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June 2, 2011

Asparagus & Orange Salad

asparagaus & orange salad

Guess who’s on a salad kick?? That’s right. This girl! I’m making June the month of salads. I will eat more of them…at least one per day. I will love them, and I’ll get rid of this double chin I see staring back at me in my cellphone when I’m typing a text message. What is with that?! Salad will become my new best friend. A best friend that gets rid of my double chin. A best friend that I can eat.

hello oranges

If you’ve been around here for awhile, you already know how much I love citrus and how awesome I think asparagus is. But it wasn’t until now that I married the two and fell in love. This salad was unexpectedly delightful! Crunchy vibrant green asparagus, juicy orange segments, smoky sesame seed heaven…the aftertaste is truly awesome. It’s Asian and then it’s not! This salad is destined for warm afternoon barbecues or fancy Tupperware picnics on the beach. Hello summer. Goodbye double chin!

And we’re off!

Get your act together.

ingredient party

Segment your oranges!

segmenting

This is my favorite part!

juicy

Trim your asparagus and place it in salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.

cooking

Rinse under cold water!

rinsing

Pat dry & set aside.

drying

Toast the sesame seeds in a pan for a couple of minutes.

toasting

Make your dressing. Sesame oil is the KEY!

sesame seed oil

Mix all of the ingredients up in a jar. Shallots are involved!

dressing

Plate the asparagus. GET READY.

getting the party started

Add the orange segments. Pour the dressing over.

prep

Top with the toasted sesame seeds.

hello sesame seeds

Asparagus + Orange + Sesame Seeds =

asparagus!

LOVE.

Asparagus & Orange Salad

Serves 2-4

(recipe adapted from For the Love of Salad, by Jeanelle Mitchell)

  • 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped shallots
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • kosher salt & black pepper
  • 1-2 navel oranges, segmented
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seed oil

Cook the asparagus in a large skillet of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain & rinse asparagus under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside and blot with paper towels. Place asparagus on your serving platter.

For the dressing, combine mustard, shallots, orange zest and orange juice together in a jar and shake with the lid on. Add the olive oil, sesame oil and a pinch of slat & pepper and shake again until well combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the asparagus and garnish with orange segments & toasted sesame seeds.

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