Oven-Roasted, Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

May 27, 2008 | Filed Under Foods I Never Liked Before Until I Started to Cook, Asparagus, Lucullian Delights, Vegetables | 17 Comments

"This is good!" my mom exclaimed after she took a bite of my oven-roasted, prosciutto wrapped asparagus, courtesy of Ilva’s recipe. She sounded and looked very surprised as she continued to eat it. She’s right: It WAS good.

I mentioned in a previous post that I never used to like eggplants — till I started cooking. Well, you can add asparagus to my list of ‘Foods I Never Liked Before Until I Started Cooking’. Back in the day, I’d purse my lips, scrunch my face and turn away from the offending green spear. I tried to keep asparagus far away from my plate. Today, I love asparagus — especially roasted. In this recipe, the prosciutto added an extra special delicious taste. Yup! It tasted good, indeed. Thanks, Ilva!

Paz

Oven-Roasted Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Lucullian Delights

Fresh green asparagus, not too thin stalks

Prosciutto crudo or Parma ham

Extra-virgin olive oil

- Clean the asparagus, snap off the lower part, you can peel it if it is to thick skinned.

- Wrap approximately half a slice of Parma ham around each asparagus stalk, you have to judge yourself as the size of the slices may vary.

- Grease an oven-proof form with a litle olive oil and put one layer of asparagus in it.

- Bake in a pre-heated oven (175°C/347°F) until the ham is crisp and the asparagus has softened. It takes about 10-15 minutes.

Fish Salad with Forbidden Rice

May 23, 2006 | Filed Under Avocados, Cereals/Grains, Beyond Salmon, Stripped Bass, Fruits, Asparagus, Seafood, Rice, Salad, Fellow Bloggers, Vegetables | Leave a Comment

Some time ago, Helen of Beyond Salmon came up with a well-rounded meal from the leftovers in her fridge, which enticed me to try.

The ingredients included fish, asparagus, onions, avocado and something I’d never heard of or tasted before – Forbidden Rice.

The name alone captured my interest. Also known as Black or Purple rice (obviously because of its color), an interesting myth surrounds Forbidden rice. It was considered “forbidden” because it was supposed to have mystical powers to advance long life. As a result, only emperors were allowed to eat this special rice.

Luckily, since times have changed, those of us not born under official emperor lineage are no longer forbidden to eat this rice. Anxious to taste it, I looked for it when I went shopping and to my surprise, found it at Citarella’s, one of the food markets where I do my shopping.

I prepared the meal according to Helen’s instructions and found the rice to have a unique taste. I would agree with Helen’s description of its taste – like wild rice with a deep, almost sweet flavor. The rice tasted unusual to me but it’s definitely something I’ll eat again in the future (Hey, I wanna live to the age of at least 106!).

I liked the entire meal combination of the asparagus and avocado (more foods I never liked until recently), with the fish. Like Helen, I used strip bass but as with all her fish recipes, she gives suggestions for fish substitutions. The dressing brought everything together. Delicious!

This may have been a meal from left over foods, but as I ate, I certainly felt like an Empress, in my own right, dining at a banquet table. Thanks, Helen!

Paz

Ed. Note: I’ve been asked where I got the legend information on Forbidden Rice (as well as the name). It’s printed on the back of the rice package I bought. The rice is imported by a company called Lotus Foods. According to Helen’s post, she found her information at the same place. This is what’s printed on my package:

Legend tells us that Forbidden Rice was once grown exclusively for the Emperors of China to enrich their health and ensure their longevity.

Today, this heirloom rice is prized for its fragrant aroma, nutty taste, eep purple color and nutritional value. It pairs beautifully with fish, meat and colorful vegetables. An everyday favorite — use steamed, in pilafs, stir-fries, and salads.

* Cooks in 30 minutes * Gluten free, wheat free * High in iron * A whole-grain rice * Non-GMO

Package of Forbidden Rice

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER IMAGE

Helen’s Fish Salad with Forbidden Rice

Fish substitutions:

any fin fish or shell fish leftovers. Hey, this can even work with chicken!

Serves 4

For the salad:

1 cup your favorite interesting rice (purple, wild, or brown)

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 Lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 inch lengths

1 Lb leftover fish fillets, skin removed and flaked

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 avocados, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley, cilantro, mint, or basil

For the dressing:

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

2 anchovy fillets, mashed to a paste (optional)

3 Tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package instructions. Cool completely.
Set a large skillet over high heat. When preheated add oil and asparagus and cook stirring occasionally until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Take off heat and cool.
In a large bowl combine rice, asparagus, fish, onions, avocados, and herbs. The salad can be prepared up to this stage a day in advance, covered, and stored in the fridge.
Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well.