Crab and Asparagus au gratin

©2002 Meredith Corporation, adapted by Rick Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 pound jumbo (chunk-sized) crab
• fresh asparagus
• margarine
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• Salt
• Ground nutmeg
• Pepper
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 Tablespoons chopped almonds
• 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Use chunk-sized crab, or cut crab legs into 1-inch chunks
2. Steam asparagus until slightly tender.  Plunge into cold water to blanche.  Cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
3. In a saucepan melt margarine.  Add mushrooms and chopped onion, and cook until onion is tender.  Stir in cornstarch, salt, nutmeg, and pepper.  Add the milk all at once.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.  Stir in crab and asparagus pieces.
4. Pour/spoon the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the almonds and Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle over casserole
6. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes