Grilled Asparagus, Pine-Nut & Grapefruit Salad
1 bunch of asparagus – cut into 1.5” pieces
1.5 tbsp pinenuts
2 tbsp Olive oil
juice of ½ lemon and grated rind
1 small pink grapefruit peeled and remove pith and thin membrane so you are left with just the flesh. Cut each section in thirds
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat non-stick pan and over low heat, toss the pine nuts until golden brown. Remove from pan and place off to side.
Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in pan and add asparagus and cook until tender.
Place on plate, sprinkle pine nuts overtop drizzle with remaining olive oil, and lemon juice. Top with a sprinkle of course sea salt, pepper to taste and grapefruit pieces
Note: if you can’t eat grapefruit for health reasons or because it’s contraindicated with the medications that you’re on, you can substitute it with blood orange
Power Plates - Food is Medicine
Asparagus is a fresh pungent flavour that grows in the spring. The green chlorophyll rich colour is great for the liver system according to TCM. It also helps to clean the cholesterol and the arteries. After sluggish winter foods this is great to kick-start the system to a cleaner and fresher diet. The asparagus is also slightly cool in property which is great for the overheated type of person. But by cooking it slightly, we take the ‘edge’ off which makes it easier to digest.
The citrus is great for liver, bile production and really helps move our energy (both blood and qi). It’s also great for ‘damp’ sluggish conditions and it also helps your body absorb minerals better. Grapefruit is also great for moving energy as well as for those people with a lot of phlegm or congestion (mucus conditions) not to mention how great it is for digestion.
The pine nuts are great for what we’d call ‘wind’ conditions. What’s that? In TCM wind conditions would be things that move around the body a lot (pain that moves from one area to another, not really sticking in one spot) or it could show up in a tic (eye twitch) or tremor in the body or even in muscle spasms. We often see tendon issues and wind conditions show up in the spring time as it is part of the liver system in TCM which is prominent in the spring time. It’s not uncommon for me to see people with ‘trigger fingers’, tendon issues or eye issues in the spring time. I can see them throughout the year as well, but often people will report them ‘coming out of the blue’ in the spring-time. By incorporating certain foods that help to strengthen our system and support the change of season, we’re helping our body stay strong and in balance year round.