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."

Baby's First Year of Nutrition + Baby Food Maker Review + GIVEAWAY

 ~~~~~~~~THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED~~~~~~~~

Lyla @ 1 year enjoying mealtime

Since this blog is about sharing my knowledge based on my experiences and education, I feel obliged to share my experiences as a new mother specifically in providing wholesome nutrition for my daughter.  Lyla, now 18 months old, is a good eater in general.  I don’t know if that can be attributed to nature or nurture but I feel as if I’m doing something right.  On my journey to attaining my RD (Registered Dietitian status), I was exposed to child nutrition and when I worked in the hospital, I covered the Pediatric unit on occasion.  However, it wasn’t until I had my own child and was thrown into a “sink or swim” mentality, that I really got the hang of feeding a child. 

Nursing had its challenges but was an overall success.  I was able to do it for 7 months which seemed like a really long time- maybe next time I’ll attempt the recommended year but I highly doubt that’ll happen.  Yes breastfeeding is an amazing bonding experience, you save a lot of money, and you know you’re baby is getting great nutrition and antibodies, but it has its drawbacks.  It was hard being the only one who could feed my baby plus I didn’t love being ostracized to the nursery or a discrete corner of the room to nurse .  When I returned to work, I found it challenging to keep up with my workload with my two 20 minute pumping breaks.  And if we were lucky to get a baby-free night out, I had to feed her the second before we left and we had three hours max to enjoy ourselves before she needed to eat again.  In short, I felt like a slave to nursing so I traded in my pump for formula at 7 months to get my freedom back.  This is why I highly doubt I’ll be able to nurse for a full year next time.

Lyla @ 5 months trying rice cereal

When Lyla started on solids around 5 months, it was very exciting.  Well, as exciting as rice cereal mixed with breast milk can be.  It wasn’t until she started on pureed fruits and veggies that I really got into it.  I tried all the jarred flavors out there- my favorite brand being Earth’s Best.  They have such creative blends- broccoli zucchini, apple sweet potato, and carrot tomato.  I experimented with homemade blends too using a steamer and my blender.  One time I blended peas, avocado, and ricotta cheese and Lyla loved it!  I tried so hard to expose her to unique blends and added spices to help develop her palette.  I guess it worked because she is not your average toddler in regards to eating.  Some of her favorites are beans, cabbage, brussels sprouts, salmon, and all types of cheese.  I was persistent and implemented the “try it 10 times” theory.  Usually, she liked foods the first time but brussels sprouts took a while.  Since they’re my favorite vegetable, she had to like them too!