Asparagus... what to do with it?

Grilled asparagus is to die for but unless you have a grill pan or live somewhere very different from me, haha weather doesn't support that. Tonight I roasted asparagus and added to to a vegetable whole wheat pasta. It also had spinach, red bell pepper and chicken sausage. Pretty good if you ask me

You have to eat it fresh, and my favorite is on the BBQ.

Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill until tendercrisp, approx 2 mins on each side. (Don't skip the olive oil because it keeps them juicy and crisp)

My mother puts Italian dressing on them and grills or cooks them on the stove. Oh, and fresh is WAY better. Especially if you know someone that grows it

I eat asparagus almost every day. Love it! I prefer the thin stalks to the thick ones. You have to chop off about 3 inches or so off the bottom of the stalks (the woody part). Asparagus is done in only about 5-10 minutes. Cook only until bright green; don't overcook (I personally prefer it crunchy).

1. GRILL: You do need a grill pan. Place pan on the grill and preheat to med at least 5-10 min. After removing woody bottoms, chop asparagus stalks in half. Toss with a bit of oil (I use grapeseed) and sprinkled seasoning -- tonight I used Adobo, but sometimes Lemon Pepper, etc. Place on preheated grill pan, medium heat 5-7 minutes, stirring once.

2. BROILED WITH FRESH TARRAGON: Preheat oven to 450. chop woody bottom off stalks; lay out in single layer on cookie sheet. Tear off tarragon leaves and sprinkle on top. Spray with non-fat cooking spray and sprinkle with butter buds (or similar). Broil 5-10 min, depending on how much char you like.

3. SAUTEED WITH ONIONS AND SWEET POTATO / YAM: Peel and slice 1 large yam in half, then make thin slices (1/2 moon shape). Heat oil (I use grapeseed) over medium heat in a large fry pan; add yam and 1 chopped onion. Stir several times, and cover. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, then add chopped asparagus, stir, re-cover and continue to cook another 5 minutes or until yam is tender.

4. STEAMED: (I personally do not like it this way, but many people do). Place a steamer basket inside of pot with a few inches of boiling water. Place prepared asparagus (bottoms removed) into basket, cover. Steam 5 min. Toss with butter.

5. WITH SCRAMBLED EGGS: get everything ready first before putting anything in the pan. 2 eggs + a bit of water, whisked, chopped onion, bell pepper, tomatoes (whatever veggies) and of course asparagus. Melt 1 tsp. butter in fry pan over med heat. Add onions and peppers and saute until tender. Add everything else, stir until eggs are cooked, cover and leave to steam about a minute. I often add in 1/4 cup of salsa or marinara sauce.

Enjoy!

I had roasted asparagus with prosciutto and pecorino romano cheese at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza. It was spectacular. I assume they used olive oil and roasted it in the woodfiring oven. mmmmmmm

I'm boring but I love it just quickly steamed (about 2,5 mins) and have it like that, still has abit of crunch but it's tasty

First time around, you need to get fresh. It makes all the difference.

Thin stalks are typically more tender. The best way to figure how much to cut off the bottom is to pick up the piece and bend it near the bottom. It will have a natural break point and just snap. No knife required.

I agree that olive oil and minced garlic, grilled, is the tastiest. Just toss it all in a ziploc, sake, dump onto foil and pop on the grill.

If you are a salad person, it is super tasty raw. Just slice it thin, don't cook it and add it to your garden salad. If you've ever had raw peas, it's pretty similar. I love eating it straight from the garden!

BUMP

for all the new ways I want to try my asparagus. YUM!

Fresh, trimmed and washed. Toss in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil along with 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 cup of sliced mushrooms. Spread on a tinfoiled cookie sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper and roast at 400 degrees until desired consistency. I just made these again tonight, so yum!

I steam it w/ olive oil & sea salt or some greek seasoning.