Roasted or Grilled Asparagus with Lemon... #bloggerclue

February... a month filled with heart.  Be it shooting arrows at your Valentine, bringing healthy dishes to the table for American Heart Month, or mingling with the Blogger Clue Society group of bloggers, it's all about heart.  And... I have the perfect submission for this month's Blogger Clue Society Submission from Wendy, at A Day in the Life on the Farm (side note, I'm totally envious as she is scuba diving in St. Eustatious as I type!).

First off, I need to tout the fabulousness of this group that I am so blessed to be a part of.  Wonderful bloggers from all over the world post once a month on the same day with a themed post.  But last month I missed mine.  My husband spent most of the holidays in the hospital with an unexpected medical emergency and when I mentioned this to the group someone immediately said they would take over my post.  That person was herself extraordinarily busy, and another blogger volunteered to take the post from her, and so on.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that with my nearly six week blogging hiatus I'm not exactly sure who actually ended up writing for me (I think it was my dear Christiane of Taking on Magazines... I love her!), but the caring and support shown from these dear friends melted my heart.

Which brings us to February's assignment... all about the heart - something red, be it for Valentines or the American Heart Month.  And while my post is actually green, I chose the very first recipe I saw on my blog assignment.  You see, Wendy, of A Day in the Life on the Farm, made Roasted Asparagus Spears of Love and these perfectly roasted spears couldn't be more perfect for our red, all about heart celebration.

First off, did you know asparagus tops most "Top 5 (or 10) Aphrodisiac Food" lists?  In the 17th century Nicholas Culepepper wrote that "Asparagus stirs up lust in man and woman", and in 19th century France, bridegrooms were known to be served three servings of the "sexy spears" at their prenuptial dinner.

Did it work??  I don't know, but with potassium, fiber, vitamin B6 as well as A and C in addition to thiamin and folic acid, asparagus is said to raise histamine levels which is a helpful ingredient in both sexes to reach optimum pleasure.  And with its low calorie count in combination to the above health benefits, asparagus is an ideal dish for a healthy heart as well as the happy  heart.

My grandmother grew asparagus on their farm in Minnesota, and I always remember her telling us "eat up... it's good for the heart".  Now, grandma was very proper, and I always assumed that she meat the heart muscle... but now that I've done a bit of research, who knows?

In any case, Wendy, brought us the perfect dish and while it's simple, it's sure to become a staple in our life.  Roasted in the winter, grilled in the summer, asparagus is good for you any time of year.

Join me as we travel around the world for the rest of today's Blogger Clue Society submissions!

• Bacon & Cheddar Savory Bread Pudding Bites by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Banana Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Blood Orange Mojito by Anna from annaDishes
• Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas by Janet from Cupcakes to Caviar
• Cherry Almond Coconut Bars by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Bark by Ramona from Curry and Comfort
• Garlicky Roasted Tomatoes by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Love Potion #9 w/ Raspberry Chambord Ice Cubes by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Madam Wong's Pizza Rolls by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
• Negroni by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Paloma Naranjada Cocktail by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Pomegranate-Lime Granita by Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Raspberry-Strawberry Puff Pancake by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Red-Hot Currant-Glazed Pork Chops by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Red Velvet Cupcakes by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Roasted Asparagus by Kim from Liv Life
• Strawberry Chia Jam w/ Chia Seed Pancakes by Heather from girlichef
• Strawberry Vanilla Scones by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Tomato Herb Compound Butter by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Turkey Joes from annaDishes

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Coconut-Almond Rice

Finally... it's here!  Summer has arrived in San Diego!  While my mother is sweltering in her upper 90 degree temps, I'm relishing each and every one of those precious degrees.  Admittedly, my coastal temps are a bit lower than her 6 miles inland temps, but I say, "Bring it on!"

Waking to bright sunny skies and temps not requiring a jacket brings me to a wonderful start to my day.  Light until well after 8 PM only continues my love for summer as does my trusty grill.  With our temperate climate, our home has no air conditioning, and while the heat is nothing like my friends and family in the midwest, or even a few miles inland, I still like to keep the oven and stove off and do my cooking outside.

Fish, always a family favorite, has me packing my freezer with packets of Mahi Mahi and salmon ready for a short notice meal.  Liv prefers her fish plain with a squeeze of lemon while my husband and son prefer something a bit more lively.  Thankfully this Grilled Mahi with a side of Coconut-Almond Rice meets all of the above requirements.  

A light sauce of coconut milk and red curry mix together to create a lovely base for the rice and an optional sauce for the fish and veggies.  Prefer your fish plain?  Simply don't top the fish with sauce and give yourself a little squeeze of lemon.  Prefer something more flavorful?  Top with the sauce in addition to a sprinkling of fresh chopped cilantro.  Either way, you can't go wrong.  Happy summer!

Poached Salmon with Asaparagus and Citrus Vinaigrette

I can feel it in the air, spring is on its way!  The sun is rising earlier as well as setting later, the birds are chirping happily in the warmer mornings while they search for their plump worms, and the warmer days are inviting us outdoors.  Not that we can really complain as our cold has been far easier than the majority of the country, but for a solar powered person such as myself these warm days of spring are eagerly anticipated.

With the warmer temps and dryer days "the boys", Kona and Tavo, are also eager to feel the wind in their faces and stretch their little limbs.  After our recent rains the fields are drying out (mostly) and I am more willing to let them run free in the park without the fear of having to give them a full mud-removing bath afterwards.  Closing the gates at the baseball field just up the street from our house I'm able to let the little guys run free, and run they do!

Kona leaps from the car with the excitement of a hungry hunting dog.  Unleashed Kona, the 7 lb Maltese, makes for a small flock of bird far off in the field turning on a dime as they easily fly away.  He runs directly through the only muddy puddle in the field and continues on through the red dirt infield to make his way back to us racing on his no longer white paws.

Tavo, my diva, delicately skirts the mud puddle and runs at a slow jog so as not to muss his hair.  He takes a few laps then settles himself sedately at my feet, happy to watch his brother continue to tear around the field.

Today our neighbor Lizzy joined us.  Some of you may remember little Elizabeth from her debut on our blog about 4 months ago, a wee little pup at the time, she has grown into a lovely young lady.  She and Tavo enjoyed more of the diva life today as they watched crazy Kona run his circles.

Home from the park with rumbling stomachs, the boys chewed on a beef stick while I luxuriated in something a bit more to my taste.  Having poached the salmon and asparagus the evening prior, this salad was a breeze to put together.  Refreshing and nutritious, the orange essence brought a brightness to our afternoon in addition to the shining sun!