Basic Asparagus Recipes

EASY ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in onion and garlic, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. Cook and stir until tender. Place asparagus in the skillet, and cook 8 minutes, turning occasionally to coat with seasonings. Sprinkle wine into the skillet, and scrape up any browned bits.
• Transfer asparagus to a shallow dish. Drizzle with remaining mixture in skillet, and dust evenly with Parmesan cheese and crushed whole wheat crackers.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

BASIC BOILED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring about 6 quarts of water to a rapid boil in a covered pot large enough to hold the asparagus. Cut the bottom section- usually about 1 to 2 inches off the asparagus stalks with a sharp knife. Peel the asparagus by laying them flat, one at a time, on a cutting board. If the asparagus are thinner than 1/2-inch, use a vegetable peeler and peel the asparagus starting at the base of the tip and peeling them all the way down to the base, eliminating the fibrous peel and revealing the pale green flesh. If the asparagus are very thick or woody, use a paring knife and start peeling from the base. When ready to cook, toss the salt into the boiling water and carefully lower in the asparagus. Turn the heat to low and simmer the asparagus, uncovered, until the spears are easily penetrated with a knife, usually after about 5 minutes but from 1 minute for very thin asparagus to 12 minutes for the very thickest. If serving cold asparagus, plunge the hot cooked asparagus into ice water or rinse under cold water in a colander. Pat dry.

QUICK AND EASY BAKED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Spread asparagus out on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until desired crispness, about 15 minutes.

EASY ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Place the asparagus on an ungreased baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; turn to coat. Bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

BASIC ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap the ends off the asparagus where they break naturally. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the lower two-thirds of the stalk.
• Bring an inch of salted water to a boil in a skillet. Put the asparagus in a single layer in the skillet, cover and cook just until the asparagus turn bright green, about three minutes. Alternatively, the asparagus can be steamed in a steamer.
• Drain the asparagus, chill them under cold running water, drain, then dry on paper towels.

EASY BAKED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375-400°F.
• Remove fibrous end pieces of the asparagus.
• Lay asparagus across shallow baking dish and add oil, salt, lemon juice, and pepper. Roll and toss to coat well. Arrange the oiled asparagus in the pan so they do not overlap.
• Bake in oven 20 minutes.

SIMPLE AND TASTY WHITE ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Add the lemon juice, butter, and salt to a pot of water and bring to a simmer.
• Peel the asparagus and trim the ends; Simmer until tender (How long this takes.
• will vary with the size of the asparagus so check them frequently).

SIMPLE ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Stir in vegetables and seasonings; cook until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally., Stir in rice and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally., Puree soup using an immersion blender, or cool slightly and puree soup in batches in a blender. Return to pot and heat through. If desired, serve with sour cream and croutons. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight (soup may separate). In a saucepan, reheat to boiling, whisking until blended.