Home Cooked Thoughts

I know we’re not truly in asparagus season, but i thought I would share a yummy recipe with you that makes a healthy, tasty side dish to compliment almost every meal.  Many good grocery stores still carry asparagus that has been imported from countries that are in their winter months right now . . . making it in season.  (I should assure you that I am not an authority on vegetable seasons and such, but my husband loves asparagus so I had to eventually figure it out.)

So, without further ado . . . pick up some asparagus and some snap peas . . . enough to serve any number you would like . . . and we’ll get started.

Trim the asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces.  (BTW – If you are not going to cook the asparagus as soon as you bring it home, it stores best if you stand it up in some water inside your fridge.)

Trim the snap peas, being sure to remove any strings the produce professional may have left behind.  Trim these, but leave whole!

I like to put both of these veggies in an ice bath an leave them on the counter until just before I’m ready for them.  This dish takes only minutes to cook so when you have 7 – 8 minutes of cooking time left on your main dish, you should plan on starting this side dish.

I forgot to mention the garlic that you need to prepare.  I take a few cloves of garlic, chop ‘em up, and leave them on the ready. Remember that the easiest way to peel garlic is to smash it with your knife first.  It will release the garlic’s natural juices and allow you to peel the paper away easily.

Preheat a skillet – I tend to gravitate towards my large bottomed stainless steel skillet that has 1 inch sides.  Once the pan is hot, add some olive oil.  The amount depends completely on the quantity of veggies you are cooking.  I usually cook enough to serve 4 and I end up using 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  And yes, I prefer olive oil because of the flavor and it’s proven benefits to heart health.

Drain your veggies and toss those babies right into that skillet.  Season with kosher salt, pepper, and toss in that garlic.  Now, saute everything for 5 – 6 minutes and you are done.  I know it sounds too easy, and it is!  Don’t try to over-think it . . . these ingredients have such strong natural flavors that you just don’t need to do much to them.

If you prefer to have your veggies a little more tender, then cook them longer, but for the sake of he veggies – don’t over do it.  Eating them crisp is not only tasty, but good for you!