“World’s Healthiest” Food #4 That I Like: Asparagus
Like dandelion greens, asparagus is an amazing food with tons of health benefits and few calories. Unlike dandelion greens, asparagus is a pleasure to cook and eat. It tastes good when cooked in a variety of simple ways: steamed, stir-fried in a skillet or wok, probably would be delicious deep-fried, and roasted.
The recipe below (pictured above) is for simple roasted asparagus. I think I got the original idea out of Sunset Magazine, but there’s nothing ground-breaking about it. Preheat your oven to about 400 degrees. Wash and trim the ends from 1 bunch asparagus. Toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Roastfor about 10-12 minutes. Just until the spears are nice and bright green. If you’re not sure, go ahead and taste one. If it’s tender, it’s done. Finish off with some lemon juice and you’re ready to eat!
(In the Sunset version of this recipe, they top the spears off with a thin layer of parmesan cheese right before popping them in the oven. The cheese melts delightfully into a thin crust on top of the asparagus. It is a truly delicious addition to the recipe, however, entirely optional. I didn’t add any cheese to mine because I didn’t have any in the house.)
