I have never been a fan of asparagus. No matter how good it is for you or how fresh you find it, I've never liked it.
All of this, however, is in the past.
Not only have I been converted, but I managed to convert my husband as well.Now, it did take longer to convince him that my cooking skills were skilled enough to cover the taste we both did not enjoy. Still, we have both seen the light when it comes to asparagus!
If you're an asparagus purist, I apologize. My palette is clearly not as developed as yours!.
So, those of you who are looking for a way to add this particular green to your list of likes, I hope this recipe tickles your taste buds! It's easy, quick, and accompanies just about any dish well.
Supplies:
-Asparagus (I'd start off with only 6-12 stalks for one person if you're not a fan of the veggie and are experimenting for the first time with it!)
-2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced or chopped
-Olive Oil
-Sea Salt
-Black Pepper
Directions:
-Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
-Wash the asparagus well. Hold each stalk near the end and bend to break. The natural "woody" part should snapp off naturally. If you don't wish to do this, feel each stalk for it's stiff end and cut it off with a knife.
-Place asparagus in a baking dish of any size. You can also spread them over a cookie sheet that is covered with aluminum foil if you like.
-Drizzle olive oil over the stalks. Use your better judgement. I'd say around a tablespoon, maybe a little bit more. Move the stalks around with a fork so that they are all equally covered.
-Add the chopped/minced garlic cloves. Depending on your love for garlic or eed for tast, I would always suggest using more rather than less. Again, move the asparagus around so the garlice has touched all of it and stuck to the olive oil fairly spread out. If you mince the garlic it will stick in clumps more than if you chop it. That's ok, though! It still tastes yummy!
- Sprinkle plenty of sea salt and pepper over the asparagus. My husband likes a lot of salt, but at least pit enough to really taste it! Once again, move the sparagus around with a fork s it's well coated.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes. Check periodiclyy and move the asparagus around. You don't want it to get flimsy! Ten minutes is really pushing it. I always stay closer to 5-7 minutes.
Not bad! Our friend David makes asparagus almost exactly the same way -- I always make a point to at least eat a little bit these days; it's good for the baby and all. Best asparagus I ever had, though, was at Texas de Brazil Brazilian Steakhouse ... Their "salad" bar sometimes features steamed asparagus with their secret strawberry sauce. To die for. Still haven't been able to find a recipe that comes close to that sauce, though!
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