*Post contains affiliate links-read more about that and our medical disclaimer here*
Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and before this I mostly enjoyed it steamed or roasted with a little salt, nothing fancy. If we were to get fancy, we would do bacon wrapped asparagus-because wrapping bacon around something is like insta-fancy, you know. This recipe kind of happened by accident; I was just messing around with a new way to make asparagus that would be quick and a little bit more exciting than our usual. So naturally I went for some of my favorite spices and added lemon, because duh! I love the combo of garlic, onion, salt, pepper and chili powder. Adding lemon just takes it to the next level! If you are feeling really crazy add the pinch of cayenne to it!
When creating the recipe I initially made it using the frying pan and then a roasting pan in the oven, separately sauteeing the onions and garlic first, removing them and adding the asparagus while reducing the liquid (which was a bit more than just lemon juice). After that it went into the oven and crisped up with the yummy bits and reduction spread on top. That is the short version-it was actually much more complicated than that. This initial recipe was a nice effect but I did not like how the texture of the asparagus was after being both parboiled and roasted. Then there was the fact that all of those ingredients sort of overpowered the meal as it was a very complex flavor combination. That along with the complicated method was reason enough for us to try and tone it down a bit.
We changed it to be a simpler method and more versatile-by omitting and modifying some ingredients it became a much faster and fresher tasting dish that we believe will be easier for many people to make. Oh, and now it is a vegan recipe as well. The method is easy and the ingredients are all pretty common ones for most households. Bonus-now the only equipment needed is a frying pan! We feel that this side dish will add excitement to many meals, particularly recommend starting out by serving with a meal of lighter protein such as fish or chicken with a side of potatoes or rice. Let us know how you like it in the comments! Remember to #realfoodtoheal and tag us in your photos on Instagram and Facebook!
| Prep Time | 2 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
6 people
|
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2-1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2-1 tsp black pepper
- juice of a small lemon
- pinch of cayenne pepper powder (optional)
Ingredients
|
|
- Cut ends of asparagus and place in frying pan with oil, stir to coat
- Evenly spread onions and garlic over top
- Mix all dry spices in a small bowl
- Sprinkle evenly over veggies in pan
- drizzle lemon juice over it all
- Cover and turn heat to medium high
- Set timer to 10 minutes
- Remove from heat and stir (feel free to take a pic first like we did)
- Serve as a side to your main dish or over rice
- Drizzle juices from pan over it for extra flavor