to overcook them; they should still be bright green. (They will continue to cook a bit once the heat is off.) Remove the asparagus from the pan and place on a serving platter.
• Turn heat to high and simmer briskly until most of the liquid has evaporated, a minute or so. Add lemon juice and zest to the buttery juices. Turn off heat and stir in chives, parsley, tarragon and dill, if using. Check seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus, garnish with a few herb leaves, and serve.

ASPARAGUS WITH NUTMEG BUTTER

Steps:

• In a skillet, bring enough water to cover asparagus to a boil over medium high heat. Add salt to taste and asparagus and cook 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of the asparagus. Be careful not to overcook and bear in mind that they will continue to cook even after they are drained.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a small saucepan to melt. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and nutmeg. Swirl to blend; pour over asparagus and serve.

STEAMED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Wash asparagus and trim off bottom of stems by about 2 inches. In a large skillet, bring about 1/2 inch of water to a rapid boil. Season the water with salt and add the asparagus. Cook the asparagus for 2-3 minutes or until bright green and just tender. Drain the asparagus and add butter to the skillet. Stir in the zest and juice. Return the drained asparagus to the skillet and toss to coat. Serve immediately

ASPARAGUS AND CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking; drain and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll out the puff pastry into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, mix the fontina, comte, shallot, egg yolks, milk, nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the asparagus on the tart and bake until the cheese mixture is slightly puffy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN BUTTER

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Arrange asparagus on broilerproof platter.Preheat broiler. Beat butter in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in cheese, basil, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drop butter mixture by teaspoonfuls over asparagus.
• Broil asparagus until topping browns, watching closely to avoid burning, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

ASPARAGUS WITH SHALLOT BUTTER

Steps:

• Peel the asparagus, using a swivel-bladed knife, starting about 2 inches from the top. Remove the tough ends.
• Bring enough water to a boil to cover the asparagus. Add salt and the asparagus and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain well, reserving 3 tablespoons of the liquid. Arrange on warm platter.
• Combine the shallots, lemon juice and reserved liquid in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until half the liquid evaporates. Add butter gradually, stirring rapidly with a whisk. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring rapidly, 1 minute. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus and serve.

ASPARAGUS, BROAD BEAN & SMOKED SALMON PASTA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a pan, then fry the spring onions for 1 minute, until softened. Add the wine and boil hard to reduce to about 2 tbsp. Stir in the crème fraîche, season well and add the nutmeg. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the dill, if using, and squeeze in a little lemon juice. Set aside.
• Blanch the shelled broad beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain into a sieve and hold under running cold water to cool. Drain again and peel off the outer hard skin - make a nick in the tops and pop the beans out.
• Trim the asparagus - if it's young, it won't need much cut off the stems. Cut into halves or thirds. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as per pack instructions, adding the asparagus 3 minutes before the end of cooking time. Cook until "al dente".
• Drain well, reserving a little pasta water. Toss the hot pasta and asparagus with the drained broad beans, smoked salmon and sauce, loosening with a spoonful or two of pasta water, if necessary. The heat of the pasta should reheat the sauce and slightly cook the smoked salmon, but stir over a gentle heat to warm through if necessary. Serve immediately.