Roasted Asparagus And Baby Artichokes With Lemon Oregano Aioli Food

ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND BABY ARTICHOKES WITH LEMON-OREGANO AIOLI

Steps:

• For aioli:
• Whisk mayonnaise, oil, oregano, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Season aioli to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
• For artichokes and asparagus:
• Bring large saucepan of salted water to boil. Fill large bowl with cold water; squeeze juice from lemon halves into water. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, pull off all dark green outer leaves until only tender inner yellow leaves remain. Cut off top 1 inch from artichoke. Cut off stem and trim around stem base of artichoke. Cut artichoke lengthwise in half and immediately drop into lemon water to prevent discoloration. Repeat with remaining artichokes.
• Drain artichokes, then add to saucepan of boiling salted water and blanch 3 minutes. Drain again. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil. Place artichokes on 1 prepared baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread in even layer on sheet. Place asparagus spears on second baking sheet. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread in even layer on sheet. Roast asparagus and artichokes until tender, about 8 minutes for asparagus and about 15 minutes for artichokes. Arrange artichokes and asparagus on platter. Place bowl of aioli in center for dipping and serve.

SIMPLY ROASTED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place artichokes stem-side down in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice.
• Slightly separate the artichoke leaves with your hands.
• Insert a knife blade into the center of each artichoke to create a garlic clove-size space.
• Drizzle each artichoke with olive oil.
• Press 1 clove of garlic into the center of each artichoke and season with salt.
• Tightly wrap each artichoke twice with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Place in baking dish and bake in the preheated oven until sizzling, about 1 hour 20 minutes

ONE-PAN SALMON WITH ROAST ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the potatoes and 1 tbsp of olive oil into an ovenproof dish, then roast the potatoes for 20 mins until starting to brown. Toss the asparagus in with the potatoes, then return to the oven for 15 mins.
• Throw in the cherry tomatoes and vinegar and nestle the salmon amongst the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the oven for a final 10-15 mins until the salmon is cooked. Scatter over the basil leaves and serve everything scooped straight from the dish.

FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS, ARTICHOKES AND LEMON THYME

Steps:

• Have a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice in it standing by.
• Prepare the artichokes by first removing half of the outer green leaves.
• Cut the top half or two-thirds off of the artichoke and discard.
• Dip the cut artichoke into the lemon water.
• Continue to remove any leaves that have any green colour to them as they are tough (it may look like you are wasting a lot, but you really don't want to eat the green parts- trust me).
• Cut off the stem where it joins to the base of the artichoke (which is the flower), dip in the lemon water and set aside.
• Once only the inner, yellow part of the artichoke remains, cut the it in half lengthwise and scrape out the hairy choke with a teaspoon.
• Dip the halves in the lemon water again, then cut each half into three or four wedges, lengthwise.
• Place the artichoke pieces in the bowl of lemon water.
• They will keep there without going brown until you are ready to cook them.
• If the stem of the artichoke was in good shape (nice and crispy, not brown and limp), cut off the outer green part, as the inner, pale part and the base of the flower are edible (and may even be the best parts).
• Chop into pieces of about the same size as the artichoke wedges and add to the lemon water.
• Repeat with the other artichoke.
• To prepare the asparagus, remove the woody base of the stem by snapping at the lowest point it will break naturally.
• Discard the tough bases.
• Cut off the asparagus tips and set aside.
• Cut the remaining stems into approximately 3 cm lengths.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add salt and cook the fettuccine according to the packet instructions.
• When cooked al dente, pour in some cold water to stop the cooking, then drain in a colander.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil (or oil and butter) in a medium, heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the shallots and garlic and sauté gently until softened.
• Add the lemon thyme leaves (just strip them straight off the stems and throw them in) and stir.
• Drain the artichoke pieces and add them along with the asparagus pieces (but not the tips) to the pan.
• Sauté gently until the asparagus is about half cooked.
• Add the asparagus tips and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender.
• Once the pasta and the vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat, and combine them in one pan.
• Add the Pecorino cheese and salt and pepper to taste, and stir together.
• Serve immediately.