Asparagus: Making the Springtime Vegetable Easy and Fresh

Last night for dinner, with my brothers and step-mother's house, we needed a quick vegetable side dish to go with fish and brown rice. Luckly, my mom had asparagus in the fridge. I made this simple dish in 10 minutes and it was tasty! My brother was skeptical, but he asked for a second serving.

Asparagus is the classic springtime veggie. It's one of the first vegetables to shoot up in the garden in the spring. Asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse, rich in vitamin A, C, fiber, protein and calcium.

This method, blanching keeps the spears bright green and crisp-tender to maintain their nutritional value. Try this with salmon, white fish, steak, chicken, ham, or italian dinners.

Asparagus with Lemon (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus
• Lemon
• 1/2 tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Fill a deep medium-sized skillet with 1-inch of water.
• Rinse asparagus. Bend the tough ends at the bottom of the spear until they snap off. What remains is the tender spears.
• Place the spears in the water. Add 1/2 tsp of salt to the water and place 2 slices of lemon on top.
• Cook on medium until the water simmers softly. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes until the spears are bright green and fork tender.
• Drain the liquid and reserve the lemon for serving for people that want more lemon. Drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

That's it! It's very simple and fresh.