Menu Monday: A is for Asparagus with Brown Butter

Y'all, every school in our area had a snow day but ours.  We did start later (10), but STILL.  We couldn't get out of our driveway, so Zach's boss came and picked him up.  I'm either going to take a vacation day or make up the hours on lunch and after work.  It's supposed to start warming up tomorrow, but then we are expected to get "A slushy accumulation of less than an inch."  Pardon me? Arkansas, you better step it up with your road maintenance...  It is only January after all.

So while we were in Chicago, Zach said that he has decided he likes asparagus.  For the longest time, neither of us liked it though we did eat it on occasion and found it tolerable.  But now we are in the pro-asparagus camp.  This is one vegetable I never had growing up, and I'm pretty confident that the first time I tried it was in the past ten years, probably having been served it as part of a pre-determined menu (at someone's house or at one of those restaurants where you just don't request substitutes or removals).

With the New Year, I am trying my best to eat healthier and exercise.  I'm trying to follow the mini goals over at 100 Days of Real Food, and I'm proud to say I'm doing fairly well with Week 1--eating two fruits and/or vegetables with every meal.  We had veggies for dinner over the weekend, and I decided to try my hand at asparagus.  I served it with a brown butter sauce, and it was pretty yummy!

ASPARAGUS WITH BROWN BUTTER

1 lb of asparagus

1 cup of water

salt to taste

5 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

-Wash asparagus and snap off the tough ends.  (I felt finding the tough spot was very intuitive.)

-Using butcher string, tie asparagus into bundles of 6-10 shoots.  Sprinkle with salt to taste.

-Bring water to boil in a sauce pan and stack bundles perpendicularly to one another:  two going horizontally with two stacked vertically.  Continue until all are stacked.  Steam for 5 to 10 minutes.

-Meanwhile, melt butter in a  saucepan and cook slowly on medium heat, whisking frequently, until it begins to brown and smells nutty.  You will also notice flecks start to form, which are the milk solids browning.  The butter will foam as it cooks; once the foam subsides, it will turn brown very quickly.  Remove from heat once it turns brown--better too soon than too late.

-Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour brown butter over steamed asparagus and serve immediately (1 Tbsp. per two bundles).

I served my asparagus with balsamic roasted potatoes, green peas, and Texas Toast (which isn't very healthy but is oh-so-good!  Brown butter can be intimidating because it does require a close eye.  But it is little effort for BIG taste!  It also makes a wonderful addition to many other dishes, including savory and sweet ones (you would just leave out the lemon juice and spices for baking).

And here are my tied bundles, of which I was very proud :) :

What are some things you are doing and eating to get healthier this year?