Springtime is officially here and I couldn’t be more excited! Tons of fruits and veggies are in season, bringing tons of new possibilities in the kitchen. Whether you are looking for lighter meals or dishes for Easter entertaining, I have an amazing recipe for you. I was really hopeful about this one when I dumped it in the oven - the flavor profiles are perfect together. But when these asparagus bundles came out of the oven; toasty, perfectly salty and tender, wrapped in delicate puff pastry, I was honestly a little overwhelmed. This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made or blogged. They are unbelievably easy to make, take minimal time to bake up, and are delicious.
I love asparagus. They are delicious on their own, or roasted with some olive oil, salt, pepper, parmesan, and lemon. But what about wrapping a few tender stalks in salty prosciutto, add a few shavings of nutty Parmesan cheese, and tuck it into a flaky blanket of puff pastry? It’s basically heaven. They are portable, don’t fall apart when eaten, and are gorgeous for entertaining. They’d be perfect for a spring or Easter potluck, and are pretty easy on the wallet if you find well-priced prosciutto, pancetta, or even ham. I’m going to apologize ahead of time for the sheer volume of photos in this post - I couldn’t get enough of how gorgeous they turned out! :) Let’s get cookin!
Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the amazing health benefits of chia seeds. Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica. In the past few years they have gained popularity because they are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid. They also provide about 10 grams of fiber per oz. They contain protein, antioxidants, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Chia seeds are also gluten free!
This jam is simple.. organic strawberries, a little agave or organic honey, and chia seeds. Normally, when cooking jam, pectin is necessary to enable the jam to gel. In this case, since the chia seeds bulk up and gel naturally, they easily thicken your jam without any additives. It’s really delicious. Not too sweet, and such a fun texture that is great for spreading on any multitude of things. Enough talking, let’s cook