Ahrodisiac Asparagus, Crispy Phyllo and Piquant Romesco
Is anyone else ready to eat like it’s a normal Spring? Just a bright, sunny, buds-are-busting-out-all-over kind of Spring? Everybody is soaking their dried beans and that’s great. But you actually can find the first asparagus of the season, and it’s looking pretty good. The big grocery store shortages are of flour and TP, not phyllo dough, so I think we are pretty safe to indulge in this frivolous, and yes, sexy little dish. Aphrodisiac Asparagus in Phyllo is a step above your usual veggie sides, and you deserve it.
Give Me Fresh, Green Veggies!
It’s finally warm out, here in Minnesota, I’m getting the shorts out of their spot in the back of the closet, and preparing for lots of gardening. I’m also cooking to keep my spirits up and my system in peak readiness to fight off any foreign invaders. I know it’s kind of a matter of luck, but if I do walk into a cloud of Covid-19 microparticles, I hope my immune system is going to give it the “old college try” and knock it back.
When asparagus looks good, and you can get some nice, fat spears, its time to make this festive finger food. Asparagus is known as an aphrodisiac, and as the most suggestibly shaped vegetables of Spring, you can guess why. There’s actually some nutrition behind it, too, with B-vitamins and folate chipping in to help fuel the processes needed for arousal, and Vitamin E contributing to the creation of sex hormones in both genders.
But really, it’s as healthful and supportive as all the other veggies, with lots of good fiber, vitamins and minerals to keep your heart healthy. You can’t really get sexy without getting your heart pumping, can you?
Aphrodisiac Asparagus to the Rescue
I’ve made this phyllo wrapped treat before, if you want to try it with a different sauce, click here: Asparagus Spears with Chutney
Try asparagus with wine, in Aphrodisiac Asparagus with Wine.
Wrapping the spears in phyllo isn’t hard, just watch the video or follow the recipe, it comes to you once you get going.
Stay safe, and eat asparagus!
Asparagus Spears in Phyllo with Romesco
Ingredients
- 18 half sheets phyllo dough thawed overnight in the refrigerator
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 18 fat asparagus spears
Romesco Sauce
- 1 8 ounce jar roasted red peppers drained and patted dry
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves peeled
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Get a heavy baking sheet. Melt the coconut oil in a small pot. Get a pastry brush. Unroll the phyllo dough on the counter, and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and cover that with a barely damp kitchen towel.
- If you are using large sheets of phyllo, cut them in half to make 2 squares.
- Brush coconut oil on half of each sheet of phyllo. Sprinkle with rosemary, zest and salt. Fold the un-oiled half over the oiled part, then brush half and sprinkle, fold again to make a small rectangle. Place spear diagonally on one corner and rollup, tuck end under.These can be assembled up to 2 days ahead and wrapped tightly. Refrigerate the wrapped spears for at least an hour before baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden.
- Serve hot, with romesco.
Romesco
- In a small saute pan, place the olive oil and garlic. Turn the burner to medium and let the cloves slowly come to a bubble, it will take a minute or two. Turn the burner to medium-low and stir, pierce with a paring knife, and when the cloves are soft, use a spoon to transfer the cloves to the food processor.
- Add the roasted pepper, sliced almonds and salt to the processor bowl and process to a smooth paste. Drizzle in the oil from the pan and the sherry vinegar, scrape down as needed to make a smooth puree. Transfer to a small bowl for dipping.
