Recipe - Asparagus With Ginger-Orange Butter

1 Navel orange
5 tablespoon Unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoon Minced fresh cilantro or
parsley
1 teaspoon Minced peeled fresh ginger
root
2 pound Asparagus, trimmed

1 Grate 2 tsp orange zest (colored part of peel); place in small bowl.
Squeeze juice. To orange zest, add butter, l Tbs.orange juice, cilantro,
ginger and l/4 tsp each salt and pepper. With portable mixer, beat to
blend. Place on plastic wrap; roll up to form 3in. log, twisting ends.
Freeze 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.

2. After butter mixture has set, cook asparagus: Peel bottom third of
asparagus spears with vegetable peeler. In large, deep skillet, combine 2
cups water, remaining orange juice, ~ /2 tsp salt and the asparagus; heat
to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, 4 minutes or until
tender. Drain; place on platter Remove butter from freezer; unwrap. Slice
into 1/4in. rounds; place on hot asparagus.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 120 calories, 5 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 10 g 6t, 26 mg
cholesterol, 271 mg sodium.

From the files of Al Rice, North Pole Alaska. Feb 1994

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini