This grilled asparagus & macadamia nut salad is an excellent choice for an antipasti dish.
It is best served at room temperature and can easily be pre-prepared with limited effort.
The toasted macadamias add a lovely nuttiness to the fresh flavors of the salad.
I usually sprinkle on some creamy sheep's milk feta if I have some handy.
Ingredients:
- A bunch of asparagus
- 6 baby tomatoes, quartered
- Sheep's milk feta for sprinkling
- 1/4 cup of good quality extra virgin olive
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 sweet basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
- A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- A handful of raw macadamia nuts, toasted
- Cooking olive oil for drizzling
Preparation:
- Pre-heat the oven to 375F
- Wash and dry the asparagus spears and then place them in a baking dish. Drizzle on some cooking olive oil. Broil for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Now for the dressing. Add the olive oil to a small mixing bowl with the lemon juice, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Mix quickly to emulsify to the mixture. Set aside.
- Lightly toast the macadamia nuts over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Remove and then roughly chop.
- Arrange the asparagus on a serving plate. Add the tomatoes, macadamias and sprinkle on some feta. Finish by drizzling on the pre-made garlic basil oil and serve.