Asparagus

I’ll have to admit. One of my LEAST favorite vegetables. Maybe its because of the texture, maybe its the very astringent smell after you eat it. I’m not sure what it is, but its one on my list, along with Arugula that I rarely eat! I have a major distaste for it.

After all, asparagus does have a lot of health benefits and nutrients! 1 cup of cooked asparagus has 40 calories, 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 404 milligrams of potassium. Potassium is good for blood pressure and asparagus also contains asparaptine, which helps improve blood flow and in turn helps lower blood pressure.

Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells.

It's also one of the top ranked fruits and vegetables for its ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. This may help slow the aging process and reduce inflammation.

Because of all of these benefits, I made an effort to fully round out my veggie consumption palette and trying to find ways to make it how i like it! I’m trying to find the best way to cook it that tastes good to me. The right texture though is EVERYTHING!

For the purpose of this post I tried cooking it two ways. Roasted and Boiled. To my surprise I loved it boiled more than roasted! I love every veggie roasted, but this one I really loved just boiled. It comes out such a beautiful green color too! Maybe that’s why I loved it so much!

I ended up putting it on my salad and chopped it and it was the perfect texture. A bit of crunch but not too much.

I’m keeping this recipe SUPER simple. However, I’m going to include the comments from the viewers from my LIVE Facebook video preparing this as they were some great ideas!

Ingredients ROASTED:

• 1 bunch asparagus

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Break off bottom ends, rinse Asparagus under cool water in a strainer. Let drain completely.

3. Place lengthwise on baking sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze of lemon, 1 tsp sea salt.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients: BOILED:

• 1 bunch asparagus

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 6 cups water

• 1 tsp White MIso Paste

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Bring stove top burner to medium/high heat.

2. Break off bottom ends of asparagus and rinse well. Let set aside.

3. Fill with water, olive oil, miso and sea salt. Bring water to roaring boil. Add in bunch of asparagus.

4. Let cook for 60 seconds! no more. no less. Remove immediately!

5. Let cool and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy! This is my continuation of how to cook veggies and how to incorporate more into your diet one veggie at a time!

Here is another suggestion from other followers! I’d love to hear yours!

Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake. Drizzle with balsamic after removing from oven.

Thanks for following along!

XX

Angie