Exquisite flavours balanced with a crunch to bring a full palette explosion. This combination of tomatoes, asparagus, peanuts, and onions breathes new life into a classic vegetable.

My dear friend Kate requested asparagus for one of our dinners. This was the birth of this recipe. I wanted to break free of traditional recipes and bring my character to the asparagus. Given that I needed to feed six guests, it’d had to be something with volume as well. Unlike many of my dinners, I tried, and refined, this recipe a few times before the dinner.

Unfortunately, when I arranged it for dinner, it didn’t look as in the pictures. Because of limited space and a restrictive schedule, I couldn’t keep the asparagus separate. I had to mix it into the stir-fry to get it warm. It’s more enjoyable when layered on top or lying beside. The flavour stands more apart.

The tomatoes are also better if not mixed in. Everybody deserves the sweet punch of flavour. If you’ve looked at several of my recipes or photos, you’ll see that roasted tomatoes are something I use often. I enjoy the delightful aroma that burst from my oven. Also, given that my diet is primarily low-carb, the caramelization adds a delightful note to the food. Be careful, as these small tomatoes can burn, or turn to mush, in the oven if overcooked.

Peanuts add a crunch to the dish. This variety in texture adds an extra dimension that’s a pleasant surprise for many.

The choice of roasted and salted peanut is mainly due to limited ingredient selection. I need to order raw, unsalted ones, so don’t always have them handy. But in this case, you want roasted and salted peanuts. Thus, it’s an easy choice.

I know this recipe may appear involved, but none of the individual steps are hard. Not much can go awry, and the proportions are wide open. The various cooking approaches produce extra dishes to wash, however.

It’s worth it! Especially if Kate is doing the dishes.

Kate’s Asparagus with Tomatoes

Ingredients

Vegetables

  1. 200 g
    Tomato
  2. 200 g
    greenAsparagus
  3. ¹⁄₂ whole
    juicedFresh Lemon

Stir Fry

  1. 1 medium
    Zucchini
  2. 2 small 175 g
    Yellow Onion
  3. 75 g 6 tablespoon
    Coconut Oil
  4. 75 g ¹⁄₂ cup
    Roasted and SaltedPeanuts
  5. ¹⁄₄ teaspoon
    Salt
  6. ¹⁄₂ teaspoon
    Chili Flakes

Equipment

  • steamer or pot
  • oven
  • frying pan
  • baking paper

Directions

Tomatoes

  1. Place a sheet of baking paper on an oven tray.
  2. Halve the tomatoes and arrange them on the baking tray.
  3. Place the tray on the top rack of the oven, and roast (top element, high temperature), for 7-10 minutes. A few will turn dark on the top.
  4. Turn off the oven and leave the tomatoes inside until needed.

Asparagus

  1. It is best, though not essential, to time this step to be ready when the stir-fry is ready to serve.
  2. For steaming, place the asparagus tips in the steamer and steam for about 10 minutes.
  3. For boiling, place the asparagus in a pot and cover them slight with water. Bring the water to a simmer and leave for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
  4. Drain the water from the asparagus.
  5. Jucie the lemon and pour the juice over the asparagus.

Stir Fry

  1. Dice the zucchini and fry in a pan on high heat. Once one side is browned, stir, or flip to brown other side.
  2. Remove the zucchini from the pan.
  3. Add coconut oil to pan.
  4. Slice the onions and add to the pan. Fry at high heat for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the zucchini back to the pan.
  6. Add the roasted peanuts, the salt and chili flakes to the pan.
  7. Fry at medium heat for another 5-10 minutes, occasionally stirring.

Serve

  1. Ensure the asparagus is still warm, if not, add to the pan and let them heat up for 5 minutes.
  2. Serve the stir-fry, with the asaparagus, adding some roasted tomatoes to each plate.