I have a really nice side dish for you today. It’s a simple recipe that’s fairly straightforward to read though. I found this one on another food blogger’s website that I’ll tell you about below. The owners of this site have really been stepping things up and I decided to check out what they’re doing over there with a closer eye. I have to tell you that I’m pleased with this dish. Very pleased.
The Recipe
For such a simple side, I find this dish both elegant and rustic. Basically, the dish is composed primarily of asparagus as a base, with chopped hard-boiled eggs and a nice vinaigrette as a topping. This isn’t something I would ordinarily prepare, but it did catch my eye and I decided to give it a shot. It’s light, tasty and healthy. I would definitely make this one again.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
For Eggs & Asparagus
4 Large Eggs, Hard Boiled and Chopped
2 Tablespoons Regular Olive Oil
1 Pound Asparagus, Trimmed
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
For the Vinaigrette
6 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds
4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Kris and Wesley over at How to Feed a Loon for this recipe. I have followed these two gentlemen on their wonderful blog for quite some time. I find myself constantly impressed by their recipes and dishes. It was about time I began preparing what they have obviously taken so much time and effort to put forth, so thanks guys!
Hard Boil the Eggs
Fill a medium saucepan with four cups of water and bring that water to a boil over high heat. Then, add the four eggs to the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the contents of the pot simmer for 11 minutes. Then, remove the pot from the heat and dump the hot water out, leaving the eggs behind. Replace the hot water with cold water and let the eggs sit until they’re cooled. About five minutes.
Finally, peel the eggs and chop them with a knife. Place them in a bowl and set aside. This isn’t an exact science so just roughly chop the eggs.
Prepare the Vinaigrette
In a medium sized bowl, add the six tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, four tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. Also add in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and whisk well.
Combine the Eggs & Vinaigrette
Add three tablespoons of vinaigrette to the eggs in the bowl and mix gently to combine.
This step is used primarily to coat the eggs with the vinaigrette for flavor.
Cook the Asparagus
Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is to temperature, add in the two tablespoons of olive oil and then add in the asparagus. Also, evenly sprinkle the salt, pepper and paprika over the asparagus. Allow the asparagus to cook for about five minutes. Mix them up intermittently so each one has a chance to touch the bottom of the skillet.
The trick here is to soften the asparagus just enough to make them palatable, but not so soft that you alter the look of them. We all like our food to look good. I think five to six minutes in the skillet will accomplish both of these things.
Plate & Serve
When finished in the skillet, transfer the asparagus to a serving plate. Then, pile the eggs on top and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over everything. Serve and enjoy!
The Final Chopped Eggs & Asparagus
This was really great. I like how this dish is presented and I think it would go well any night of the week, along with any number of holidays, from Christmas to the 4th of July. It just has this “thing” about it. If you decide to give this recipe a try, please let me know your thoughts down in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
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