Asparagus Salad With Toasted Walnuts And Goat Cheese Recipes

ROASTED FRESH ASPARAGUS, BEETS, AND GOAT CHEESE MEDLEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425º F. Wash asparagus and cut off the tougher bottom parts of the stems. (Don't snap the ends as you lose too much of the asparagus). If sizes vary dramatically, slice the largest asparagus stems lengthwise. The asparagus can be chopped uniformly into halves or thirds or left whole.
• Wash and peel beets and slice into small cubes. Place asparagus and beets in a large bowl. Add olive oil, seasoning, and thyme and toss until completely coated.Cover baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange asparagus and beets on the sheet so they are spread out and not overlapping. Use a spatula to gather any remaining oil and seasonings to drizzle over the arranged vegetables. Bake for 15-20 minutes until beets are tender then remove them from the oven. Pile the asparagus and beets into the middle of the baking pan. Add cheese, fruit, and almonds. Bake another 10 minutes.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND QUINOA SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE AND BLACK OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat grill. Brush asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill on both sides until just cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and cut in half.
• Bring 8 cups of salted water to a boil. Add quinoa and cook until soft. Drain and rinse with cold water and drain again. Place the quinoa in a medium bowl and add red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley and 1/4 cup of olive vinaigrette. Stir to combine. Place on plate and top with goat cheese, asparagus, whole nicoise olives, sliced tomato and parsley sprigs.
• Black Olive Vinaigrette: Combine vinegar, mustard, chile powder, olives and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS W/ BLUE CHEESE & TOASTED WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Trim and wash asparagus then arrange in a shallow roasting pan.
• Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Toss asparagus to evenly coat.
• Roast in oven for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with blue cheese, then top with walnuts.

ASPARAGUS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, mustard, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth and emulsified.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Sprinkle generously with salt. Add the asparagus to the water and, depending on the size of the asparagus, blanch for 3 to 5 minutes. It should still have some bite left to it. Add the warm asparagus to the dressing and toss well to coat.
• Fan the asparagus out on a platter and sprinkle with the mizuna. Scatter the hazelnuts and goat cheese on top and drizzle with any dressing that may remain in the bowl.

ASPARAGUS AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke; add red pepper and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes, stirring only once after 1 minute. Add asparagus, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook until asparagus is browned and almost tender, about 2 minutes, stirring only once after 1 minute. Stir in shallot and cook until softened and asparagus is tender-crisp, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Transfer to large plate and cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk remaining 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, garlic, 1/4-teaspoon salt, and 1/8-teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until combined. In large bowl, toss spinach with 2 tablespoons dressing and divide among salad plates. Toss asparagus mixture with remaining dressing and place a portion over spinach; divide goat cheese among salads and serve.

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH TOASTED WALNUTS

Steps:

• To cook asparagus: Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Break off woody stems of asparagus.
• If stalks are thick, peel with a vegetable peeler, pulling from stem end toward tip.
• (Pencil-thin spears do no need peeling.) Place in a greased or sprayed 9x13 inch glass baking dish.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Dot with margarine.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender but still crisp.
• (Asparagus may be baked 1 day ahead and reheated in microwave.) To make topping: In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• (Topping may be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• Before serving: Spoon topping over asparagus and sprinkle with walnuts.