Join Susie T. Gibbs as she cooks a great Fast Day Side Dish – Asparagus in Brown Butter. Super simple to make, low calorie, but full of flavor, vitamins and minerals. Asparagus is a great vegetable to enjoy on a Fast Day or in an alternate day fasting lifestyle.
Blanched asparagus are crisp-tender and perfect after 2 minutes in boiling water–regardless of whether they are tiny, thin stalks, or larger stalks.
Fresh asparagus are a snap to make and a great Fast Day side dish. Asparagus spears taste great when served with a wide variety of protein entrees: fish, seafood, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and wild game of all kinds. It requires learning the cooking technique known as blanching.
Blanching not only cooks or partially cooks the items being blanched, but it also stops the enzyme action of veggies and fruits, which allows them to be frozen or canned without spoiling. When you blanch a veggie, it “opens” the outer cells and makes it more receptive to flavoring agents such as butters, oils, dips, marinades and sauces.
An ice water bath quickly stops the cooking.
You also need to learn how to quickly stop the cooking of blanched foods to prevent overcooking. Overcooked asparagus turn mushy and stringy—definitely not good eats! Brown Butter makes a great sauce for veggies. It’s very easy to make, simply let the butter melt and bubble in the pan until you see it begin to get brown around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat when you see that happen and you will have perfect brown butter in minutes! If you leave it over the fire too long, it will burn. Black butter is not…you got it, good eats!
Asparagus in Brown Butter
Notes
Leftover asparagus makes a great side dish for eggs on those mornings when you need a little breakfast to get you going on Fast Days. By blanching the asparagus, you quickly cook them without making them soggy.
Serving Ideas Serve with your favorite protein.
Nutritional Information
Per Serving: 58 Calories; 4g Fat (56.0% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 3g Net Carbohydrate
Ingredients
- 14 ounces asparagus, 2-inches of the stem end trimmed off (1 bunch)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt, for blanching water
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- sea salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Bring a skillet filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher or sea salt to the water. Trim about 2-inches off the stem end of the asparagus. Or you can bend them and where they naturally break is where the fresh and tender portion of the stalk begins. The part that breaks off is tough and woody.
- When water boils, add trimmed asparagus. Set the timer for 2 minutes. No more. No less! When 2 minutes is up, remove asparagus and plunge into an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Wiggle them around with your hand or cooking tongs. When cool (after about 1 minute), remove asparagus and drain them on paper towels or a clean cloth.
- Discard water and dry pan. Add butter. Cook over high heat until butter turns brown (not black). Add asparagus and toss with butter. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Asparagus in Brown Butter
Serves: 2 Servings
|
Amount Per Serving: 1/2 bunch (about 7oz, raw weight)
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|---|---|---|
| Calories | 58 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat | 0 | |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 0 | |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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