Abundant throughout May, asparagus is full of plant-based protein, fiber, folate, and vitamins A, K, C and E. It’s also pretty high in chromium, which can help transport glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells, thus helping boost energy levels – perfect as the sun starts shining and we may feel the urge to get outside and move a little more!
Granted, eating asparagus can make urine smell a little strange, but did you know what it’s only a few of us that can actually smell it? As the body break down food, it releases some of the compounds, and asparagus’ are released as vapour through the urine. While some people can smell the relatively strong odour, others aren’t able to, which is known as specific anosmia – the inability for certain noses to detect certain smells. The totally loss of the sense of smell is known as anosmia. The causes of anosmia range from ageing, to injury of the nerves surrounding the nose or injury to the olfactory bulb in the brain, medications, and genetics.
SO, if you’ve always been a little wary of eating asparagus because of the resulting asparagus-pee smell, worry not! Not everyone will notice….
This recipe is totally simple and works as a lovely accompaniment to soft boiled eggs, as the arrival or warmer weather usually means hens begin laying a little more often. After not eating eggs for a number of years, I now always get my eggs from reliable sources such as friends who own chickens, or local farms. So if you’re worried about where they come from, ask around or visit your local produce farm.
Swap your bread-soldiers for asparagus at breakfast, serve as a quick lunch, or an accompaniment to dinner!
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 pack of asparagus, or one large handful
- 2 boiled eggs
- 1 big glug of olive oil
- pinch of good quality salt
- a few cracks of black pepper
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- sprinkling of parmesan cheese or B12 flakes for those who are dairy-free
How To
- Using an iron griddle pan, dry cook the asparagus by simply laying them in the pan and cooking until they’re slightly seared. Turn over every few minutes to ensure they’re evenly cooked.
- If you don’t own an iron griddle pan, simply steam (or microwave!) the asparagus
- At the same time, soft boil your eggs for around 4-5 minutes.
- When the asparagus is cooked, remove and place on a plate
- Whilst they’re still hot, pour over a glug of olive oil, squeeze over the lemon, sprinkle on your salt and pepper, and top with some parmesan cheese or B12 flakes. Drizzle over balsamic vinegar if you’re partial to sharper, vinegary tastes, and you like to make things look extra fancy….
- Run your boiled eggs under cold water to prevent them cooking any longer, chop off the top, and start dipping!
Enjoy!
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