Fresh asparagus shines in this healthy, make-ahead vegetable entree.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of green asparagus
• 2 lbs of white asparagus
• 2 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
• Any salad dressing you like

Instructions

1. Clean the asparagus and discard the tough base parts. Cut the asparagus stalks into the size you prefer. Three to four  inches is a good size for this dish.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and then boil half a pound of asparagus at a time, cooking each batch for 1 or 1½ minutes.  Then immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water and place into a large bowl or pot of ice-water to bring down temperature. This will preserve the crispness of vegetable.
3. Arrange cooked asparagus on a big plate, then top with chopped eggs.  If desired, decorate with colorful vegetables or fruit, such as red and yellow peppers or cherry tomatoes.
4. Top the eggs with dressing before serving. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Tips

This recipe is great for parties because it can be prepared beforehand and stored in the refrigerator. Keeping the vegetable crisp is the key to this dish. Sometimes it can be difficult to find white asparagus.  You can use Japanese or Persian cucumbers as an alternative or simply green asparagus alone.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, cooked, peeled and cut into chunks. (Note: you can also steam the potatoes whole or boil them in water.)
• 3 cups broccoli florets ( about one big bunch)
• 3 cups king trumpet mushroom
• 3 cups Nagaimo, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 to 1-1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh shallot or garlic chopped

Ingredients For Sauce:

• 1 cup Nagaimo (in chunks)
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth or water
• ½ tsp salt, if using water

Instructions:

1. Boil a pot of water. Cook broccoli, mushroom, Nagaimo, and carrots separately for about 1 1/2 minute each.
2. Place all vegetables, including sweet potatoes, into a large casserole dish or other deep, ovenproof dish.
3. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add shallot or garlic and cook until the pieces turn a light golden brown. Then turn off the heat and pour over the vegetables evenly.
4. Blend the sauce ingredients in a blender. Then pour the mixture over the vegetables.
5. Evenly spread shredded cheese over the vegetables.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 8-10 servings.

Tips

Do not overcook the vegetables, particularly the Nagaimo. The vegetables should retain crispiness even after they are cooked.

Feel free to substitute the vegetables in this recipe with your favorite vegetables.This is what the vegetables look like before cheese is added:

Where can I get Nagaimo?

You can purchase the Nagaimo from Asian grocery stores such as 99 Ranch Market. Nagaimo looks like this:

This dish is a study in contrasts as well as an example of Taiwanese stir fry: soft marinated meats paired with crisp, fresh vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup green beans, diced
• 1 cup raw shrimp, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup dried shitake mushroom, soaked in the water until soft and then diced
• 1/2 cup pork or beef, cut into small flake-like pieces
• 1/2 cup dried radish
• 2 Tbsp. diced green onion

Seasonings:

• 1 to 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• A few drops of sesame oil, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. tapioca starch or corn starch
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 tsp cooking wine

Instructions:

1. Marinate the meat (either pork or beef) in half a teaspoon of soy sauce, sesame oil and starch.
2. Marinate shrimp with salt, cooking wine, sesame oil and starch.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat first, whether pork or beef, and stir fry for approximately 1 minute. Then add the shrimp and stir fry for another minute. Remove and reserve the contents of the wok.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan along with the diced mushroom and stir fry for approximately 1 minute. Then add green onions and stir fry for 30 additional seconds. Finally, add in the dried radish and green beans, then cook until beans are tender.
   

   Note: The secret to this recipe is the sauce, so if the contents of the wok start to dry out before you’re ready to turn off the heat, you can keep the dish moist by sprinkling a little water over the food as it cooks.

5. Add the reserved meat and shrimp and quickly mix these with the contents of the wok while continuing to stir-fry.
6. Stir in ½ tsp of soy sauce and serve immediately.

What is dried radish?

Many Taiwanese recipes use dried radish to bring out the flavor of the dish. If you have prepared Korean or Thai foods like Kimchi or Pad Thai, you may be familiar with a different type of dried radish than the type used in Taiwanese recipes. Here is an example of a package of dried radish, which I used to prepare this recipe.