How to Cook Asparagus

How to Cook Asparagus How to Cook Asparagus Sometimes when you are in the mood for preparing something tasty and nutritious but are in a hurry because you have children returning home from school, you can cook asparagus which your kids will like and you will also enjoy making it. There are various ways of cooking asparagus, and all of them are very easy. It only takes 15 minutes to have a dish of asparagus ready on the table. If you are a first-timer in this field, then go through the following steps, which will tell you in detail about how to cook asparagus. You can then start getting innovative and use your own ideas to add something to spice up the whole dish according to the taste of your family.

Before you start the procedure of cooking, make sure that you wash the asparagus thoroughly to clean it up. The woody stems the have to be cut off either with a knife or with your bare hands. By giving a simple twist, the spears of asparagus will break off at the desired points. This will also ensure that you use up all the tender portions and throw away the woody stems.
Steaming asparagus – You can do the steaming in the traditional way but you can also add some style by purchasing a special asparagus steamer. A steamer basket will be perfect for your job and will really be affordable too. After adding some water to the saucepan, put the steamer basket in it carrying the asparagus. Cover with a lid and keep steaming it. The asparagus should be ready after 2-3 minutes. The color will have changed to bright green and will be soft to the touch.
Roasting asparagus – You will get nicely roasted asparagus by this method. Keep the asparagus on the tray of a preheated oven at 400 degrees F. Cover it with plenty of olive oil. Make sure that all the spears are evenly coated with olive oil and so is the baking tray. You can use some sea salt or kosher salt for taste. Sprinkle with some finely crushed pepper too. The final touch can be added by sprinkling some garlic. Cook for about 10-15 minutes and you will notice some sizzling with a browning of the stems. The garnishing is usually done with some lemon juice or shreds of parmesan cheese.
Grilling asparagus – The same process has to be observed here except for the use of some aluminum foil. You can roll the asparagus in aluminum foil before grilling it. Put the grille lid down and your dish should be done by 3-5 minutes.
Other methods – Besides the ones mentioned above, you can also boil them, sauté in pan or stir fry them. You can use some butter to add more taste.

You must have found out by now that cooking asparagus is pretty easy, will take very less time and is quite tasty too. You can try all the methods and then settle for the one which you really like.