Warm Asparagus Salad - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

Today's Recipe
If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
You can add this easy-to-prepare salad to your Healthiest Way of Eating in a matter of minutes. Not only is it an excellent source of health-promoting vitamins A, C, and E, but it provides 16% of your Daily Value for folate. Enjoy!
Warm Asparagus Salad
Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1/2 small onion, cut in half and sliced thin
• 2 TBS light vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white wine)
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 3 TBS low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 7-1/2 oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained and slivered (or 2 medium red bell peppers, sliced thin)
• 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice onion and place in a small bowl with vinegar and hot water while preparing rest of the ingredients.
2. After about 10 minutes, remove onion from hot water and squeeze dry.
3. While onions are marinating heat 3 TBS broth over medium heat in a stainless steel skillet.
4. While broth is heating, snap off the woody bottom of asparagus stems, then cut the spears into 2-inch lengths. Cutting them into short pieces of equal length ensures quick, even cooking.
5. When broth begins to steam, add asparagus. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. The outside will be tender and the inside will be crisp. Thinner spears will take about 3 minutes.
6. Mix together roasted peppers with marinated onion, asparagus, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Marinate for 4-5 minutes and serve warm. Optional: If you use fresh red bell peppers, Healthy Sauté them for 7 minutes and toss with rest of ingredients in place of roasted peppers.

Serves 4 Printer Friendly Version of Warm Asparagus Salad
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Warm Asparagus Salad
Healthy Food Tip

The Latest News About Lamb

Americans eat a fraction of the amount of lamb consumed in many other countries in the world. And that's too bad since this red meat is very healthful and extremely delicious, having a very tender and buttery quality. Lamb is the meat from young sheep that are less than one year old. It is usually available in five different cuts including the shoulder, rack, shank/breast, loin and leg. Additionally, many stores sell it already ground to be used to make burgers, meat loaf or sauces.

What's New and Beneficial About Lamb

• When we think about omega-3 fats and their availability from plants versus animals, we usually think about nuts and seeds on the plant side of things and fish on the animal side. But on the animal side of things, we should also think about lamb! The omega-3 content of lamb depends upon the young sheep's diet as well as the mother's diet, but when those diets are nutritionally supportive, the result can be a cut of lamb with a very impressive amount of omega-3s. In regions of some countries without access to a coastline and fish, lamb has sometimes been shown to provide more omega-3s than any other food in the diet. In Australia, where lamb is eaten frequently by both children and adults, recent studies have shown lamb to rank among the top omega-3 foods in the daily diet. In our own nutritional profile of lamb, we use a conservative average estimate of 40 milligrams of omega-3s per ounce of roasted lamb loin. That's 50% of the omega-3s in an ounce of baked cod fish or bro iled tuna, and 67% of the amount in an ounce of sesame seeds.
• Recent studies have shown pasture feeding to be especially important for optimal nourishment from lamb. In research comparing indoor feeding on hay and nutrient concentrates with outdoor pasture feeding, pasture-fed lamb was found to contain significantly lower levels of trans fatty acids with the exception of a single trans fatty acid called vaccenic acid. Trans fats are a type of dietary fat that we want to avoid in large amounts due to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but vaccenic acid is one specific type of trans fat that we do not want to avoid since it's the building block for a cardioprotective fatty acid called CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). In terms of total trans fat content, vaccenic acid content, and CLA content, we encourage you to select pasture-fed lamb over indoor-fed products. If you don't see the words "pasture-fed" on the label of pre-packaged lamb in your grocery, ask the store st aff for help in determining this important aspect of the lamb you might purchase. Of course, thanks to important changes in 2010 by the U.S. National Organics Program requiring at least 120 days of pasture feeding for all ruminant animals including cows and sheep, another great option for assuring pasture feeding is to buy organic!
• Certified organic lamb may also help you avoid some potential contaminant problems shown by recent studies on non-organically produced lamb. We've reviewed results from a recent study on grazing pastures used for the feeding of lambs that had previously been fertilized with sewage sludge, and contrary to the authors' conclusion, were very concerned about some increased amounts of cancer-related substances in the final lamb cuts, including the cancer-related substances used in production of plastic products called diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Since sewage sludge is not allowed as a fertilizer in certified organic foods, unwanted exposure to DE HP might be avoided by the purchase of certified organic lamb.

WHFoods Recommendations

One of our favorite ways to prepare lamb is to "Quick Broil" lamb chops by preheating the broiler on high and placing an all stainless steel skillet (be sure the handle is also stainless steel) or cast iron pan under the heat for about 10 minutes to get it very hot. Place lamb on hot pan and broil for 7-10 minutes, depending on thickness. You do not need to turn the lamb. (See our 10-Minute Rosemary Lamb Chops recipe for details on how to prepare "Quick Broiled" lamb chops.)

Health Benefits

Lamb provides numerous potential health benefits including:

• Supports heart health
• Blood sugar regulation

For more details on lamb's health benefits, see this section of our lamb write-up.

Nutritional Profile

Lamb is seldom mentioned as a significant source of omega-3 fats, but can provide a valuable amount in the diet, at approximately 50% the amount provided by cod fish or tuna on an ounce-for-ounce basis. Lamb can also contain valuable amounts of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a cardioprotective fatty acid. Lamb is a very good source of immunity-supportive protein and selenium. It is also a good source of heart-healthy vitamin B12 and niacin; blood sugar-balancing zinc; and energy-producing phosphorus.
For more on this nutrient-rich food, including references related to this Latest News, see our write-up on lamb.