Cashew Asparagus

I'm terrible at blogs. Sorry. Here's a new recipe for anyone who's interested. This recipe came into existence mostly because I associate on-sale asparagus with the arrival of spring. It's also a very quick and healthy recipe.

I might be creatively inspired to update the blog more regularly soon- the first co-op pick-up of the season is scheduled for Thursday morning! I don't know that I will be able to make that market, but hopefully I will have lots of new vegetables to try and find uses for on a regular basis soon!


Cashew Asparagus

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup cashews (or almonds or other type of nuts)
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus
Soy sauce to taste

Apparatus:

Knife
Cutting board
Large frying pan (or wok if you’re lucky enough to have one)
Spatula

Process:

1) Prepare asparagus by cutting the woody ends off. Dispose of the ends and then cut the remaining asparagus in half.
2) Place oil, garlic powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, and cashews into pan. Saute over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
3) Add asparagus to the pan, and sauté just until asparagus becomes tender.
4) Serve over brown rice.

Black Beans and Collard Greens Soup

I’m back to un-orphan my blog! Here’s a new soup recipe that’s good for cold days, and helping to keep that New Year's resolution to eat more leafy greens. It's also ridiculously easy to make.





Black Beans and Collard Greens Soup

Ingredients:

1 bunch collard greens**
4 cans black beans, or equivalent amount pre-soaked dried beans
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon allspice
Cayenne pepper to taste
6 cups water

**You can substitute any leafy greens for the collards. Kale is also in season this time of year and tough enough to withstand the cooking in this recipe, but collards are a bit milder flavored.

Apparatus:

Knife
LARGE pot with cover
Wooden spoon
Mashing implement


Process:
1)Wash your collard greens extremely well! (Public health note-leafy greens, while being excellent sources of vitamins, are usually covered in dirt. So wash them!)

2)Remove and discard the large center stalk from the greens. Cut the remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces and place into pot.

3)Add beans, garlic, onion, spices, and water to pot. Cover and let simmer for about an hour and a half.

4)Mash beans using mashing implement of choice while still in pot. Stir, and if soup is too thin, continue to cook until soup thickens to desired consistency.

5)Serve and enjoy!


*Notes: This recipe makes quite a large batch, but can easily be halved if you are not a fan of leftovers. I’ve become very fond of cooking only 2 or 3 times a week and eating that food for days at a time as a matter of efficiency. This recipe would also probably work well in a slow cooker.



For anyone who did not grow up in Georgia, and therefore might not know what a collard green looks like off hand, the above is a picture of collard greens.