How to Roast Asparagus

I seriously LOVE asparagus! I know I say that with a lot of foods, but asparagus is one of those veggies I would eat pretty much every day if I could. One of my favorite ways to eat them is roasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. For those of you who say you don't like asparagus, it is probably because of 1 of 2 reasons: 1) It was overcooked and mushy or 2) it wasn't prepped properly and had chewy, woody ends.

Well it is time to forget the asparagus of the past and to learn to make it properly! To start out, cover a baking sheet with a little aluminum foil (makes clean-up super easy) and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pick up a few pieces of asparagus and grip the stalks at either end. 

Bend the asparagus gently in the middle. The asparagus will naturally break where the woody part ends and the delicious stalk begins. Yes, this may mean you have some really short stalks (especially in the early and late parts of the season), but you don't want to eat that chewy part anyway, right?

Once you've separated all of the woody ends from the delicious end pieces, arrange the stalks on the baking sheet, drizzle with 1-1.5 tablespoons of olive oil (just eyeball it), and sprinkle salt/pepper on top. Toss gently with your hands to cover all of the asparagus with the seasoning and pop them into the oven.

The time it takes for the asparagus to roast is anywhere from 8-15 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your veggies. I like mine with a little give and a little crunch, so I roast mine for approximately 10 minutes. Ok, you know I'm not one for a timer, so lets be honest. I just fiddle with the asparagus at about the 8 minute mark, and if it bends slightly, I pretty much know it's finished.  Or you can always eat one to make sure it tastes good...or maybe just two...

See? Wasn't that simple?

Blueberry Muffins

What's better in the morning than hot blueberry muffins? Ok, maybe biscuits and gravy or a veggie omelet....but my gravy skills are a bit lacking and omelets can easily turn into scrambled eggs the second you turn to take a sip of your morning coffee.  So for the moment, I think I'll stick to the muffin. Plus, there's something about bitting into a warm muffin with fresh blueberries that makes me feel cozy and ready to take on whatever the day brings.

I like this recipe because the muffins are not too sweet and have a nice creamy touch from the vanilla.  I usually sprinkle some cinnamon on top (although I forgot this time), but feel free to jazz these up however you like.  Serve them with lemon curd or honey, add nuts, or even make a glaze to go on top. The possibilities are limitless!

Blueberry Muffins
Makes 11-12 muffins

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
3 T vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk

Directions

• In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
• Combine the egg, milk, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, gently stirring until the dry ingredients are just moistened. There should be some small lumps, but not large patches of flour.
• Gently fold in the blueberries. *Tip - if you want your blueberries to stay more whole as they bake, toss them with a teaspoon of flour before mixing them into the batter.
• Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups to two-thirds full.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. 

Don't want to get up early to mix the ingredients? Prepare the wet and dry ingredients the night before and store them (separately) in the fridge. When you get up the next morning, all you have to do is mix them together, fold in the blueberries, and you're ready to bake! For the best results, let the ingredients sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before mixing.

Greek Orzo Salad

Yay, Spring has Sprung in the District! As the weather gets warmer, I start looking for new ways to spice up salads. Why do I crave salads more in the spring/summer? Well, mostly because I don't have to heat up my kitchen stove to make them, which saves me money on air conditioning/electric, which gives me more money to spend on food! (see, all my life's choices go back to food)

Lately I have been on a Greek kick.  Every time I make a salad, I use a red wine vinaigrette (as opposed to my usual balsamic vinaigrette).  For this orzo salad, I used a mixture of several veggies I had in my fridge, so feel free to change the veggies as your tastes suggest.  As is, this recipe is more of a side dish; however, you can add additional ingredients to make a more filling dish. For example, I added some roasted chicken, feta cheese, and mixed salad greens for a great lunch. As always, let your tastes guide you!

Makes 2 large servings or 4 side servings.

Ingredients
3/4 Cup dry orzo
1 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice (eyeball it)
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t dried dill
1/4 t salt (or to taste)
1/8 t fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
1/2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 small yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 zucchini, chopped
5-6 small Kalamata olives, chopped

Directions

• Cook Orzo. Cook the orzo according to boxed instructions. Once cooked, drain immediately and run cold water over the orzo to stop the cooking.
• Mix Vinaigrette. Mix olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, and dill in a small bowl with a fork until well combined. Adjust seasonings to taste.  If you want it a bit sweeter, add a touch of sugar or honey.
• Chop Veggies. Chop all of your veggies and olives.  If you don't want your zucchini to be raw, you can blanch the chopped zucchini by placing them with the orzo in the last minute of cooking. Don't like zucchini? Try an English cucumber instead.
• Mix Everything Together.  Mix the orzo, veggies, and dressing together in a bowl. This tastes great immediately, but for a stronger flavor, let the salad rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours.