Asparagus with Walnut Dressing

Lightly steamed spears of tender asparagus are enhanced with Asian inspired flavors and nutty texture in this flavorful side dish. Asparagus with Walnut Dressing is easy to prepare yet takes a simple weeknight meal a step beyond the ordinary.

The Best Valentines

Isn’t this a delightful little valentine? The back of the card tells me it was from a boy named David. I found it in my valentine mailbox way back in the first grade. Perhaps he saw the foodie in me even at that tender age. I have kept that little card safely tucked away ever since –

Why do we exchange these small notes of acknowledgment, otherwise known as valentines, every February? It seems it all began with a Christian named Valentine some 1800 years ago. Valentine was a priest who was jailed by the Romans under the rule of Claudius II. His jailor had a blind daughter that Valentine is said to have healed. As he was led out to his death, legend has it that the priest left a note of witness for the jailor’s daughter. It was signed, “From your Valentine.”

St. Valentine refused to deny his faith in Jesus Christ and so he died that day, February 14, AD 269. But his testimony to his love for Christ lived on in the note he left for the jailor’s daughter. And so, as we pass valentines to one another, we continue in this tradition of proclaiming the power of love.

An Easy Way to Dress Up Asparagus

With St. Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, my attention turns toward simple ways to note the occasion. I love valentine cards. I also enjoy creating with chocolate and I hope to come up with a worthy truffle this weekend. But for now, as I begin to think about celebrating Valentine’s Day, I want to decide on a menu that is romantic, nutritious and easy. As that special day falls in the middle of a busy week, a simple plan is a must. Still it is nice to do something a little beyond the ordinary for my own special Valentines at home.

For a romantic vegetable, a recipe I cut from the paper several years ago comes to mind. It takes lightly steamed asparagus and dresses it with a nutty Asian inspired sauce. Digging through my files I finally found it. To my surprise it notes that the recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, The World in a Bowl of Tea by Bettina Vitell. I didn’t notice that when I clipped the recipe. Even more reason to try it again now!

Asparagus with Walnut Dressing may appeal to tastes a bit more mature than those of my First Grade Valentine. Of course I doubt that he imagined I would still have that sweet little valentine card all these years later. In any case, I do appreciate his early vote of confidence in my potential to “Cook up the Sweetest Valentine!”

Asparagus with Walnut Dressing

Course: Sides, VegetablesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

2

minutes

Total time

12

minutes

Easy to prepare, Asparagus with Walnut Dressing seasons lightly steamed spears of tender asparagus with a nutty Asian inspired sauce. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

• 1 Tablespoon sugar

• 1 Tablespoon sake

• 1 pound asparagus

Directions

• Chop walnuts or put them through a nut grinder or food processor until the are fine but have some small chunks remaining.
• Place the walnuts, soy sauce, sugar and sake in a small bowl and stir until well combined.
• Trim the hard woody ends from the asparagus stalks, and discard. (You can do this by holding the upper end of the stalk with one hand while bending the cut end of the stalk to the side with the other hand until it snaps. Discard the bottom portion.) If desired, slice the tender portion of the stalks at an angle into 2 inch lengths.
• Steam the asparagus until tender and bright green, no longer than two minutes. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water.
• Arrange asparagus in a serving bowl or on individual plates. Drizzle with the sake sauce.
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Any remaining sauce can be refrigerated and used on other steamed vegetables. It is delicious on green beans or spinach. I think it would be good on many other vegetables as well.