_National Hat Day, Religious Freedom Day, Asparagus Month

Yummy recipes, inspirational quotes, and a shout out to my family!
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_Lemon Chicken & Asparagus - Sing for Your Supper

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the asparagus
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped or cut into thin strips
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper
juice of one large lemon
1 bunch fresh asparagus

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for about 6-8 minutes, until just barely tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning the pieces so they cook evenly, for about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers. Cook for an additional 5 minutes then using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and peppers to a plate and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk the flour into the drippings left in the skillet. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Whisk constantly until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Add the chicken and peppers back in and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Spoon the chicken, peppers and sauce over the asparagus and serve. Oh my gosh, yum!!

_"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Buddha
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_Fried Asparagus - Cooking Ventures

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus (thin stalks)
1 1/2 c dry seasoned breadcrumbs
1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
4 eggs, beaten
Oil for frying

Directions:
Wash and dry the asparagus. Snap or cut the fibrous root ends off and discard. Thin stalks work best for this recipe since thicker stalks are too fibrous.

In a shallow dish, combine the seasoned breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasoned salt and mix well to combine. Set aside. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs and set aside. Place a rack in a sheet pan and set aside. Start preheating the oven to 200F.

Dip a few stalk of the asparagus on the eggs and allow some of the egg to drip off. Coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Re-dip the asparagus in the egg and the breadcrumbs to add a thicker layer of coating. Place the breaded asparagus on a sheet pan (not the sheet pan that has the rack in it). Repeat this process with the remaining stalks of asparagus.

Shallow fry the asparagus in 1/2" of oil (preferably peanut oil). Heat about 1" of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it is shimmering. When the oil is hot, fry the asparagus until golden brown, which should only take a minute or so. They cook fast! Transfer to the sheet pan equipped with a rack and place the pan in the oven to keep warm will you fry the remaining stalks of asparagus.

_"My religion is simple; my religion is kindness." ~ The Dalai Lama
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Thanks to Rosie at Sweetapolita for sharing this incredibly realistic asparagus cake! Trick those picky eaters into trying this veggie! Check out the site to see how yummy the inside looks. . .  Oh, my!
_I want to give a quick shout out to my wonderful cousin, Nichole (and her hat!) Love you!!

Happy National Hat Day, Religious Freedom Day and Asparagus Month!!
XO