Celebrate springtime with lemon garlic asparagus sautéed in ghee!
Asparagus, or Hadley grass as it’s so fondly called here in the Pioneer Valley, is one of the first crops of the season and its emergence never fails to bring feelings of excitement. Asparagus is an incredibly versatile, tasty and nutritious vegetable. You can cream it into soup, blend it into pesto, roast or sautée it. Below we share a recipe for one of our favorite ways to prepare this flavorful springtime veggie — a nice simple lemon garlic asparagus sautéed in ghee.
Asparagus in Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of health, it is recommended to balance out the qualities of the seasons with the foods we eat. Spring and summer are characterized by heaviness and dampness – and are therefore the best times of year to enjoy dry, light foods, like lemon garlic asparagus!
It’s also suggested in Ayurveda that in the springtime it’s best to consume foods that carry bitter, pungent and astringent tastes, like lemon, dark leafy greens, chili, garlic, legumes, radishes, and berries. Which makes a lot of sense when you think about which foods are available this time of year. These foods and tastes are said to help detoxify the body, stimulate digestion and metabolism, and ‘dry up’ excess fats.
Ghee has been revered in Ayurveda for millennia for its numerous culinary and health benefits. So by combing ghee with asparagus, as in this recipe for lemon garlic asparagus, you’re creating the perfect Ayurvedic springtime side dish!
Lemon Garlic Asparagus Sautéed in Ghee
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
| 2-3 Tbsp ghee | 1 Tbsp lemon zest |
| 1 pound asparagus | Sea salt and black pepper, to taste |
| 2 garlic cloves, finely minced | Lemon wedges for serving |
Instructions
- Rinse the asparagus in cold water and trim off tough ends of stalks. Heat the ghee in a cast iron skillet (or a heavy-bottomed pan), over medium heat. Add the asparagus to the pan, shaking the pan gently to coat the asparagus in the melted ghee.
- Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Check the asparagus and turn as needed to make sure the stalks cook evenly and don’t burn too much on one side. Uncover.
- Continue cooking 5 minutes longer uncovered, or until asparagus is tender but still crisp. You want the asparagus to still be a nice bright green but with a few blistered and burnt spots (don’t overcook). Add the garlic and lemon zest right at the end. Remove from the heat. Give it a toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot with fresh lemon wedges.
Buy the best ghee online from Full Moon Ghee
Ghee is the best choice for high-heat cooking like this recipe for lemon garlic asparagus calls for. Unlike more delicate oils, like olive, ghee has a high smoke point, making it a safe and delicious choice for sautéing and roasting. If you need ghee for sautéing your asparagus, visit our online store!
At Full Moon Ghee, we start with pure Jersey cow butter, conscientiously sourced from small local dairy farms that treat their grass-fed cows ethically. Each batch of hormone- and antibiotic-free ghee is prepared on the Full Moon for an infusion of auspicious energy that gets passed on to you when you enjoy our products. In addition to our Original Ghee, you can find ghee in a variety of delectable flavors like Chocolate Ghee, Maple Ghee, Rosemary Garlic Ghee and Turmeric Spiced Ghee.
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Photo by Christine Siracusa on Unsplash
