Skip to main content

Beet Vinaigrette-Marinated Ahi with Cocoa-Dusted Asparagus for #TripleSBites

By

This is a virtually effortless appetizer that's as tasty as it is simple. I had planned to make my own vinaigrette as a marinade, then a bottle of beet vinaigrette arrived from one of the event sponsors Out of the Weeds and my dish was decided. It was even easier than I anticipated. Thanks, Robin.

Just for fun, here are the (purported) aphrodisiac qualities to this appetizer...

Beets: When I visited the ruins of Pompeii, I saw frescoes of beets on the wall of the brothel. In Greek mythology Aphrodite ate beets to augment her beauty. Ancient Romans believed that drinking beet juice was a love potion of sorts. But there may be some science in relation to this myth: naturally-occurring nitrates in beets can increase blood flow and beets also contain high amounts of boron, which is directly correlated to the production of sex hormones. You decide. I just love the pink color they lend to dishes.

Chocolate or Cocoa: Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, which stimulates the same hormone your body releases during sex.

Asparagus: Cultures all around the world have mentioned the aphrodisiac qualities of asparagus. The Greeks wrote of it in love poetry and the Kama Sutra advised crushing it into a paste to make a beverage. Aside from its obviously phallic shape, asparagus is also rich in calcium, vitamin E and potassium, which all might lend a dose of extra energy.

Beet Vinaigrette-Marinated Ahi

Ingredients
  • 3/4 C beet vinaigrette (thanks, Out of the Weeds*)
  • ahi filets, cubed
  • freshly ground salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • olive oil
Procedure
Place the ahi in a small mixing bowl. Pour marinade over the fish, tossing to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes - and up to 4 hours.

When you're ready to cook, preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove fish from marinade and arrange the cubes on the baking sheet. Broil the cubes until they are just cooked through and caramelized on top; ours took approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

To serve, place the fish on a plate. Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with a good quality olive oil.

Cocoa-Dusted Asparagus


Ingredients
  • 1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced 
  • freshly ground salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 t unsweetened cocoa powder
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 organic lemon, thinly sliced
Procedure
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Place the asparagus in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to coat the spears, then toss with garlic, salt, pepper, and cocoa powder. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Top with lemon slices

Bake in the oven until just tender. Ours took approximately 12 to 15 minutes. 

Thanks, Out of the Weeds* - just one of our #TripleSBites sponsors - for ingredients used in this recipe.


*Full Disclosure: I received a bottle of beet vinaigrette from Out of the Weeds for participating in #TripleSBites. Feel free to use whatever vinaigrette you have on-hand. I received no additional compensation for this post; all comments are 100% accurate and 100% my own.

Here's what everyone else brought to the table today...



 We had some very generous event sponsors for this event.
THANK YOU!

Labels:

Comments

  1. A Day in the Life on the FarmFebruary 4, 2015 at 5:29 AM

    Great appetizer and thanks for the history on aphrodisiacs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ErinFebruary 4, 2015 at 7:34 AM

    Cocoa asparagus? Now that I've got to try.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sarah | Curious CuisiniereFebruary 4, 2015 at 10:33 AM

    These are some really unique flavor pairings. I must try them!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Debbi Does Dinner HealthyFebruary 4, 2015 at 11:02 AM

    Wow, this sounds truly awesome! Especially the cocoa dusted asparagus? You're boys eat this?? That is awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Brenda HainesFebruary 4, 2015 at 12:02 PM

    Different surf and turf items are always favorites. Like my bacon wrapped oysters. Yum!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AmyFebruary 7, 2015 at 4:59 PM

    That asparagus looks divine!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Saundra ContrerasFebruary 8, 2015 at 11:22 AM

    Love me some ahi!!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

By
If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce
1 comment
Read more

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

By
To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P
9 comments
Read more

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

By
photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an
183 comments
Read more