Easy spring Asparagus

May 10, 6:17 PMNY Easy Meals ExaminerChannon Hodge & Tina Corrado

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Not only is today a hangover day (I think you have to call it a double hangover day if you go out two nights in a row), but it's also an "I hate boys" day. Usually, I cure these days by beating myself up at the gym or eating.

It's too nice a day to spend it in the gym–so, let's eat.

At my local farmer's market at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza , the main attraction is now spring asparagus. Restaurants await this gem of a veggie all winter. I work at La Fonda del Sol, a Spanish-Tapas-Lounge restaurant at Grand Central Station. As soon as they looked good enough, our chef put these babies on the menu with montcabrere cheese and powdered olive oil (uh...duh...yeah...it's tasty...yep).

Even though asparagus can be rather pricey at $4 per pound, it is one of the easiest vegetables to cook and surprisingly filling. I often fill my plate with them, but can't come close to finishing. They contain less than 4 calories per spear and a serving will give you 3 grams of fiber. 

The fancy way to cook asparagus is to do some sort of blanching technique, which cooks the spears quickly and then shocks them in cold water. This maintains the vibrant green color. But keep in mind–this is double hangover day–so for me so that's one too many pans to clean. I like my veggies blistered all over and caramelized and topped with a shiny yellow egg. This dish is one pot dish and takes less than 20 minutes. It's also a similar method that you can use to cook many other vegetables like carrots:

Caramelized Asparagus with Garlic (20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• Asparagus (duh) - 1lb
• 1-2 tbs Olive Oil
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 egg per serving

Preparation:

1. Wash asparagus roots and all (don't forget the leafy tops).
2. Cut 1 1/2 to 2 inches of the bottom stem. Some people will tell you to chop half the asparagus off. I say - don't waste your veggie. If the bottom is purple - cut a little more. Otherwise 1 1/2 inches is fine. You're doing this because the bottoms tend to be tough.
3.  In a large skillet, on medium-high heat,  add asparagus and 1/3 cup of water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes.
4. Now, you're ready to start blistering. Uncover the pot and let all water bubble off. Add your olive oil and toss to coat. Let the asparagus sit and blister, moving them around just a few times.
5. Once you've got them half-way to your liking (takes 5-10 minutes) add in the garlic, and toss for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper (red pepper is great also) and plate the asparagus.
6. I top my asparagus with a sunny side egg that I cook right in the same pan on medium heat with the cover on. (Nutritional estimation with egg: 360-400 calories, 6g protein, 5.5g saturated fat. Light meal feeds 2 with 2 eggs or just one if you're very, very hungover)

If this is something you're making for a hot date, first of all, congratulations on your date! You can actually leave off the garlic and add in half an orange, seeded and cut into chunks. Make sure you let the orange caramelize well.

More Information:

• Asparagus.com (Yes, there really is an asparagus.com) 
• Community Farmer's Markets
• Mark Bittman - Food God for the rest of us - Asparagus and Shad Fish Dinner.

* Note - all nutritional information is an estimation by me. I do not do diets. If you are on a diet, please check these numbers yourself. Each tablespoon of olive oil will add the most calories to the dish - 1 tbsp is, on average, 120 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat.