Cold Asparagus Salad With Balsamic Vinegar Food

ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling, salted water until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.
• Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Place in a decorative bowl and put in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
• Boil vinegar in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• This will sweeten and concentrate the vinegar; pour into a large bowl.
• Whisk in oil, mustard, marjoram and garlic.
• Season dressing to taste with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• When ready to serve, add the red peppers and toss with dressing.
• Sprinkle with nuts and serve.

CHILLED ASPARAGUS WITH SESAME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in a large skillet of boiling, salted water until just crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
• Drain; rinse with cold water and drain well.
• Pat dry with paper towels.
• Arrange on a platter.
• Mix sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• (Asparagus and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.) To serve, spoon dressing over asparagus, sprinkle with toasted sesame seed and serve.

ROASTED BALSAMIC GARLIC ASPARAGUS APPETIZER

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim the asparagus: rinse the asparagus, cut about an inch off the ends, then use a vegetable peeler to take the outer layer off another inch of the remaining fibrous ends (easiest is to lay the spear on a flat surface then use peeler to gently take off the layer - careful, or you'll remove too much).
• Place the trimmed asparagus in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet, then spray with an olive oil mister or drizzle evenly with olive oil (or spray with pan spray).
• Season with the sea salt and the freshly ground pepper.
• Place in oven and roast for 8 minutes (don't overcook).
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over very low heat melt the butter and extra virgin olive oil.
• Add the sliced garlic and simmer (again, over very low heat) for 5 minutes - careful not to burn.
• Remove from heat and add the soy sauce and balsamic.
• When asparagus is done, remove from the oven and place in a container which has an airtight cover.
• Place the garlic from the balsamic mixture on the asparagus; whisk the balsamic mixture well (I use a pigtail whisk) and pour it over the roasted asparagus.
• Cover tightly, shake, and place in refrigerator to chill (please note that the asparagus is still hot in the container, and that covering them and adding the sauce at this point will continue to steam them a bit for a few minutes).
• Chill for at least 4 hours before serving, the place attractively on serving platter.
• Goes well as part of an anti pasto course!
• Note: although I used these as an appetizer/snack, they could also work quite well as a side dish.

FRESH BALSAMIC ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Trim the asparagus (keeping the darker green and less fibrous parts) and cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Thinly slice the mushrooms.
• Simmer the asparagus in 1/2 cup of water with a pinch of salt until it is tender (about 10-13 minutes).
• While the asparagus is simmering, whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and garlic together.
• Gradually add the olive oil and then the black pepper.
• Once you have drained the asparagus and let it cool, gently toss it with half of the dressing to coat it well.
• Toss the remaining dressing with the basil and the mushrooms, and sprinkle the mixture over the asparagus.
• Season to taste with salt, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan or Mizithra cheese, and serve.

ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH SWEET BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Boil vinegar in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour vinegar into large bowl. Whisk in oil, mustard, marjoram and garlic. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain again. Add asparagus and bell pepper to dressing; toss to blend well. Sprinkle with pecans and serve.

COLD ASPARAGUS WITH VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Immediately before serving, toss the rinsed, drained, and dried asparagus with 1 tablespoon excellent wine vinegar and 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.;

GRILLED OR ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH BALSAMIC

Steps:

• Toss the asparagus with shallot, oil, 1/8 tsp salt and pepper. Roast or grill turning twice, until tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Bring vinegar and the remaining 1/8 teaspoons salt to a simmer in a small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly syrupy and toss the asparagus with the reduced vinegar.

BALSAMIC MARINATED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap off the tough ends of asparagus and wash asparagus thoroughly.
• Cook asparagus in boiling water for about two minutes, until it's bright green and just beginning to get tender. Drain.
• Place asparagus in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.
• Lay asparagus in a 13" by 9" baking dish.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
• Pour over asparagus.
• Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
• Chill for about 8 hours.
• Using tongs, remove asparagus from marinade and serve.

SHAVED ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Remove and chop the zest from the orange and add it to a large nonreactive bowl. Add the asparagus and cheese and toss together. Peel the orange and cut segments from the membrane. Add the segments to the bowl with the asparagus.
• Squeeze the juice from the orange membrane into a small bowl and add the chives and white wine vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the asparagus and let sit until the asparagus is slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Toss in the hazelnuts and serve.

CHILLED ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• I like asparagus al dente, slightly crunchy. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over medium heat. Add salt until it tastes like mild seawater. How will you know? Take a little water with a spoon and taste it, then add the sugar.
• Prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl, large enough to hold the asparagus, with cold water. Add some ice cubes. Plunge the asparagus into the ice bath before cooking. This will help to bring any limp stalks back to life. Remove from the ice bath, plunge them into the boiling water and allow them to cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water, transferring them immediately to the same ice bath. Allow them to sit in the ice bath for a few minutes, swirling them gently in the water to assure they are all cooling quickly in the cold water.
• The most important step for this dish? Drying the stalks once they are removed from the ice bath. Taking care that no water gets into the final salad is the best way to assure that the maximum flavor will be enjoyed! Transfer the asparagus to a large plate or platter lined with a kitchen towel and refrigerate.
• In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, honey and mustard. Stir to blend. Whisk in the olive oil in an even, steady stream. When all of the oil has been integrated, taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• When ready to serve, remove the kitchen towel from the asparagus and simply toss the asparagus in the dressing to coat them completely. Arrange the stalks on plates and serve.

BALSAMIC GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Stir together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shallots, garlic and oregano in a medium bowl. Pour the marinade into a 1-gallon resealable plastic storage bag, add the asparagus and seal the bag closed. Place the bag in a bowl or on a plate (just in case it leaks) and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours, flipping a couple of times.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. While the grill heats up, remove the asparagus from the marinade, allowing any excess marinade to drip off. Season liberally on all sides with salt and pepper.
• Place the asparagus on the hot grill and cook, flipping as needed, until crisp-tender and charred in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a platter, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.