Asparagus Soup with Egg Nests

Mar 14, 2016

Smooth and creamy asparagus soup garnished with a ‘nest’ made from asparagus spears and hard-boiled eggs. An elegant first course addition to your Easter dinner.

Each asparagus stalk weighs in at only 4 calories and contains no fat or cholesterol. Asparagus is high in fiber, folate and potassium and is rich in antioxidants, including vitamins K, E, A, and C.

Makes: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS
– 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
– 1 yellow onion, chopped
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 3 1/2 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed (you can substitute vegetable stock)
– 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
– 2 (1-pound) bunches asparagus
– 3/4 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup plain yogurt)
– 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
– 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
– small hard-boiled eggs, for nests

DIRECTIONS
Snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears. Cut the tips off half of the spears into 2-inch lengths. Set the tips aside. Chop the remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

Melt 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter in a medium-size pot over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add asparagus pieces and simmer gently until potatoes and asparagus are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Carefully transfer soup to a blender in batches and purée until smooth. Return soup to pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, whisk in heavy cream (or yogurt) and season with salt and pepper. You can add more stock, if necessary, to reach desired consistency. NOTE: You can also use an immersion blender. Puree the soup until smooth, about 2 minutes then strain the soup through cheesecloth into a clean saucepan.

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the reserved asparagus tips and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with asparagus tips and hard-boiled eggs and serve.

TIP: To store asparagus for several days, wrap the stem ends in damp paper towels and keep in a cool, dry place. To store longer, refrigerate stalks, tips up, in a shallow cup of water.

Rhodes® Cinna-Bunnies

Mar 14, 2016

Add a little fun and flair this Easter with Rhodes’ quick and easy Cinna-Bunnies recipe.

Got kids? They’ll be hopping with excitement waiting for these Cinna-Bunnies to come out of the oven. Give them some frosting and different candies and let them create their own bunny buddies to admire and EAT. What do you bet they’ll start with the ears?

When you bake with frozen dough it’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s a deliciously perfect secret to making your spring baking quite a bit quicker.

INGREDIENTS
– 6 Rhodes Anytime™ Cinnamon Rolls
– cream cheese frosting (included with rolls)
– candy to decorate face
– sliced almonds for teeth

DIRECTIONS
1. Allow rolls to thaw until pliable (about 1 hour). Place three rolls on a sprayed baking sheet for the bunny heads (leave space around rolls for the ears). Unwind the other three rolls and fold both ends toward the center. Place above head for ears.

2. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting and decorate face as desired with different candies and sliced almonds for teeth.

For more delicious and simple recipes visit www.rhodesbread.com/recipes