Luxurious asparagus rolls with spinach cream – my birthday menu

Today is my 19th birthday, and for this occasion, I wanted the meal to be a little extra festive. I’d been thinking about this dish for a while, and I thought today was the perfect opportunity to finally make this festive meal. The result was so delicious that I’d love to share it with you. It might require a little more attention while cooking, but it will definitely be worth the effort in the end. The flavors go well together and complement each other beautifully. The presentation immediately gives the dish a luxurious look.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 12 white asparagus spears
• 1 tomato
• 1 handful of pistachios
• 20 g Chamois d’Or (= a mild, creamy cheese)
• 2 sprigs of (red) basil

For a large pot of creamed spinach:

• 100 g spinach
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp marjoram
• Salt and pepper

Preparation: (30 minutes)

1. Peel the asparagus with a vegetable peeler. 
2. Break off the bottom part. They'll break off on their own at the point where the hard and soft parts meet. That way, you can be sure there won't be any hard pieces of asparagus left.
3. Next, blanch the asparagus in salted water. To do this, cook them for about 8 minutes until they are al dente. Then immediately cool them in water with ice cubes.
4. Then place them on a paper towel to dry.
5. Now blanch the spinach. It only takes a few minutes. Then cool it immediately in water with ice cubes. This will help it retain its beautiful green color.
6. Pick out 12 nice, large spinach leaves to wrap around the asparagus later.
7. Drain the water from the spinach. 
8. Put the remaining spinach in a blender along with the Greek yogurt, the garlic clove, and the marjoram. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Blend until smooth.
10. Sauté the asparagus in a pan with a little olive oil until golden brown.
11. Meanwhile, slice the tomato.
12. Shell the pistachios and chop them finely.
13. Cut the cheese into long strips.
14. For each one, make a roll using 1 asparagus spear and a strip of cheese. Roll them in the spinach leaves you set aside earlier. 
15. Repeat this for all the asparagus.
16. Arrange the food on the plates. Place the asparagus rolls on a bed of spinach cream. Arrange the tomato slices next to them. Garnish with pistachios.
17. Chop the basil leaves and sprinkle them over the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy your meal!