It's All About the Asparagus

It's that time of year in Germany. Asparagus season. And it's a big deal. Everywhere you go, you will be bombarded with it. Guess it's a good thing that our little family are big fans of the stuff.

Strangely enough though, I have never eaten white asparagus. Growing up, I can remember tons of green asparagus making its way to the grocery store during prime season, but white asparagus was not as easy to come by and usually prohibitively expensive. The one thing I do remember is being told that white asparagus was "German asparagus". And that was all I knew...

...until now. Darn it, we are living in Germany! We will try white asparagus!

Not really knowing what to expect, but armed with the knowledge that white asparagus is generally sweeter than green, I set about preparing the pound that I bought (which cost about $8). I peeled it, par cooked it and then sautéed it with some butter and parsley...and boy, was it good.

If you haven't had white asparagus before, try it. It is sweeter than the green version, making it a great accompaniment for roast chicken...which is what we had it with.

Now I am just wondering why I waited so long to try it.

Sweet and Spicy to Top it Off

I find Mexican food lends itself to lighter desserts. After a meal of tacos or tamales or enchiladas, it seems that something like cheesecake or pie can be a little much. So I go a simpler route and serve a very basic treat of cookies and fruit salad - with a twist.

Mexican Wedding Cookies (also known as Russian Tea Cakes or Pecan Sandies in certain parts of the world) are a staple for me. They are quick and easy - you can knock out several dozen of these beauties in just a short period of time. They are attractive - small rounded cookies coated in powdered sugar. And they are delicious - with a cup of coffee they almost melt in your mouth. Over time I adapted my recipe further to omit the nuts and include lime. My dear H.E. would crawl on his belly for them.

Last year, when preparing a Mexican feast for some British friends, I was struggling to find something suitable to accompany the cookies for dessert. I didn't want the heaviness of ice cream, not after an elaborate dinner. And just by luck and chance, while reading my daily blogs, I discovered a Southwestern Fruit Salad by Ovens to Betsy. Betsy is one of my absolute favorites and I trusted her take on things, so I made the fruit salad for my dinner party. It is FABULOUS! Fresh, light and just spicy enough to make an impact. The cookies and salad together made a great end to the meal - give it a try this Cinco de Mayo!

Mexican Wedding Cookies
Adapted from Mexican by Jane Milton

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp lime zest, grated and chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter in a large bowl until it is light and fluffy, then beat in 1 cup of the powdered sugar, with the lime juice, lime zest and vanilla.

Gradually add the flour to the creamed mixture until it starts to form a dough. Knead the dough lightly.

Divide the dough into 30 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Space about 1/4 inch apart on baking sheet. Press each ball lightly with your thumb to flatten it slightly. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until they start to brown. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Put the remaining powdered sugar into a large ziploc bag. Add a few cooled cookies at a time to the bag, seal and then shake gently to coat cookies completely. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Hot Tamale!

When we want to really do Mexican right in our house, we do tamales. They are time consuming and involved, but they are scrumptious and worth the effort. Most commonly prepared as a Christmas Eve treat, we tend to make them two or three times a year.

The recipe I use is adapted from one I found in Cooking Light several years back. It cuts out the lard from the masa mixture, which results in a lighter textured tamale.

Tamales
Adapted from Cooking Light

14 large dried cornhusks

Dough
3 cups masa harina
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 tsp vegetable oil

Filling
1 ½ lbs pork shoulder roast
1 ½ Tbsp chili powder
1 ½ Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ large yellow onion, chopped
½ - 1 cup water

To prepare cornhusks, soak in a large bowl of hot water (using a second bowl to weight them down) for at least 30 minutes. When ready to assemble, drain water and pat dry. Take 2 of the husks and tear lengthwise, these will be used to secure wrapped tamales.

Combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub pork with half the spice mixture, reserving the other half. Roast pork in a 400°F oven until internal temperature reaches 155°F (or place roast in crock pot on high for 6 hours). Let pork rest for 10 minutes, then shred with two forks.

Heat a skillet with non-stick cooking spray or a tablespoon of olive oil. Add garlic and onion, sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add pork, remaining spice mixture and water; cook an additional 10 minutes.

For dough, combine masa, paprika and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil, stirring to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Place one portion in center of one husk, pressing it into a rectangle shape and leaving room at the edges. Fill with small amount of pork mixture. Roll tamale and tie with husk strips.

Arrange tamales in a steamer (1 inch of water in bottom). Steam for 30 minutes. Makes 12 large tamales.

Pico de Gallo

I love salsa in all forms. Sit a bowl of salsa and a bag of tortilla chips in front of me and watch out, willpower goes out the door completely.

While I will greedily eat any type of salsa, my favorite by far is the fresh, uncooked pico de gallo. The bias toward pico came from my childhood. Thanks to bountiful crops of tomatoes that came from our garden, we were always looking for ways to use them. Sometime around my early teens, my mom started turning the abundance of red beauties into large bowls of pico de gallo. The "you-name-the-brand" salsa we always had on hand in the house would go neglected in the fridge once tomato season arrived, only to be resurrected come winter.

My recipe varies little from my mom's original. It's quick, easy and, above all, flavorful. Make plenty, it will last in the fridge for a few days...that is if you have more willpower than I do.

Pico de Gallo

6 medium tomatoes, chopped into small, uniform pieces
2 green onions, minced
1/4 of a medium bell pepper, minced (I like to use yellow or orange)
1 medium bunch of cilantro, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Before serving, taste to see if additional salt is required. Serve as a condiment or alone with tortilla chips.

Let's Do Mexican

I love Mexican food. Actually that's an understatement. I adore Mexican food. It's borderline obsession. I guess it's probably due in part to my California upbringing. There's nothing like the fabulous fresh dishes you can get there. Not the pseudo Mexican you can get at places like Taco Bell or El Torito. I am talking about the real thing. And over the years I've had to learn how to make it because when you live in such exotic locations like Germany, England and Connecticut, it's sometimes hard to find decent Mexican food.

With Cinco de Mayo fast approaching, I thought I would do my part to spread the love for Mexican and share with you some recipes I've developed. I'll take you all the way from appetizers to dessert. Come, enjoy a cold cerveza with lime and have a feast.

I will start with my most requested recipe - Guacamole. I know I have written about it before, but when you have a classic like this, why not go for a repeat?


Guacamole

4 ripe avocados
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
Small handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of 1 lime
Couple of dashes of hot sauce
Salt to taste

Peel and mash avocados with garlic powder (leave it slightly chunky). Add lime juice and stir to combine. Add onion, cilantro, hot sauce and salt. Finally, fold in tomato, being careful to not over stir. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving (you can cover it tightly with cling film and place in frig if not using straight away).