Simple, Healthy, Delicious: Asparagus

My one caution about asparagus is not to overcook it, and that’s a pretty universal sentiment.  Even going back to Rome, the Emperor Augustus is said to have dispatched an order to be completed in “less time than it takes to cook asparagus.”  Here are a few ideas for you.

Grilled Asparagus

I love to grill or put asparagus under the broiler. It’s simple, quick and delicious.

Directions

• Preheat grill or broiler for high heat.
• Lightly coat the asparagus spears with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Grill over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or to desired tenderness. Rotate about a minute or so, on each side
• Serve

Asparagus Stir Fry

Another way I do asparagus is to blanch the spears and then stir fry them. I like to add contrasting colors to my dishes so carrots or red bell peppers would go well.

Use sliced onions as a base and sauté them with our olive oil until very tender. Slice the red bells very thin or if you are using carrots use a vegetable peeler to get very thin slices. Slice these carrot strips again lengthwise and sauté with the onion. Then toss in the asparagus and cook about 2-3 minutes.

If you are doing a meat in your stir fry, cut your meat into thin strips season and sauté alone until done. Remove from skillet.

Now sauté your onions, when done add asparagus and meat. Work for 2-3 minutes until done.

If you would like a sauce, remove all ingredients when cooked and add chicken broth and a little thickener (arrow root, barley flour, corn starch). On a high flame work the sauce until it begins to thicken up reintroduce the ingredients to the sauce for a quick stir and mix.