Back in the Saddle - Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I am in the process of copying all of the recipes from this blog to an offline location. It's been a revelation to not only discover dishes I had completely forgotten about, despite having developed them myself, but to read what I wrote about my struggles with fibromyalgia. Sometimes I surprise myself; I hadn't remembered being that open, and angry, and sometimes even funny. I wrote like a madwoman because it helped to put it all down in black-and-white. I cooked like a madwoman as well, because it also helped, until the time came I did not have the strength to do either on a regular basis.

So, if anyone tells you that fibromyalgia is not a progressive disease, you have my permission to spit in their face tell them to go to hell correct them firmly but politely.

I still cook, less frequently, and I still type, a lot less frequently.  The latter is a real blog-buster, as you may imagine.  I do scribble down notes about the recipes I am working on, and I even take pictures, but then find I am too tired and too restless to sit down and type them out. And I really think I needed time to recover a bit from the election.  For a while, all of my spare energy went to sharing anti-Trump posts on Facebook. I am (mostly) past that now, although I admit to planning a list of different foods to snack on during the impeachment proceedings. My guilty pleasure.

So I would like to try to get back in the saddle that is this blog, and share some more of my culinary travesties travels. Just not as frequently, nor energetically, and certainly not as dramatically. Unless our current administration succeeds in provoking North Korea into a nuclear war, in which case all bets are off.  

Before we get to that, I want to share some photos from the April 3rd cattle drive. You know the one that started a block from my front door. Only in Kissimmee:

This is a cow.  Or a steer, this one has horns. Nothing unusual about cows in Florida.

This is a multiplicity of cattle, and is that the Historic Old Osceola County Courthouse I see in the background?

The Clydesdales chose a more modern backdrop.

Round 'em up, move 'em out ...

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus 

1 pound asparagus, woody ends cut off

1 pkg. thinly sliced prosciutto, (about 8 slices), cut in half vertically

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated Parmesan 

Fresh chives, chopped

Finely ground pepper

Olive oil for brushing 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan, and chives. Place a piece of prosciutto on a flat surface, and top with 3 or 4 asparagus stalks. Cover the middle of the stalks with some of the mayonnaise mixture and use the back of a spoon to spread it just to where the prosciutto will cover it when rolled.

Roll up each asparagus bundle and place seam side down on a rimmed baking pan. Brush each bundle, especially the exposed asparagus very lightly with olive oil, and season with pepper. I also used a very small amount of a new spicy seasoning blend (mango habanero) but it is not necessary to this recipe.

Place in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes until the prosciutto is a bit browned and the asparagus is tender. Do not overdo the baking or the asparagus will shrivel unattractively and the prosciutto will be tough. If any of the mayonnaise mixture is visible, it should look a little puffy and lightly browned.

With a metal spatula carefully remove the bundles to a wire rack set over paper towels so that any excess grease can drip off. Serve these as an appetizer or side dish. This recipe makes about 16 bundles.