Asparagus is rich with vitamins and minerals and folic acid - a natural aphrodisiac

Asparagus is rich in vitamins and minerals and folic acid. They are known as a natural aphrodisiac and are a great food for many diets. We prepare them with pasta, in soups, risottos, omelets and pies.

Asparagus, also called asparagus by some, is a vegetable with a special taste that depends mainly on the quality of production. Basically, we know wild and cultivated asparagus, with wild asparagus far exceeding cultivated as well as in taste and ingredients. Cultivated asparagus is divided into white, green and also purple; whites are usually less bitter and have a milder taste, as they are obtained by covering them with soil, and the shoots remain white due to lack of light.

Due to their low sugar content and negligible amount of fat, asparagus is a popular ingredient in many diets.

A natural aphrodisiac

Asparagus has been a prized plant for thousands of years. Initially, they were used only as a medicine, but already in the time of the ancient Romans, they gained a reputation as an aphrodisiac or miracle food that improves male sexual potency. It was then that their use in cooking also began. Supposedly, the great French lovers indulged in up to three meals of this miraculous plant the night before the wedding, and the Romans mixed asparagus juice into love potions and believed that whoever eats more asparagus has more lovers. Today, asparagus is considered a healthy food that is used in many ways in cooking.

An excellent food for cleansing the body

Asparagus contains a unique combination of ingredients that purify the body (cleanse the kidneys, bladder, urinary tract, blood, intestines and liver) and help with many diseases (lower blood pressure, help diabetics and eliminate cardiovascular disease). They contain phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, vitamin C, B-complex, vitamin E and vitamin A. As already mentioned, the most nutritionally rich wild asparagus, which are also considered the most important sources of folate acid and beta-carotene.

Versatile use in the kitchen

Asparagus is best prepared fresh, then frozen and only then canned. At the beginning of the preparation, we have to cut or break off the woody part, and sometimes we also have to peel the grown asparagus, as they can have a rather thick shell (peel the white ones to the top and peel the green ones only below). Peel them just before cooking, as they dry out very quickly. Fresh asparagus is undoubtedly the best when cooked or fried quickly, as it preserves their color, shape and taste. For this purpose, master chefs cook them by tying them in bundles and placing them in a narrow pot, so that the stems are boiled in water and the tops in steam. White asparagus is cooked for 15 to 20 minutes, green for 10 to 15 minutes, and wild asparagus is cooked even faster as they are thinner.

Asparagus can be used to make soups, salads, omelets, pasta, risottos, vegetable dishes, stews, pies and meat dishes. If served as an appetizer, top them with various soups or sauces. They are also great as an accompaniment to meat or fish dishes.

Asparagus pie

Crispy dough, juicy filling and crispy asparagus are the basic three ingredients of this great spring pie. You can treat yourself to it for lunch, dinner or supper.

INGREDIENTS:

25 g butter

500g fresh asparagus

2 eggs

1 protein

175ml sour cream

100ml sweet cream

0.25 spoons salt

2 pinch ground pepper

70g grated cheese (parmesan or groje)

Dough:

200g flour

2 pinch salt

100g cold butter cut into pieces

3 spoons cold water (slightly more if necessary)

PROCESS:

1.Sift the flour into a bowl and mix it with the salt. Sprinkle sliced ​​butter over the mixture. Quickly knead the fat into the dry ingredients with your fingertips, lifting the mixture to make it airy and crumb-like. Add cold water and quickly knead everything into a smooth dough with cold hands. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in transparent food foil and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2.While the dough is in the fridge, prepare the asparagus. We wash them first, then cut off or break off the woody parts, discarding them. Cut the asparagus into smaller pieces. Melt the butter in a frying pan and quickly fry the sliced ​​asparagus (fry them for only 1 to 2 minutes).

3.Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease the pie tin with butter. Roll out the cooled dough on a floured work surface about 0.5 cm thick. Place it in a prepared baking dish and gently press with your fingers from the bottom and perimeter of the model. Using a rolling pin, press firmly over the perimeter of the model to cut off the excess dough and make a nice edge. Pierce the dough in several places with a fork.

4.In a bowl with a hand whisk, mix the eggs, egg whites, cream, salt, pepper and grated cheese. Stir in the fried asparagus. The mixture is poured into a dough model.

5.Bake the pie in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the dough and filling are nicely golden brown.

6.Take the baked pie out of the oven and let it cool in the baking tin for about 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan, serve on a plate or tray and serve.

Thank you for reading.

Happy weekend!

@Kaya