Thanks, everyone, for tuning in to the Michigan Asparagus Facebook live on Wednesday night. For those of you who didn't have a chance to watch it, here is the link to watch it now. I also gave away two of my new cookbooks, Meals from the Mitten: Celebrating the Seasons in Michigan. Congratulations to our winners, Juan Lugo and Barb Albright.
May is National Asparagus Month. Michigan asparagus production is in full swing right now, and we couldn't be happier. The weather is perfect! Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow up to 10 inches in one day. Although our season was delayed this year due to unseasonably cold weater in April, it won't be a shorter season. The season will just go a little longer in June.
Michigan leads the nation in asparagus production, recently pulling ahead of California and Washington. Yay! Go Michigan! I love the fact that asparagus has no fat, no cholesterol, and very little sodium. It's also considered a "Clean 15" food, meaning it has a low pesticide load and is one of the safest conventionally grown crops to eat.
Jalapeño Asparagus Filet Mignon Kabobs
1 cup thick Michigan asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, with juice
Marinade
⅓ cup Michigan Maple Soy Sauce
⅓ cup pineapple orange juice
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
1 pound filet mignon steaks (approximately 2-3 steaks, each 2 inches thick), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into bite-size pieces
2 bell peppers, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups pineapple chunks, cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt
Pepper
Skewers
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Add asparagus and pickled jalapeños to a small bowl and let sit for at least one hour.
In a medium-size bowl, mix together all marinade ingredients. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade for roasting vegetables and fruit; set aside. Place meat into bowl, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Drain jalapeño juice from asparagus, then add asparagus, pickled jalapeños, onion, peppers and pineapple on baking sheet, then pour reserved marinade over top. Roast for 10 minutes.
Discard marinade from meat, then pat steaks dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Thread roasted veggies, fruit and meat onto skewers, then grill for 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare doneness. Turn skewers every 1 to 2 minutes to grill all sides evenly. Remove skewers from grill.
NOTE
If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling to prevent wood from burning.
These kabobs are great to add to a signature cocktail like my Silver Sunset Cocktails ~ Jalapeño Pineapple Margaritas & Filet Mignon Kabobs. They are featured in my new cookbook, Meals from the Mitten: Celebrating the Seasons in Michigan.
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This is a Michigan Asparagus Sponsored Post - all opinions expressed are my own.
