Spring Asparagus With Matzo Meal Dressing Recipes

SPRING ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes; cover and keep warm. , Place vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, salt and paprika in a blender; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Toss with asparagus mixture. Top with almonds and, if desired, cheese.

SPRING ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and mustard. Drizzle in the peanut oil and sesame oil while whisking vigorously to emulsify. Set aside.
• Bring a pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus to the water and cook 3 to 5 minutes until just tender, but still mostly firm. Remove and rinse under cold water to stop from cooking any further.
• Place the asparagus in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over the asparagus. Toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

SPRING LAYERED SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND BUTTERMILK DRESSING

Steps:

• Toss the onions with 2 tablespoons each vinegar and cold water and a large pinch of salt in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. (The onions will turn bright pink.) Strain.
• Meanwhile, set up a steamer in a pot of simmering water. Add the asparagus, and steam until bright green and crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove, spread out on a baking sheet and let cool.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, Parmesan, mayonnaise, garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl.
• Using a straight-sided 3-quart tall glass bowl for 1 large salad or four 16-ounce wide-mouth glass jars with lids for 4 individual salads, make a first layer with half the arugula, then add the following in separate layers: the radishes, half the broccoli, the snap peas, the pickled red onion, the remaining arugula, the remaining broccoli, and the asparagus and egg. Sprinkle the top with the almonds. (The salad can be put together, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before serving.)
• If making 1 salad, just before serving, transfer it to a large bowl, toss with about half the dressing and season with salt and pepper. If making 4 salads, add dressing to each jar, season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and shake to coat. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

ASPARAGUS WITH MUSTARD DRESSING

Steps:

• Blanch asparagus in large quantity of salted water and refresh. Pat dry and cut stalks in to 1-inch sections.
• In a bowl combine dashi, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard and lemon zest. Mix asparagus with dressing just before serving. Garnish with julienned lemon rind

ASPARAGUS MATZOH BREI

Steps:

• Snap the ends off the asparagus where they break naturally. Peel the spears. Cut the asparagus in one-inch lengths.
• Place the asparagus in a steamer or in a pot of simmering water and steam or cook about three minutes, until they are just tender and still bright green. Drain the asparagus, if necessary, and refresh under cold running water. Dry them well.
• Heat a tablespoon of the butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet. Saute the onions over medium-low heat until they are golden, about six minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and mix them with the asparagus.
• Crumble the matzohs and soak them in a bowl of hot water about 30 seconds. Drain well and squeeze out as much water as possible. Mix the eggs and matzohs together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the onions and asparagus.
• Heat the remaining butter or oil in the skillet. Add the matzoh mixture and cook over medium-high heat several minutes, until the mixture sets on the bottom and around the edges. Cover the skillet with a large plate and, holding both plate and skillet together, flip them over so the matzoh brei is cooked side up on the plate. Slide it back into the pan and cook the second side. Cut it in wedges and serve with a sprinkling of grated cheese, if desired.

CHEESE MATZO BLINTZES WITH ASPARAGUS AND DILL

Steps:

• To make crepes: Blend milk, matzo meal, eggs, oil and salt in a blender until smooth.
• Let batter stand 30 minutes.
• Stir batter before using.
• Lightly brush a 10 inch skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Holding skillet off heat, pour in 1/3 c.
• batter, tilting and rotating pan to coat bottom.
• Return skillet to heat and cook crepe until top is set and edge and bottom are golden, about one minute.
• Remove skillet from heat and loosen edge of crepe with a spatula.
• Release crepe onto a plate.
• Repeat until all the batter is gone.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make filling: cook asparagus in a wide 4 to 5 quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender (about 5 minutes).
• Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a butting board to cool.
• Cut off and reserve tips, then finely chop stalks.
• Stir together cottage cheese, chopped stalks, dill, egg, pepper and salt.
• Assemble blintzes: Put 1 crepe, paler side up, and spread a scant 1/3 c.
• of filling in a horizontal line just below center of crepe, leaving a 3/4 inch border at each end.
• Fold in sides of crepe over ends of filling, then beginning at bottom, roll up to enclose filling.
• Transfer, seam side down, to a lightly buttered 15 by 10 inch shallow baking pan.
• Fill and transfer remaining crepes in same manner.
• Bake blintzes, covered with foil, until filling is hot, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Make topping just before blintzes are ready to serve: heat butter in a 10-12 inch skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides.
• Add scallions and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in asparagus tips, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring until aspargus is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in dill.
• Spoon topping over blintzes.

