Basketball has always been a big part of my life in one way or another. My 6-foot-4-inch father was a scholarship player who went on to coach at the first school I attended. I myself shot hoops daily for at least a couple hours throughout my teenage years. And now, my boys enjoy playing against each other and against friends. The younger one even plans to try out for his school team next year. So March Madness is a pretty big deal around our house. And last night was the NCAA basketball championship. It was time to celebrate.
Of course, the day before was Easter, and we ate a huge meal. So I decided to serve something light that I could fix quickly. Because asparagus was on sale at the grocery store, I made Beef And Asparagus Roll-Ups.
If I had to pick a favorite vegetable, it would be asparagus. I really like the taste and the crispness when it’s cooked just right. The fact that it’s loaded with nutrients is a nice bonus. Asparagus is a good source of fiber, folate and vitamins A, C, E and K.
The really great thing about asparagus is that it’s a “probiotic” food. That means it helps the friendly bacteria in our bodies stay healthy, which is especially important for women.
Beef and asparagus roll-ups
- 12 stalks asparagus
- 12 thin slices roast beef
- 2-3 tablespoons horseradish, to taste
- 1 cup whipped cream cheese*
- Wash the asparagus and shake off the excess water. If you very gently bend the asparagus until it snaps, the toughest part of the stalk will snap off. Alternatively, you can just cut off the bottoms of the stalk about an inch up.
- Lay the asparagus flat in a skillet with just enough water to cover the stalks. Bring to a boil and cook just 2-3 minutes, until the color becomes very bright.
- Transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water to cool them and stop them from cooking any further. Then dry the stalks on paper towels.
- In a bowl, add horseradish to cream cheese a little at a time, mixing and tasting until it’s as spicy as you want it to be.
- Working with one slice of roast beef at a time, smear spread on beef, place an asparagus stalk on the edge of the beef and roll up. Repeat until all 12 roll-ups are prepared.
3.2.2802
*If you don’t want to eat cream cheese, you can dab horseradish directly on the meat or just skip the cream cheese and horseradish altogether.
