<p>I like to roast asparagus with a little olive oil, pepper and lots of balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I will sprinkle a little cheese over it.</p>
<p>Mix two parts mayonaisse and one part mustard and dip your cooked asparagus in it.</p>
<p>Roasted is the only way I’ll eat asparagus. H too. I make it like proudmom…although I can’t say I use lots of the vinegar…just a small splash. I love my barrel-aged balsamic vinegar. It’s a bit syrupy and a bit sweet. Use it on lots of things…roasted veggies. Or fish. Scallops. Shrimp. Salads. Low cal, tasty and I got it at TJMAX!</p>
<p>Tonight we had boiled asparagus. I complicated matters by adding salt, but still, pretty simple.</p>
<p>I love asparagus with Hollandaise and fresh black pepper, but making good Hollandaise can be really frustrating, if not complicated.</p>
<p>I like it oven roasted using a drizzle of sesame oil and splash of soy sauce instead of olive oil/salt.</p>
<p>what zoosermom said :D</p>
<p>Zoosermom said it and best of all it frees up a burner and rarely gets overcooked :D</p>
<p>If I’m doing it indoors, I just put it in a hot sautee pan with a little olive oil, salt and pepper it, and toss it until it starts to just barely get little brown/black marks here and there. Then, turn the heat down, cover the skillet, and let it “steam” until it’s cooked as done as you like it. You can toss on a little lemon juice or balsamic vinegar at the end, but you don’t have to.</p>
<p>I just steam lightly in microwave and save the extra for the hollandaise sauce 
3 egg yolks and 2 TBL lemon juice in food processor for 10 seconds or so, add 1 stick of hot melted butter poured in a stream while it is running and process for about 15 more seconds. Easy delicious sauce for asparagus or broccoli.</p>
<p>Roll the spears in an oil and vinegar type dressing - balsamic and garlic is good. Grill until just tender. Roll them over once or twice on the grill. Cook extra, they are great left over.</p>
<p>You absolutely can’t miss if you roast it–olive oil, S&P, maybe a little garlic. Have it all ready to go on your baking sheet and roast it at the last minute. Quick and easy. Garnish with the best parmesan you can find—shave it and throw on top of the asparagus after you’ve transferred to the serving platter. YUMMY! Couldn’t be simpler— Zoosermom and the Cook’s Illustrated recipe have it right…</p>
<p>Mudder’s_Mudder, thank you so much for that guide! I’ve never roasted any veggies because I wasn’t sure of time or temperature.</p>
<p>dragonmom, that’s what I do with asparagus! I like it grilled.</p>
<p>We just ate dinner - chicken-apple sausage and roasted veggies. I roasted yellow beets with olive oil, a dash of finely chopped garlic and some rosemary. The cauliflower was roasted separately with just olive oil.</p>
<p>^^^Roasted beets are amazing.</p>
<p>This is easy and delicious but you have to cut the asparagus.<br>
1.Snap off the woody bottoms
2.Cut in one inch pieces approx.
3.Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a small sauce pan and add 1/2 lemon
4.Add cut up asparagus toss in the butter and lemon, put lid on pot and cook on low
5.Check for tenderness with a fork usually takes about 10 minutes.
6.Add salt and pepper to taste.</p>
<p>If you leave it in too long or too high it could cook dry so check to make sure there is
liquid in the bottom.</p>
<p>Basically the asparagus steams in the butter and lemon and it’s own juices, delicious and very easy.</p>
<p>I wash, break the thick ends off, take a peeler and peel the lower tougher ends, stand them up in a vertical steamer and steam them. Put them in a serving dish with a pat of butter and a citrus seasoning mix…done. I’ve also been lazy and steamed them laying down in a big fry pan with alittle water and a tight lid, but you are supposed to stand them up so the tips don’ get mushy…no one in my family likes mushy tips. Much asparagus grown in our state and I love it when it’s in season.</p>
<p>Personally, I find asparagus to be the lobster of veggies. Who’s with me?</p>
<p>(Soooooo glad it’s spring.)</p>
<p>Agree zooser! </p>
<p>Also, I have gotten to the point where I roast almost ALL of my veggies. Red pepper, portabellas, zucchini, cauliflower, reg and sweet potatoes. Some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar is all you need IMO (although I do like freshly grated parm on my asparagus after roasting!)</p>
<p>To peel or not to peel:</p>
<p>I actually did several taste tests with foodie friends on whether or not to peel larger stems of asparagus. Unanimously… peel the larger stems. </p>
<p>I was seriously disappointed by this result; it’s annoying to have to do it, but the results are a LOT better. Enough better, in fact, that I now look for big fat stems of asparagus when I buy them, just so I can peel them.</p>
<p>Addition: cheater’s Hollandaise sauce: lemon, salt, pepper, egg yolks in blender. Melt butter and pour hot butter into blender while processing. If it’s not fully thick, pour into microwave-safe serving bowl and microwave ten seconds. Stir with fork. If still not thick, another ten seconds. Repeat if necessary. It will be hot, fluffy, thick, and does not separate. Same method works for Bearnaise sauce.</p>
<p>I prefer skinny asparagus! No peeling. I just cut them a bit at the ends.</p>