Asparagus Courgette Salad With Feta Sesame Seeds Recipes

ASPARAGUS SALAD, JAPANESE-STYLE

Steps:

• Cut off the woodsy bottoms of the asparagus spears; discard. Cut off the flower ends and set aside.
• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the dark green outer skin of each spear; you should get three or four ribbons from each one. Set aside. Cut the remaining stalks crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds. Combine ribbons, sliced rounds and tips in a bowl.
• Toast the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-heat, shaking occasionally until they color and begin to pop, but remove from heat before they burn. Combine the seeds with sesame oil, rice vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust as necessary. Spoon over the asparagus and toss gently.

PEELED ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH RADISH AND TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Scatter seeds on a sheet pan and place in oven for 6 to 7 minutes or until light brown. Set aside to cool.
• Peel asparagus from just below the top of the stalk, creating long strips. Place the asparagus into a large bowl. Set aside the tops of the asparagus for garnish.
• Remove the stems and roots from the radishes. Slice into thin circles with a knife or mandoline. Place in the large bowl with the asparagus.
• To the asparagus and radish mixture, add the dill, parsley, chives, pea tendrils, lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, and toasted pumpkin seeds, adding salt and pepper to taste. Toss.
• Garnish with the reserved asparagus tops and chive flowers, and serve.

ASPARAGUS & COURGETTE SALAD WITH FETA & SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Heat a small frying pan and add the sesame seeds. Cook, shaking the pan and making sure the seeds don't burn. When they are fragrant and have turned a light teak colour, tip them onto a saucer.
• Steam the asparagus for 3-4 mins until almost done. Drop into a bowl of iced water to cool, then drain and wrap in a tea towel to dry really well. Cook the peas for 3 mins in the boiling water used to steam the asparagus, then drain and cool under a cold tap. Slice the courgettes on the diagonal, about 0.5cm thick.
• Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Brush the asparagus and courgette slices with the oil, and cook in batches until nicely striped with dark brown. Cut the asparagus into 5cm lengths.
• Mix the asparagus, courgettes, peas, rocket, feta and lemon zest. Grind over some black pepper and sprinkle with the sesame seeds before serving.

ORZO AND SHRIMP SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Peel shrimp, reserving the shells. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic and shrimp in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from browning. When shrimp are cooked through, remove from heat, cool and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Bring water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add shrimp shells, boil for 5 minutes, then strain out shells and discard. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the asparagus pieces and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain into a mesh sieve, and rinse in cold water.
• Toss pasta and asparagus with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, shrimp, and green onions until evenly coated. In a separate bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and basil until incorporated. Pour over pasta mixture and toss well; season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for 2 hours.

ASPARAGUS AND RED PEPPER WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the asparagus and red onion in the mixture, season with salt, and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir the red bell pepper into the mixture and continue cooking until the onions begin to caramelize, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vinegar, Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, and pine nuts; toss to combine.