A is for Asparagus

Or Aphrodisiac...

Now I know a lot of you out there seem to dislike Valentine's Day (from what I've been reading anyway) because its too "commercial" or too "fake;" however, I choose to celebrate this holiday for its many virtues. I mean, red, pink, hearts, chocolate, love - what's not to like? In our house, we love any excuse to celebrate and definitely don't think of it as a day where we are required to buy gifts or be thoughtful - we like to!

I usually like to make a fancy dinner or dessert on Valentine's Day, instead of going out. For example, last year I made Tim a full box of homemade truffles and candies as a gift and he mastered the art of filet mignon for our dinner. It was great - really fun to try and make restaurant-worthy meals at home. I hope to post a few Valentine's ideas this weekend for anyone looking for something new and exciting to make.


Anyway, I saw a great event going on over at Mele Cotte - Kitchen of Love - a round-up of recipes featuring ingredients known to be aphrodisiacs! How great is that? Here is my contribution - Phyllo-wrapped Roasted Asparagus - absolutely delicious and a definite aphrodisiac (or so says my husband - although I think he is just trying to get me to make them again :). These make a great appetizer for any party!

Phyllo-wrapped Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients
Phyllo dough, thawed
Prosciutto (very thinly sliced)
Asparagus (ends trimmed)
Extra virgin olive oil
Canola oil spray
Grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt/pepper

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and season with salt/pepper. Roll around asparagus to make sure they are equally covered in the oil and seasoning.

3. Set up your phyllo dough. Cut each sheet of dough into 4 pieces (one cut in the horizontal direction and one cut in the vertical direction to make 4 rectangles).

4. Prepare prosciutto - tear each slice into a few pieces (you only need a small piece for each asparagus). Wrap a small piece of prosciutto around the center of the asparagus and then wrap up in the phyllo. The prosciutto should be covered but the ends of the asparagus should still be visible.

5. Put spears on parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray lightly with canola oil spray (or other cooking spray) and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake about 15 minutes or until browned and crispy. Enjoy!