Le Patissier

Asparagus Carbonara

Ingredients

5 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Preparation

1/2 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Salt (to taste) - taste first, bacon is salty!

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Parsley, chopped, to garnish

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Drain off the excess fat, leaving just enough to coat the pan. Add the asparagus, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of water and cook over moderately high heat until the asparagus is tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately add the egg yolks and butter to the skillet. Cook on low heat, tossing, until the butter is melted. Add the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve right away. Optional: add a touch of fresh lemon zest for some zing.

COOKIN' WITH THE CO-OP

Chicken Fajitas with Asparagus

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2-3 Tbsp Thrive Culinary oil or safflower oil, divided (high smoke point oil)

1 large onion, sliced lengthwise into ¼” strips

• 3 bell peppers of various colors, sliced into ¼” strips

• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 3” lengths, tough ends removed

• 2 Tbsp lime juice

Preparation

Cut chicken breasts into ½” strips. Mix lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno and cilantro together in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Add the chicken, mix well, cover and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove the chicken from the marinade. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. Add chicken in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook chicken on med-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until they are seared and cooked through. Turn over and sear on the 2nd side. Remove to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. If there is more chicken to be browned, add 1 Tbsp oil to skillet, if needed, heat, then add chicken. Sear on both sides until cooked

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chili powder

½ jalapeno, seeded and minced

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• 8-12 small flour or corn tortillas

• Salsa

• Sliced avocado

• Sour cream (optional)

• Shredded cheese (optional) through, remove to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil.

Add 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and heat. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onion, peppers, and asparagus to the pan. Scrape up some of the browned bits from the chicken and stir to coat the vegetables with the oil and brown bits. Spread the vegetables in an even layer in the pan. Cook 2 minutes. Stir, then continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Serve chicken and veggies at once in warm tortillas with shredded cheese, salsa, avocado, sour cream, and lettuce, as desired.