Garlic Asparagus Crostini

 

Today hubby, my son and I just wanted to hang out around the house and get some errands done.  It seems like lately, we've booked up everyday with something to do and now there is a lot of catch up to do.  In one week, I'll be leaving for Croatia so this was my one opportunity to get some of those household chores done.  However, most of what I did was on the computer.  We did manage to get our barn cleaned, the tack room in our  barn cleaned and my porch cleaned. I baked my Sticky Toffee Pudding, finished the recipe Try it here and decided that oh boy, I needed a snack...a quick one at that too!  So I went to the pantry and found asparagus, a bulb of garlic and half of a loaf of bread left.  If you want a quick snack for you or even a beautifully tasty appetizer for a group...

this is it!

 

Enjoy this 4 ingredient appetizer...

 

Garlic Asparagus Crostini recipe~

 

1 bulb garlic

1 bunch asparagus

Crostini bread

Oil (I used Avocado oil which packs a gorgeous butter-like flavor!)

additional:

a sprinkling of salt

 

I lined a cookie sheet with tin foil. I wrapped a bulb of garlic with tin foil and put it on the cookie sheet. I added the asparagus uncovered to the cookie sheet and drizzled it with a bit of oil and salt and put it in the oven on broil. While it was broiling, I cut my loaf of bread. I poured a bit of Avocado oil on tin foil and dipped each side of the bread in it then placed it on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled each toast with just a touch of salt. I set it aside for a few minutes.  After about 5 minutes in the broiler, (the asparagus should start to look soft but beware, putting them too close to the broiler will char them too much) I flipped the asparagus over to cook for about 3 minutes.  I covered the asparagus with foil and put it and the garlic on a lower shelf.  I added the toasts to the top shelf and broiled until the edges started to brown. I removed the toasts and checked the garlic bulb for doneness.  The garlic should squeeze from each clove like a paste and should be spreadable.

To the broiled toasts, I squeezed out a clove of garlic and spread it onto a couple toasts. I topped it with asparagus and ate it. Then I repeated the process... until each one was gone...

The end.



Pasta with Lemon Asparagus Sauce

 

Don't think I'm carb crazy.  Know that I'm carb crazy.  Not all the time do I crave a big bowl of pasta but there is always this transition from Winter to Spring and Spring to Summer, that it's all I want.  I don't really crave the traditional red sauce but the vegetable laden white saucy type, hot or cold, is what I crave.  So jump in, stay awhile and enjoy my Pasta with Lemon Asparagus Sugo (sauce) recipe and enjoy your summer even better!  This is lemony, healthy, creamy and outright delicious! So if you like lemon...Jump on board.

 

Lemon Asparagus Sauce recipe

 6 Tbs vegan butter

1 lemon, zested and juiced

9 oz soft tofu

1 Tbs nutritional yeast

1 bunch asparagus (15-20 spears) cleaned and sliced into 2 inch pieces.

1 C sliced cherry tomatoes

2 green onions sliced

1 Tbs capers

1 tsp salt or more to taste

1 tsp dried rosemary

olive oil

 

12 ounces pasta.  Cook and set aside.

 

Place 1/2 of the asparagus in a shallow baking dish drizzled with a little olive oil.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.  Set aside.

 

For sauce, in a food processor, add remaining uncooked asparagus, lemon juice, zest, nutritional yeast, rosemary and 1 tsp salt.  Food process until fine.  Add tofu and food process until smooth. In a large shallow pan, melt vegan butter on medium-high heat on stove, add sauce mixture and cook until bubbly. Remove from heat.

 

 

Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, cooked asparagus, onions and capers.   Toss gently and serve.  Enjoy this creamy, saucy and lemony pasta, that's sure to tickle the tummy.  

I even enjoyed this delicacy the next day...Chilled.  It was a beautiful summer salad too.