How and how much time to cook asparagus?

Often in culinary recipes referred to the plant asparagus.Although not everyone understands what it is and how it can be prepared quickly and tasty, so that the plant does not lose its beneficial properties and vitamins.

The first mention of asparagus dates back to the times of Hippocrates, who in his writings spoke of her as the most valuable plant. In Greece, it was used as a medicinal vegetable, and in Ancient Rome, delicious dishes were prepared from asparagus. This vegetable was available only to rich people of noble origin, but now asparagus can often be found in any supermarket. In cooking, only a few species of asparagus are used, while in natural conditions up to 200 species grow.

These plants grow as shrubs or as grass. If the shoots of asparagus are used to prepare culinary dishes, the bushes are often decorated with various parks and gardens. The most common types are considered:

• purple
• green
• white;
• bean;
• soy;
• sea

In addition, asparagus shoots have an excellent taste, this plant also has a healing effect on the body, as it contains many useful vitamins and minerals, including a large amount of phosphorus, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, beta-carotene, and essential vitamins B1, B2, C, A and E.

Asparagus should be included in the diet:

• to increase hemoglobin;
• to stabilize the heart rate;
• improve the immune system;
• for regulation of water-salt metabolism.

Thanks to vitamins, the nervous system is strengthened, the condition of the hair improves, and blood vessels are strengthened.

When choosing asparagus in a supermarket, it is important to make sure that the plant is fresh. In this case, you need to pay attention to how the stems and roots look. They should be quite elastic, the fruits should not be damaged. The color of the stems should be rich and natural. White asparagus grows at the root, it is removed from the ground while it is young, so its color is white.

Green asparagus has stems that are about 20 cm long. To taste, asparagus of different colors resembles green peas. Boiled white asparagus is less high in calories than green. 100 grams of white asparagus contains only 17 kcal, and green - 25 kcal.

Many people prefer to cook fresh stalks, but in the winter it is worth using a frozen product. To freeze the asparagus, you can simply put the stems in the freezer or peel and boil it beforehand, and then freeze.

Frozen asparagus should not be thawed before cooking, as the taste will be much worse, the vegetable will simply become loose. The stems taken out of the freezer are dipped in boiling water. The cooking time for vegetables is usually 15 minutes.

When buying vegetables, it is important to choose a young plant that has not yet begun to bloom, otherwise the taste of the dish from the old plant will be much worse. In addition, the old asparagus will be cooked twice as much, but even after cooking, its stems will remain stiff.

Boil stems are recommended:

• on the stove in a saucepan;
• using a double boiler;
• using a slow cooker.

But the microwave oven is not quite suitable for cooking vegetables, as the tips will cook faster than the stems, so you can get asparagus with steamed tips from the microwave. If you put it in a double boiler, a slow cooker, or boil it in a saucepan, then the tips of the shoots should be raised so that they do not boil out quickly.

White and green asparagus are sold in supermarkets. Taste of vegetables of different colors is the same, only time will be different for the preparation of healthy vegetables. In white asparagus, you need to cut only the top. While the green need to clear the middle and lower part of the shoot. In all types of plants need to cut the base. It is preferable to choose fresh asparagus, but, in its absence, you can take and frozen.

If the shoots are small, they can be cooked without cutting. If desired, the stems can be cut, it is better to cut them into equal pieces so that they simultaneously cooked. In the event that the stems are boiled in a saucepan using a colander, the stems must be laid so that the water barely covers them. Under the influence of steam, the tips of the stems themselves reach readiness.

To ensure the readiness of vegetables, the stems can be pierced with a toothpick or fork. If the toothpick passes easily, turn off the water and pull the vegetables out of the pan. After preparation, the stems do not need to be left in the water so that they do not become soft and loose, because the vegetable will not taste good. If you cook stems for a couple, they are recommended to sprinkle with salt, so that it is evenly distributed over the stem. When serving dishes on the table, it is worth adding a little fresh butter, the taste of the dish will become more saturated.

You can cook asparagus stems in different ways. HTo cook the stems, they are placed in pre-salted and boiling water. In the second variant, it is necessary to prepare cold water and pour the stalks with it, while it is necessary that they remain only half in the water. Cook them for 3 or 4 minutes, then make the fire quieter and continue to cook until cooked.

The time for cooking asparagus depends on the color of the plant and its maturity. Green asparagus is boiled for up to 8 minutes, and after 3 or 4 minutes the stems can be easily pierced with a fork. White asparagus cooks longer, it takes about 15 minutes to make it fully. In the event that the stems are steamed, it is worth holding the vegetables for about five minutes. To make them more evenly cooked, before cooking, stalks are recommended to be tied with small bundles using threads.

For mini varieties, it is enough to boil the stems for about 2-3 minutes. In the event that it is necessary to boil dried asparagus, it is recommended to pre-soak for 2-3 hours, and then boil for 5-6 minutes. If you prepare vegetables for the soup-puree, the stems are better to boil longer. They boil no more than 20 minutes, then the stalks will turn out soft, and they will easily be ground on a blender.

Asparagus cooks a lot of hearty and tasty dishes, which, at the same time, will not be too high in calories. Therefore, they can be included in the diet of anyone who wants to get rid of extra pounds, as well as those who lead a healthy lifestyle.

To cook the cream soup, take:

• Asparagus of any color - 600 grams;
• butter - 100-110 grams;
• milk - 200 ml;
• flour - 180-200 grams;
• 2 yolks;
• salt, spices to taste.

Vegetables boil until cooked for about 15 minutes. The stems are taken out of the broth, fray through a blender. All remaining ingredients need to be mixed so that no lumps remain. The mass is mixed with vegetable puree, topped up with vegetable broth and allowed to boil. Ready cream soup served with crackers or bacon.

To cook an original salad of asparagus and tuna, you need to take:

• green asparagus - 6-7 shoots;
• lettuce leaves - 120-150 grams;
• feta cheese - 40-50 grams;
• Tomato - 1-2 pcs .;
• canned tuna - 1 can;
• olive oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
• Balsamic vinegar - 1 tbsp. l

Asparagus is boiled for 5-7 minutes, then cut into small pieces. Mash cheese and tuna with a fork, salad leaves are torn, tomatoes are cut into rings. All ingredients need to be mixed, season with oil, vinegar and serve.

To make dishes with asparagus tasty and nutritious, It is worth listening to the advice of the chefs:

• when cooking frozen asparagus, it should be immediately dipped in boiling water;
• in white asparagus, the top is removed; green shoots are cleaned, starting from the middle down;
• vegetables should be cleaned more thoroughly, otherwise during the cooking process they may have a bitter taste;
• peeled shoots are cut a couple of centimeters from different sides.

Although asparagus can hardly be called fastidious in cooking, it is important to boil it, adhering to a certain time for cooking. To prevent the vegetables from boiling over, you should use a timer during cooking.

Another recipe for dishes with asparagus, see the next video.