Friday, July 24, 2009

Recipe: Asparagus a la Almandine


Veggies are healthy so I'm trying to eat more of them. The problem I'm running into is that I'd like to spend less time preparing them for consumption. In addition, there are few vegetables that I like to eat raw. Therefore, I'm always trying to find quick ways to prepare vegetables. This almandine recipe is one of my favorites. Tonight, I had it with asparagus, but it is just as tasty with steamed broccoli or peas.

Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 17 minutes

Ingredients:
*1 lb. asparagus
*2 T butter
*1 T olive oil
*1/4 cup cut almonds
*1 T lemon juice (optional)
*freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1.) Cut the rough ends from the apsaragus.
2.) Brush the asparagus with olive oil making sure to coat all sides.
3.) Cook 12 minutes on the grill turning a few times to cook both sides (Side note: I don't have a grill at home so it works just as well to cook under the broiler for 12 minutes). You know the asparagus is ready when you can easily stick a fork through it. The cooking time may depend on your cooking method and utensils.
4.) Meanwhile, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Add the almonds and cook until browned and fragrant.
5.) Add the lemon juice (I prefer it without lemon juice because I like the buttery almond taste as is) and cook an additional 1 minute.
6.) Place cooked asparagus on a plate, spoon the almandine mixture on top, sprinkle ground pepper and enjoy!

2 comments:

Cynthia said...

Always wondered how this delicate
dish is prepared - Thank you.

food.wine.sunshine said...

You can try it out on various types of vegetables. I bought green beans the other day and this would have been perfect.