The weather has finally produced some sunshine and I have been craving veggies. Asparagus are everywhere right now and they are on sale. My Mom picked up a bunch over the weekend and it got me thinking of different recipes and possibilities.
Ingredients:
Asparagus – I bought organic from Trader Joe’s
Prosciutto – I picked some up at Trader Joe’s – $6.99/package
Goat Cheese – Trader Joe’s Brand
Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper
Directions:
Spread goat cheese on pieces of prosciutto, add a tiny bit of kosher salt (you could skip the step if you are watching your sodium – since the prosciutto is already pretty salty) and ground pepper.
Add two asparagus spears and start rolling… the coated paper that seperates the pieces of prosciutto sure comes in handy for this step.
Be careful, the prosciutto is delicate and can tear easily.
Once you get them rolled, add some balsamic to a small pan to make the reduction sauce. Use enough balsamic to allow it reduce by 1/2. I used 2-3 tablespoons and had some left over. Bring the balsamic to a boil, whisking or stirring constantly to prevent burning. The vinegar naturally sweetens and you end up with a syrupy texture.
I used my grill pan for the asparagus instead of the BBQ grill – it worked great. Heat the grill to medium/high, set your asparagus bundles on the hot grill, and let sit for a minute or two before turning. Total cook time is about 6-8 minutes. I like my asparagus crunchy – so I ended up pulling mine right at 6 minutes.
I drizzled my balsamic reduction over the grilled spears and they looked and smelled delicious.
They were incredible! I’ve had prosciutto wrapped asparagus before, but never with goat cheese. They were super easy to make and a perfect side dish or appetizer. I ended up eating mine as a main meal. I did notice that the huge stemmed spears could probably have been split before rolling. That would most likely have helped them to cook a little more evenly.
I still have some asparagus left that I will incorporate into salads. I used to be an asparagus hater… now I know it’s because I overcooked them. It’s definitely a texture thing for me. Stringy = Yuck! Grilling or roasting is the way to go.
What’s your favorite vegetable? Are you a fan of asparagus?
8 comments
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I love asparagus, goat cheese and especially prosciutto…..I could easily eat this as a whole meal, LOL
Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables in the summer. I like roasting it especially 🙂
Yummy…………looks great honey……I personally like the thin asparagus better than the fatter ones. They make it so much easier to cook everything evenly.
Could this be the Easter veggie dish? Maybe some carrots too for the non asparagus lovers…………
Hugs, Mommers
I just came across an Asparagus, Leek & Gruyere Quiche recipe that was calling my name, but this one looks really yummy and super easy! Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies, especially grilled, roasted or stir fried. For years I thought that I hated asparagus, but that was just because I had the mushy stuff. YUCK!!! I definitely think that this would be a great Easter appy or side!
I love asparagus when it’s cooked properly. My late FIL made it and it was always mushy – it was all I could do to choke it down. Then again, every vegetable he made was always the consistency of baby food. I convinced John to eat asparagus by telling him it would make his pee smell funny…lol. Anything to get a kid to eat his veggies!
I LOVE asparagus as well! That looks super tasty but now that I don’t eat meat, I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate the tastes of goat cheese and grilled asparagus without the prosciutto…any thoughts? 🙂
-Lisa
Author
What about using a peeler on zucchini, spreading the goat cheese on a single spear, then wrapping the zucchini strips “barber pole” style around the goat cheese and spears before grilling? Or you could cut thin sheets of eggplant on a mandoline and wrap those. Veggies on veggies, but I think it would taste ok if you grilled over low/medium to prevent burning.
I love asparagus! Roasted is my favorite. This looks super yummy! Goat cheese is my weakness these days. Other favorite veggies of mine are artichokes and especially the large winter squash like kabocha. Mmmmmm. So many hearty recipe choices to enjoy.
I used to really like asparagus but then I had to eat TONS of it during my fitness competition prep and still can’t stomach it. Although this recipe entices me to give it a shot again.