Food Network: Baked Asparagus

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Baked Asparagus
Recipe courtesy Kathleen Daelemans

Ingredients
2 bunches asparagus, washed
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place asparagus in a large plastic bag. Drizzle half the olive oil over the
asparagus, seal the bag and shake until asparagus is coated evenly with the olive
oil. If necessary, add only enough of the remaining olive oil to coat the
asparagus. Place the asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet, season with
salt and pepper. Bake until tender or crunchy depending upon your preference,

about 12 to 20 minutes.

Directions
Tips: (Shortcut chef) Toss asparagus with oil, salt
and pepper as directed below and store in refrigerator until you're ready to bake
it off. Get into the habit of spending 5 to 15 minutes prepping tonight or
tomorrow's dinner during the day and you will be eating in more than out. The
weight will come off quicker with home cooked healthful meals and you know it.
Tip: From mom's lips to your ears: You forgot to tell them to snap off the woody
bottoms. Tell em to hold asparagus, one at a time, in their hands near the cut end
and snap it like kindling. Mother Nature saw to it that the asparagus breaks in
just the right spot, save the ends for stock.
Morph: Serve one other simple veggie side and a piece of oven baked fish such as
salmon and dinner is all done. Cook off extra asparagus and throw it into a

frittata, polenta, or pasta later in the week.
If the Queen's coming for dinner, toss cooked asparagus with fresh lemon, plate
and garnish with thin curls of Parmesan.
Tip: Asparagus starts losing its sweetness the minute it's cut, therefore, as
always, look for the freshest stalks possible. Skins should be smooth and bright
colored with tightly formed heads.