Mantas, Asparagus, Honey.

This is, without doubt, the most incredible spectacle. I hope this is going to work. It was on Facebook this morning and I just had to post it here to share. The origin was from National Geographic and was shown by PetFlow. If you aren't blown away by this video, I will be surprised.

Monday afternoon we went to Barrie’s Asparagus farm to replenish our supply. I had a chat to Tim Barrie about the asparagus I was given last week, and learnt a few things like how they grow asparagus with cover in order to avoid grit in the spears. Plus the different ways of marketing – Tim supplies a lot of restaurants and caterers whereas other farms supply stores and farm shops so they don’t take so much care apparently. Whilst there I bought some honey as I was almost out. I haven’t had raw honey in years, we both had some at supper time, it was delicious. Not expensive either.

Monday evening, sitting watching TV with the balcony door open and on screen, I could hear lots of bangs. Turned out there were several June Bugs hanging on to the screen door. Not seen so many for a long time.

This recipe came from Food and Wine.

Chicken Stir Fry with Asparagus and Cashews

Contributed by Stéphane Vivier

• SERVINGS: 4

Good News Cashews contain oleic acid, the same monounsaturated fat that makes olive oil so heart-healthy. This chicken-cashew stir-fry is a lighter take on a dish that Stéphane Vivier orders at Rin's Thai in Sonoma, California. Its Asian flavors come from a bright mix of fish sauce, oyster sauce and basil—and just a little oil.

1. 1/2 cup raw cashews
2. 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3. 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
4. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5. 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
6. 1 pound asparagus, sliced on the diagonal, 1 inch thick
7. 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
8. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
9. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10. 1/2 cup chopped basil
11. 1/4 cup chopped chives
12. Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the cashews in a pie plate and toast in the oven for about 8 minutes, until they are nicely browned and fragrant. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken in an even layer and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned and just cooked throughout, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a clean bowl.
3. Pour the chicken stock into the wok and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add the asparagus slices, cover and cook over moderate heat until they are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to the bowl along with the chicken.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to the wok along with the oyster sauce, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken pieces and sliced asparagus to the wok and toss to heat through. Remove the wok from the heat and stir in the cashews, basil and chives. Season the stir-fry with black pepper and serve right away.

Notes One Serving 369 cal, 17 gm fat, 2.8 gm sat fat, 9 gm carb, 2.4 gm fiber. Serve With Steamed rice.

Have a great day