Beer Battered Asparagus and Grilled Asparagus with Avocado Lime Dressing...

Looking for inspiration away from traditional cooked asparagus as we near the end of their season? Try them these two ways- beer battered (it was just Father's Day weekend too), and grilled, served with a blender avocado lime cilantro dressing. I was inspired by a beautiful bunch of Welsh Bros. Farms asparagus from my recent tour at The Ontario Food Terminal to make their recipe for beer battered asparagus. 🤩. I say to that... Cheers with beers and two spears! 🍻 They serve theirs with mayo and minced chipotle in adobo but I just used what I had and made mine with chopped jalapeno, parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

The second- grilled asparagus was cooked along two other fresh salad recipes at my last TDSB parent engagement cooking class at Fraser Mustard's community kitchen. The creamy avocado blended with cilantro and lime was a match made in heaven with the charred spears. Let's savour this perennial plant at its best during springtime before they're gone! 🌿🌞.

 

Did You Know... An Ontario asparagus plant has to grow for five years before it can be harvested. Then in season, when it's hot, it spurts up to six inches in under 12 hours! Magical right? 🤩

Beer Battered Asparagus (adapted by Welsh Bros. Farms recipe)

1 bunch Welsh Bros. Farms Asparagus

Batter ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika or regular
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup regular or vegan beer (I used Coors Banquet)

1/4 cup flour for breading
Oil for frying

Trim asparagus and rinse. Leave to dry slightly, but not completely. Mix batter ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk well and let rest for 15 minutes.

TiP: When you pour the beer, make sure you TiP the glass/cup to prevent foaming otherwise you won't get your full cup of liquid gold. As I had done, and thus my first batch of asparagus battered fry came out like thin long pogo sticks with a chubby coating (the batter too thick). I thinned the batter down with a bit more beer and it coated and fried nicely like thin crisp tempura spears.

Place 1/2 cup flour in a flat bowl. Heat about 1" of oil to 350F in a deep pot.

Working in batches, roll 5 or 6 asparagus in the flour then add to batter. Coat each spear well, letting excess batter drip off, then gently place in the hot oil. Repeat with remaining spears. Let cook until crisp and golden. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve with your choice of dip.

So deliciously crisp tender, the lemon tang in the mayo (mayo mixed with chopped parsley, jalapeno and a squeeze of lemon) seem to enhance the beer flavour in the batter. Delish! The thick battered spears didn't make the beauty shot, but they were devoured here with gusto just the same. 

Light and crispy fried asparagus like tempura.

The thick battered spears fried up like long thin pogo sticks with a chubby coating.

 Cheers with beers and two spears! 🍻

More asparagus on the go in a cooking class and we're putting the thrill on the grill.

It was a Salad Trio Morning 🥗🥗🥗!.

Taught my last TDSB parent engagement culinary class over at Fraser Mustard's community kitchen by bringing colour, greenery and freshness indoors on a dreary rainy day last week. And getting summer entertaining-ready on our minds 🌞😎... Niçoise Salad Platter with Tarragon Lemon Vinaigrette, Quinoa Tabbouleh and Grilled Asparagus Salad with Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing. 🥒🍅🥑🥒🍅🥑🍋🌱

The original Niçoise Salad from Nice, France has tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, Niçoise olives, anchovies and dressed with olive oil. It has evolved to include green beans, potatoes and tuna. Tarragon herb has a distinctive bittersweet flavour with notes of anise, lending itself well in this make-your-own lemon vinaigrette to serve over fish, tomatoes and eggs. Presenting the cascading ingredients side-by-side on a plain platter makes it so attractive and perfect for DIY customization!

Quinoa is a nice healthy twist to bulgur wheat in fresh Lebanese parsley and mint tabbouleh and we gotta get those fresh asparagus in when we can #springproduce. Grilled and served with a blender creamy avocado cilantro lime dressing (avocados were not ripe so came out more chunky). Altogether, soo fresh, soo yum! 🤤

Grilled Asparagus with Creamy Avocado Lime Cilantro Dressing

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 large avocado, seed removed, cut into chunks
1 handful cilantro, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 to 4 Tbsp. water, thinned to taste
1 lime, juice of
Salt and pepper to taste
Chives, chopped (optional)

Grill the asparagus and place onto serving tray.

Place the avocado, cilantro, olive oil, water, lime juice, salt and pepper into a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve over the asparagus, and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Full Recipe:

Beer Battered Asparagus (adapted by Welsh Bros. Farms recipe)

1 bunch Welsh Bros. Farms asparagus

Batter ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika or regular
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup beer

1/4 cup flour for breading
Oil for frying

Trim asparagus and rinse. Leave to dry slightly, but not completely. Mix batter ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk well and let rest for 15 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup flour in a flat bowl. Heat about 1" of oil to 350F in a deep pot.

Working in batches, roll 5 or 6 asparagus in the flour then add to batter. Coat each spear well, letting excess batter drip off, then gently place in the hot oil. Repeat with remaining spears. Let cook until crisp and golden. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve with your choice of dip.

TiP: When you pour the beer, make sure you TiP the glass/cup to prevent foaming otherwise you won't get your full cup of liquid gold. As I had done, and thus my first batch of asparagus battered fry came out like thin long pogo sticks with a chubby coating (the batter too thick). I thinned the batter down with a bit more beer and it coated and fried nicely like thin crisp tempura spears.