Dill Cornmeal Crusted Asparagus- Recipe Redux

This month's Recipe Redux theme is "The First Shoots of Spring."  The weather is starting to become predictable and Spring is in full bloom.  I love taking walks with Lyla and pointing out the vibrant flowers and different kinds of leaves.  Farmer's markets are featuring the first vegetables of the season including pea shoots, rhubarb, garlic scapes, rams, and asparagus.  Our mission was to use one of these early edible plants in a healthy dish.

This month has been a bit crazy for me with Passover taking over so I have to admit this was a last minute scramble.  I couldn't find any of the unique crops in my usual store so I settled for asparagus- white asparagus to be exact.  Did you know that it's white because it's grown under soil so that it's deprived of sunlight?  This way it can't perform photosynthesis and produce chlorophyll (the thing that makes plants green).  White asparagus is more subtle in flavor and a bit more tender.

White Asparagus

I love a good dill sauce with my asparagus but since I've already posted a recipe for asparagus with dill sauce for Thanksgiving, I had to get a bit more creative.  I'm a bug fan of vegetable tempura so I decided to make a cornmeal batter infused with dill for some good color.  I coated my white asparagus in it, sprinkled with some panko, and roasted it up for some yummy goodness.  2 vegetables in 1 and a healthier alternative to tempura which is fried!  These dill dipped asparagus spears are beautiful and fun to make.  Make some for your next dinner party to impress your friends!

My Passover Experience + Baby Brezza Giveaway winner

I want to start off by thanking everyone who entered my giveaway sponsored by Baby Brezza.  This was my biggest giveaway by far with the best response!  I hope you all continue to "follow" A Slice of Nutrition even if you didn't win.  And the winner is... Nina C!! The winner has been contacted via e-mail.

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy with Passover prep.  Now that the holiday is in full swing, I feel like I can finally relax!  We were by my parents for the Seders which was very nice.  We got to spend time with my parents, grandparents, and friends and I didn't have to cook!  That's the definition of a win-win.  In the past, my husband and I have moved out for the week of Passover (usually by my in-laws) because it wasn't worth all the work that goes into making a Passover home.  This year, however, we decided to give it a shot.  It's easier for my 19 month old Lyla to sleep in her own bed and I don't have to live out of a suitcase for 8 days (another win-win!).

Besides for the ridiculous amount of cleaning (I started weeks before Passover!), I had to get new pots and pans, dish racks, cover the counters, clean out the fridge, and buy A LOT of paper goods.  I kept remembering things I would need and running to the store.  A lot goes into making Passover so kudos to everyone that does it.

One might think that since you can't eat leavened bread all week long, people might just follow a low carb diet for Passover.  Unfortunately, that is not the case for most.  Kosher for Passover cuisine tends to be heavy in matzah, matzah meal, potato starch, eggs, cheese, and oil.  We take foods that we're not allowed to eat and come up with a comparable replacement i.e. matzah pizza.  When making my menu, I tried to limit the matzah-derived mains.  Last night we had duck sauce chicken, baked potato fries, and roasted asparagus.  Tonight I'm making a crustless mushroom quiche with a side salad.  Keep in mind that you don't have to eat matzah at every meal.  Try to focus more on vegetables, fruit, low fat dairy, and lean meats and you might just avoid the "Passover bloat."