Crunchy Asparagus Medley Food

PERFECT ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus (if you sharply bend the asparagus near the base, it will snap in the right place). Discard the ends.
• Place the asparagus on the sheet and drizzle with 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, just enough to lightly coat the asparagus. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the asparagus, and toss until the spears are lightly coated in oil. Arrange the spears in a single layer on the pan.
• Bake just until the base of the asparagus is easily pierced through by a fork. Very thin asparagus, like the kind shown here, will take as little as 9 to 12 minutes, whereas thicker asparagus will need 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer the roasted asparagus to a serving platter and season however you'd like. You could keep it simple with a squeeze of lemon juice, or a sprinkle of Parmesan, or add a pat of butter or drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
• Roasted asparagus is best served when it's fresh out of the oven, but it will keep at room temperature for up to 1 hour or up to 4 days in the refrigerator (gently reheat before serving).

GRILLED ASPARAGUS MEDLEY

Steps:

• In a disposable foil pan, combine the vegetables, olives and garlic; drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley, salt, pepper, lemon-pepper and dill; toss to coat. , Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

SAUTEED VEGETABLE MEDLEY

Steps:

• Toss vegetables together in a medium bowl.
• In a medium saute pan, heat the butter and water together over medium heat. Add the vegetables to the pan and turn the heat to medium high. Toss the vegetables, by gently moving the pan back and forth over the flame. Cook the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
• Cook the vegetables in 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter, without the water. Do this over high heat and brown and crisp the vegetables slightly.
• Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, minced shallot, a teaspoon of grated peeled fresh ginger to the pan before adding the vegetables. - Enhance the vegetables at the end of cooking with a tablespoon or so of minced fresh herbs, like chopped flat-leaf parsley, dill, mint, basil, cilantro, or thyme.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Fill a large bowl with ice water, and put a colander or strainer in it. Add the vegetable to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until crisp tender, or the desired degree of doneness. Scoop the vegetable from the water and immediately put them in the ice water, to stop the cooking and set their color. Cool and drain, and use as desired. When blanching a mix of vegetables, don't cook them together since they may not all cook at the same time. Start with the lightest colored or mildest flavored vegetable, and blanch and refresh each vegetable, one after the other, until cooked as desired.

CRUNCH CRAZY ASPARAGUS SPEARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Prepare the asparagus by trimming off the tough woody stem.
• Set up a breading station by whipping the egg whites and mayonnaise together (the mayonnaise helps the whites stick to the asparagus). Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
• In a separate, dish add the panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and paprika. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix. Dip each asparagus spear in the egg wash and then coat evenly in the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Place the spears on a wire rack over a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with some olive oil (this will help them crisp up).
• Bake until golden and crispy, 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS MEDLEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and trim asparagus, removing tough ends; cut spears in half and place in large bowl with sliced onions, peppers, celery and garlic. Toss vegetables together with balsamic vinegar and olive oil; mix well and allow to marinate at room temperature 15 minutes. Coat a large flat baking sheet with food release spray and spread asparagus mixture evenly in pan; sprinkle with sea salt and roast 20 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit or until vegetables start to brown. Serve hot.

PAN-SEARED ASPARAGUS WITH CRISPY GARLIC

Steps:

• Place a paper towel-lined plate next to the stove. In a medium or large skillet, combine the garlic and olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking the skillet often, until the garlic is very light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, tilt it, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to the towel-lined plate, leaving the remaining oil in the skillet. Season the crispy garlic with salt.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking often, until bright green, crisp-tender and browned in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Slide onto a platter, including any oil in the skillet. Top with the garlic chips and season again with salt and pepper.

YAM AND APPLE MEDLEY

Steps:

• Layer half of yams, all of apples, and remaining yams and raisins in a greased 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.
• In a small saucepan stir apple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, and spices until smooth.
• Add butter and stir over medium heat, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Pour over yam mixture.
• Lightly grease foil and loosely cover baking dish, greased side down.
• If making ahead, refrigerate up to 5 hours.
• Bake in preheated 400° oven for 40 to 45 minutes until apples are tender.
• I have baked these at a lower temperature if something else is roasting in the oven. Just be sure to adjust the baking time.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS MEDLEY

Steps:

• Line a grill pan with double layered aluminum foil and spray with Pam.
• Combine the vegetables, olives and garlic in a large zip lock bag.
• Drizzle with oil and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle with parsley, salt, pepper, lemon-pepper and dill.
• Toss to coat.
• Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until vegetablers are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
• Half way through, dot the top with butter.
• Just before removing from the grill add Parmesan cheese (if using) and a spritz of fresh lemon and grill another 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts.

SPRINGTIME ASPARAGUS MEDLEY

Steps:

• In large saucepan, bring water to oil. Add aspargus; cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. (I steamed my asparagus in the microwave.) Drain.
• Add tomatoes; cover and keep warm.
• In a blender, combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, salt and paprika; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream.
• Pour over asparagus mixture and toss to coat.
• Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with almonds and blue cheese if desired. Serve warm.