I am dating a veggie hater. He would be thrilled if every night for dinner he could have meat with a side of meat. Unfortunately for him the green stuff has a lot of the nutrients and vitamins that he and everyone else in the world needs. I try to sneak veggies into our meals whenever I can. Roasting vegetables gives them an interesting new flavor profile. They don’t taste so much like veggies, and they actually retain more of their nutrients than when you boil them.
The first time I tried roasted asparagus I was in shock. I had actually given up on asparagus a long time ago, because the boiled kind was icky, in my professional 13-year-old opinion. The epiphany of roasted asparagus became so much more magical when I realized how incredibly easy it was to make.
Roasted Asparagus:
I like to use the thinner asparagus, especially when I’m cooking for non-veggie lovers. They are more tender and their flavor is a little less strong.
Cut the ends of the asparagus off. Try to save as much of the asparagus as you can; you just want to cut off the dry ends much like you’d cut off the dry ends of roses before placing them in a vase.
Place the asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and move the asparagus around so it gets coated in the oil. Season with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Move the asparagus around a little more to make sure everything is evenly covered.
Roast in a 375 F oven for 15-20 minutes. The asparagus should shrivel up a little and turn a little brown. Serve warm with steak or pork chops or, if you want to be really healthy, a broiled chicken breast. Your veggie haters won’t know what hit them. They might even start asking for the green stuff.
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