When I think about asparagus, I don’t have too much idea for cooking it. I always fry it and it’s so boring. So, I’d like to tell you the different dish that using asparagus as the main ingredient. I’m talking about steamed wild rice with asparagus.


Photo: all-creatures.org

The wild rice uses as food grain which native to North America. Not only its nutritional value and taste that made it’s popular but it also use as a vegetable which is especially common in China. Moreover, you also get the nutrient from asparagus that is low calories and sodium, no fat and cholesterol, source of folic acid, potassium, dietary fiber, and rutin etc.

Kitchenware

• Large skillet
• Knife
• Spatula

Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 in pieces
• 4 lg. shallots, chopped fine
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, minced
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 1/2 cups of wild rice, steamed
• 1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice
• 12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut thin

Preparation

1. Pour the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add the shallots when the oil is hot and cook 1 minute, stir regularly.
3. Add the mushrooms in the skillet and cook 5 minutes with stirring often.
4. Add the salt, pepper, lemon zest, dill and parsley and stir.
5. Add the water.
6. Take the asparagus into the skillet. Cover the skillet and cook until the asparagus is bright green.
7. Add the steamed wild rice and stir well and add the cooked brown rice.
8. Cook until the rice just starts to become crusty on the bottom.
9. Once crusted stir well and serve.

Health Benefits of Asparagus

Eating asparagus may interfere with the effectiveness of anticoagulants whose job is to thin blood and dissolve clots because asparagus is high in vitamin K, a vitamin produced naturally by bacteria in our intestines, an adequate supply of which enables blood to clot normally.



Photo: worldcommunitycookbook.org

Green asparagus are also high in vitamin A. This food leaves an alkaline ash in the body. They are high in water content and are considered a good vegetable in an elimination diet.