Friday, April 26, 2013
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Lemon, Pepper, and Asparagus Salad

Spring has finally sprung here in Cincinnati. And with the addition of a shiney new grill to our family, we’ve been opting for easy-peasey meals which include grilled meat and a pile of fresh vegetables. For maximum ease of meal prepping, we just grill the veggies, but sometimes I like to prepare them in other ways.

Lemon Pepper Asparagus Salad

Lemon, pepper, and asparagus salad is one of those ways. This salad really highlights the fresh in-season asparagus. Since it cooked for a few minutes on the stovetop, it keeps a nice crunch and vibrant color.

The lemon juice and freshly ground pepper just enhance those flavors. I threw in some heirloom cherry tomatoes to add some color and texture to the dish. You could make it with or without the tomatoes.

Lemon Pepper Asparagus Salad

One note about fresh tomatoes. I ALWAYS season them with coursely ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper. No matter what I’m doing with them, they always get seasoned. And don’t be afraid to use some salt on tomatoes. I remember watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa years ago where she talked about how the flavor of a tomato can really be enhanced by some salt, and how it’s hard to over-salt a tomato. I took those words to heart and firmly agree with her.

One Year Ago: Marbled Chocolate Chip Bundt and Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Two Years Ago: Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken and Carrot Cake and Cheesecake Cake
Three Years Ago: Spring M&M Pretzel Treats and Vanilla Buttercream
Four Years Ago: Fauxstess Cupcakes and Spinach Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, Goat Cheese and Tomato

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Lemon Pepper Asparagus Salad

Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus (rinsed)
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
bowl of ice water (for blanching)

Directions:

Chop the asparagus into small pieces.

Put the asparagus and a splash of water in a pot on the stove top. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until asparagus turn bright green. Turn off the heat and transfer the asparagus to the ice bath.

Allow to sit in the ice water for a couple of minutes. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add the oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and tomatoes and stir well. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with extra lemon zest if desired.

Recipe from Keep It Simple Foods

Appetizers / Snacks, Side Dish
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17 Responses to “Friday Faves – The Small Boston Kitchen makes Cranberry Risotto Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms”

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    1
    Lauren — January 7, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    I’m not a huge mushroom fan, but the cranberry risotto sounds absolutely fantastic! Thanks for the idea, Katie :).

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    2
    Fun and Fearless in Beantown — January 7, 2011 at 2:51 pm

    What a great recipe Katie!

  3. #
    3
    Daisy — January 7, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    I am in awe of your description of mushrooms. that recipe is awesome and so is the idea to cook them in butter and red wine! if non mushroom lovers are not converted after this post, there is no help for them!!

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    4
    Erica — January 7, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  5. #
    5
    Jennifer — January 7, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    I am a huge mushroom lover. This recipe sounds wonderful!

  6. #
    6
    In and Around Town — January 7, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    I am a HUGE fan of mushrooms, I put them in everything! This will probably be dinner tonight!

  7. #
    7
    Sarah from 20somethingcupcakes — January 7, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    I’m definitely with you in the first camp, though I will tell you – I’ve converted the boyfriend into a semi-mushroom lover, so maybe there is a person who lies a bit in between after all! This looks heavenly.

  8. #
    8
    Smitten Sugar — January 7, 2011 at 5:05 pm

    I am definitely not a mushroom lover but this recipe looks amazing!

  9. #
    9
    Megan — January 7, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    Katie can make these for me anytime! Great recipe and great guest post!

  10. #
    10
    Josie — January 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    OMG this combines so many of my favorite things into one dish! I’ve already added it to next week’s menu. Thanks so much for introducing me to a fun new blog!

  11. #
    11
    Melissa — January 7, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    I’m on the verge of being a mushroom lover – when raw the texture creeps me out but I’ve discovered I love the flavor and like them when cooked. I would love to eat this dish!

  12. #
    12
    kitchenmisfit — January 7, 2011 at 11:58 pm

    It is bad that I thought the sneak peak picture looked like mashed potatoes? That can only mean the risotto must be extra creamy!

  13. #
    13
    kitchenmisfit — January 7, 2011 at 11:59 pm

    It is bad that I thought the sneak peak picture looked like mashed potatoes? I think that just means this risotto must be extra creamy!

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    14
    The Small Boston Kitchen — January 8, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Thanks Jen for including me in your Friday Faves and for saying such nice things about my writing! This dish was fun to make and was really good on a cold winter night. Thanks all for the comments! Even those from the mushroom haters 🙂

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    15
    Maris (In Good Taste) — January 8, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    Aren’t portobello mushrooms the best? So many different things you can do with them!

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    16
    John at BOS — January 9, 2011 at 2:14 am

    What more Can I say, a combination of my favorite ingredients… Mushroom and risotto! It’s nice to see a lot of mushroom recipe’s this past few days.

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    17
    Kerstin — January 10, 2011 at 5:03 am

    What a creative recipe, I love it! Definitely the perfect way to kick off your cool Friday Favs feature 🙂

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