Lemon Dill Asparagus Power Bowl

Lemon Dill Asparagus Power Bowl

LEMON DILL ASPARAGUS DRESSING

1 cup cut-up fresh or frozen Michigan asparagus, blanched

2 teaspoons dijon

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon dill sauce (or dill pickle juice)

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup fresh dill

1 large garlic clove

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup avocado oil

1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

GRILLED ASPARAGUS

1 pound fresh Michigan asparagus spears

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 cup red cabbage, shredded

1 cup shelled edamame, cooked

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup brown rice, cooked (or quinoa, farro or couscous)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup feta cheese

4 cups mixed salad greens

Preheat grill to 350 degrees.

MAKE LEMON DILL ASPARAGUS DRESSING

Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor. Process until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

PREPARE GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Drizzle asparagus with oil, and season with lemon-pepper seasoning. Grill for 4-5 minutes, or until tender-crisp.

ASSEMBLE

Add mixed greens to a large salad bowl. Add the cabbage, edamame, black beans, rice, tomato and feta over the mixed greens. Top the salad with the grilled asparagus and drizzle the entire dish with the asparagus dressing and serve family style.

I'm so happy to announce that Michigan, currently, claims the #1 spot in the nation for asparagus production, including both fresh and processed asparagus. Yay, go Michigan!

Oceana County is known as the "The Asparagus Capital of the Nation" and produces two-thirds of the asparagus that is grown in Michigan.

Michigan asparagus is not only delicious, but very nutritious as well. It is low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 ounce serving, less than 4 calories per spear. It contains no fat or cholesterol and very low in sodium. It is a good source of potassium, fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6, rutin and glutathione. One of the most important health benefits of asparagus? It is high in folic acid. A 5.3 ounce serving provides 60 percent of the recommended daily allowance for folacin, which is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. It's not only tasty, it's also good for you.

Michigan is the only state to hand pick their asparagus. Asparagus is picked close to the ground, snapping off at the base. Stalks are referred to as spears and over 500 million spears are harvested by hand each season. It takes 4 years before a field is fully mature and fields last for approximately 20 years. A mature field is picked 25-35 times per season. White and green asparagus are from the same plant. If they harvest the asparagus while still underground, it is white (because it hasn't reached the sunlight no photosynthesis takes places and therefor no chlorophyll develops which would give it its green color). Most asparagus in Michigan is grown in the sunlight, hence the green color. Purple asparagus is a different variety than green asparagus. It is also a little sweeter than green asparagus. It has a beautiful purple color when raw, but it turns green when cooked. So if you see white, green and purple asparagus at your farmers market, you'll know the difference between them. Green and purple asparagus can be eaten root to tip, raw or cooked but white asparagus needs the be peeled because it has a tough, bitter stalk. All asparagus needs to stay cold after it is picked. For more Michigan Asparagus recipes and information, check out their website. Also, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

This post is sponsored by Michigan Asparagus. All opinions expressed are my own.