Asparagus Salad with Lemon Basil Mayonnaise

Asparagus Salad with Lemon Basil Mayonnaise

2 pounds asparagus
Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise (below)

Snap the ends off your asparagus where it wants to break naturally. Put it in a microwaveable casserole long enough to hold it without bending, or arrange spoke-fashion in a glass pie plate, with the tips in the center. Either way, add a tablespoon or two of water, cover (use plastic wrap to cover a pie plate) and microwave for just 4-5 minutes on high. Uncover immediately, drain, and chill.

When dinner rolls around, make your Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise, which is very easy.

Pull out your chilled asparagus, and divide it between 8 serving plates. Now spoon the Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise into a baggie. Snip a tiny bit off one corner, and squeeze cool abstract patterns of Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise over your asparagus. Garnish each plate with a basil leaf if you have some left over, and serve right away.

You could, of course, just serve a little puddle of mayonnaise on each plate for dipping, instead — easier, but not quite so cool looking.

8 Servings, using light mayonnaise in the dressing: 50 Calories; 3g Fat; 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Fiber; 5g usable carbs.

Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise

Good on fish, chicken, vegetables, tuna salad, all sorts of things.

1/2 cup mayonnaise, regular or light
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 clove garlic, minced fine

Simply stir everything together. Heck, make a double batch!

Makes 2/3 cup, or 8 Servings

With light mayo: 36 Calories; 3g Fat; trace Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Fiber; 3g usable carbs. This count can be dropped lower if you choose a very low carb light mayo.

With regular mayo: 12g Fat; trace Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber, no usable carbs.