CHEESE MATZO BLINTZES WITH ASPARAGUS AND DILL

Steps:

• Make crêpes:
• Blend milk, matzo meal, eggs, oil, and salt in a blender until smooth. Let batter stand 30 minutes.
• Stir batter before using. Lightly brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Holding skillet off heat, pour in 1/3 cup batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe until top is set and edge and bottom are golden, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and loosen edge of crêpe with a flexible heatproof spatula. Quickly invert skillet over a plate to release crêpe. Make 11 more crêpes in same manner, brushing skillet lightly with oil for each and stacking crêpes on plate as cooked.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Make filling:
• Cook asparagus in a wide 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a cutting board to cool. Cut off and reserve tips, then finely chop stalks.
• Stir together cottage cheese, chopped stalks, dill, egg, pepper, and salt.
• Assemble blintzes:
• Put 1 crêpe, paler side up, on a work surface and spread a scant 1/3 cup of filling in a horizontal line just below center of crêpe, leaving a 3/4-inch border at each end. Fold in sides of crêpe over ends of filling, then, beginning at bottom, roll up to enclose filling. Transfer, seam side down, to a lightly buttered 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan. Fill and transfer remaining 11 crêpes in same manner.
• Bake blintzes, covered with foil, until filling is hot, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Make topping just before blintzes are ready to serve:
• Heat butter in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add scallions and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus tips, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until asparagus is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in dill. Spoon topping over blintzes.

SPRING PASTA SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Put up a large pot of salted water for cooking the pasta and bring it to a boil.
• Add the asparagus and blanch it until just tender, about 3 minutes.
• Scoop the asparagus from the water with a large strainer spoon and place in a colander. Run cold water over it to stop the cooking process, and to preserve the bright green color. Drain well and slice into small pieces on the diagonal, leaving the tips whole.
• Bring the water back to a rapid boil and cook the penne until just al dente (tender but slightly firm to the bite). Run the pasta under cold water and drain very well.
• In a large serving bowl, add the pasta, the blanched asparagus and all the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and toss well until all the pasta is well coated with dressing. Taste for seasoning. This is best served at room temperature.
• Note: Another lovely addition to this pasta is about 3/4 cup freshly shelled spring peas. Blanch them for 1 minute in the boiling pasta water after you blanch the asparagus. Drain well and add them to the bowl along with the other ingredients.

SPRING ASPARAGUS WITH MATZO-MEAL DRESSING

Steps:

• Divide the asparagus into 10 bundles and tie each bundle with kitchen string.
• Tie the chives loosely together.
• In a large deep skillet of boiling salted water cook the asparagus bundles for 3 to 7 minutes, or until the spears are tender but not limp
• Transfer the asparagus bundles with tongs to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking, transfer them with the tongs to paper towels and pat them dry
• Blanche the chives in the boiling water until they just turn bright green and plunge them immediately into the icewater
• Drain the chives, pat them dry, and discard the string.
• Tie each bundle of the asparagus with the chive and discard the string.
• Arrange the asparagus bundles decoratively on a microwave safe or heat proof platter.
• In a saucepan cook the garlic over moderately low heat, stirring until it is softened. Stir in the parsley the matzo meal and enough of the broth to make a thick sauce..
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper and spoon it decoratively over the asparagus bundles.
• The asparagus may be prepared up to this point 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• Reheat in a microwave or oven until it is just heated through.
• Just before serving sprinkled the asparagus with the lemon juice