asparagus

[MicheleF]

I am going to try to steam asparagus tomorrow night....Never in my life have I even cooked asparagus so I'm not sure where to begin http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/confused.gif I am trying something different since we always tend to have the same vegetables. Anyway.....How long should I steam it? Any preparations before cooking it that I need to know about? How about ways to liven it up??? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated....Thanks!!!

[McSix]

It steams very quickly. I usually bring the water to a boil, put the asparagus into the steamer, and pull it off the heat. We like our asparagus crisp-tender, and that works well. If I don't have a burner available, I put it in the microwave for just a minute, more or less. It is my family's favorite vegetable. I've put a little lemon in whith it on occasion.

[Don]

Hi Michele,

The one hint that I would tell you is to make sure to get the stringy stalks off the bottom of the fresh asparagus. You can do this one of two ways. You can peel it with a vegetable peeler or you can grab the stalks, one at a time, at the ends and near the middle and snap them. They will snap off at just about the place where the stringy parts end. The first time I cooked asparagus, it was a disaster. I didn't realize that fresh asparagus had these tough fibers at the bottom that needed to be removed. Good luck!

[Zinnia]

Hi Michele,
For 1 pound of asparagus, (about 2 cups pieces), this is the way I have done it for years..
Wash asparagus & break off woody bases, (where spears "snap"; about an inch or so from the end). With a vegetable peeler, scrape off the scales on lower half of stem (like peeling a carrot). Cut them into the size you want or, leave whole; you want the stems/pieces "crisp-tender".
To steam: Steam whole or 1-2 inch pcs. 4-6 min. (or less-it depends,,,).
To cook: Cook covered in small amount of boiling salted (opt.) water 4-6 min.
To microwave: Put in a micro-safe dish with 2 T. or so of water, cover, and micro on high 3-6 min. stirring at least once. Drain, season, & serve.
I know many others have recipes to share, don't ya guys? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif! It has taken me an hour to type this very complicated version of how I do it-Lol!I got swamped several times, & hope it makes sense to someone! You can also marinate it for 30 min. & cook on your grill; saute it in olive oil, garlic, & lemon-pepper seasoning; or blanch it & serve cold with a dip.......Whew!!!
Gotta go, http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Zinnia

[sneezles]

My recipe is similar to luv2cook except i don't blanch. I snap off ends and then on a foil lined sheet that has olive oil and about 5 cloves of minced garlic, I roll the asparagus to coat the bake at 400º for 8-10 minutes. Then sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and parmesean cheese, then broil for about a minute, until cheese is melted.
This is also good served cold.

[LGBurns]

Here's a link to a previous thread that contains one of my hands-down favorite asparagus recipes: Asian Asparagus and Orange Salad. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/003762.html
My husband and I both love this salad -- in fact, we just had it again the other night. It's very easy to make and can be eaten at room temp or cold. The other day I made it with tangerines instead of oranges for a change and it was delicious.

Just checked the recipe index and the Asian Asparagus Orange Salad is from the April 99 CL.

[This message has been edited by LGBurns (edited 02-11-2001).]

[jillmayre]

This is a fabulous way to fix asparagus. People will beg you for the recipe. It is an old Cooking Light recipe that I have used over and over and over again.

Marinated Asparagus Salad

2-1/2 pounds asparagus
3 green onions
1 diced red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


1. Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cover and cook in a small amount of boiling water 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water; drain well.

2. Trim white portion from green onions, and reserve for another use. Place green onion tops in a bowl; add boiling water to cover. Drain immediately, and rinse under cold running water.

3. Place asparagus in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or large plastic container with lid
.
4. Combine chopped onion and next 9 ingredients (onion through pepper) in a bowl; stir well. Pour over asparagus bundles. Cover and chill 2 to 8 hours.

5. Arrange asparagus on a serving platter. Spoon the marinated onion and peppers on top.

Yield: 10 servings.

[luv2cook]

This is what I do. snap off the nasty ends. I blanch for exactly two min. in boiling water. I then cool it under running water. Then I take a broiler pan and I line it with foil. Put the asparagas on top and sprinkle it with balsamic vinegar. I broil it on high for about 3.5 min. yum...

[michelern]

Thanks everyone for all of the good ideas!!! (had to change my user name due to different internet connection...CL didn't recognize me when I came onto the site with a new connection so I am now michelern....)
ANYWAY tonight is the big asparagus night. Think I'm going to do the balsalmic vinegar/parm cheese dish. Sounds so yummy! We will see if my first time cooking asparagus is http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif or http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/mad.gif