Asparagus, yes asparagus

LOOK AT THIS!!! Yes, you.
Remember this? My love for asparagus is by no means an esoteric obsession. It is, however, an obsession. (If you need proof, just look at the header for my blog!) The last time I posted about roasted asparagus I sadly did not have my own pictures. Now I do! Just look at that poached egg with the pecorino romano melting on top! Honestly, I could eat this for dinner all the time. Line 'em up: the asparagus coated in extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and pepper; ready to roast! Oh, and when you cut into the poached egg the still slightly-runny yolk coats the asparagus. Yes, this makes me a happy, happy girl.

Home for Christmas

Time for the Christmas food rundown!

Hors d'Oeuvres:

Brie

Brie with Fig Preserves

Bagna Cauda: an Italian dip made with olive oil, butter, anchovies, sardines, and butter. It sounds peculiar but it's delicious!

Main Dishes:
Deep fried marinaded pork roast: Just look at the color of that skin! My dad marinaded it for 24 hours in a mix of cajun spices, garlic, mustard, butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, etc. He must give me the exact measurements. Everyone moaned with each bite. That's the best part of food: Seeing people's enjoyment! And man was this the highlight of the meal!
Prime Rib: Look at that color and juice! We had a horseradish sour cream sauce to accompany the meat.
Roasted asparagus and cauliflower: Roasting just brings out the sweetness in every vegetable. This picture shows the vegetables coated in extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper right before it went in the oven.

My Christmas Dinner Plate: Roasted asparagus and cauliflower in the back, mashed potatoes in the middle, prime rib with horseradish sauce to the bottom left, fried pork roast with homemade BBQ sauce at the bottom, and a dollop of bagna cauda to the right. YUM!

Desserts:
Biscotti with Candied Fruits, Pistachio Fingers, and Chocolate Gobs with Creamy Filling
Pizzelles: Italian wafer cookies flavored with anise. They are SO good with a cup of tea! Super light and a welcome contrast to the heavier desserts.
The Table Setting: Complete with eggnog! Admitedly, I didn't like eggnog until this Christmas. For a lighter eggnog, add a splash of ginger ale. The ginger doesn't add much flavor, but it definitely lightens up the heavy and creamy texture of traditional eggnog.

So there you have it!

Roasted Asparagus: Sublime Simplicity

I can't believe it's taken me this long to post one of my most favorite recipes: Roasted asparagus with poached eggs. It's so unbelievably simple and, yes, absolutely sublime. AND a much healthier take on asparagus with hollandaise. Trust me, you will never ever reach for hollandaise as a complement to asparagus again.


Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Parmigiano

2 pounds asparagus
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Parmigiano reggiano or similar sharp italian cheese
Optional: Red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus; where they snap a good indicator of the unpalatable chewy part of the stalk. On a broiler pan lay out the asparagus. Coat asparagus in olive oil and sprinkle liberally with seal salt and freshly ground pepper (and red pepper flakes if you do so choose). Toss to coat. Roast the asparagus for 12-15 minutes until it darkens slightly in color and the tips are slightly crispy from the salt.

Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a simmer in a skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to the water to help the eggs bind together once placed in the water. One at a time, break each egg into a small cup. Slip eggs carefully into simmering water. Cook for around 3 minutes for still runny yolks. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer for firmer yolks. Lift the poached eggs with a slotted spoon to allow the excess water to drain.

Place the roasted aspargus on a platter and the poached eggs on top. Freshly grate or shave the parmigiano on top. The heat of the aspargus and eggs will slightly melt the grated cheese.

I'll eat this for dinner by itself. Vegetable, protein, salty Italian cheese. That's sublime simplicity on a plate!