SAUTEED ASPARAGUS IN CHILIE AND LIME

This sauteed asparagus is tender asparagus stalks cooked in olive oil, chili and lime…PLUS a secret ingredient, CHAAT MASALA to give an extra kick. A ten minute side dish that pairs perfectly with chicken, steak, pasta and seafood. This is a simple yet satisfying way to get your veggies in with minimal effort!

Asparagus is healthy and readily available most of the year. Best of all, my family happily eats it! This sauteed asparagus is an easy way to get a flavorful vegetable on the dinner table in no time at all. Asparagus is full of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins A, C and K. It also contains folate, iron, copper and calcium. Asparagus is high fiber and low calorie and is also low in carbohydrates.

HOW DO YOU TRIM ASPARAGUS?

The bottom of asparagus stalks tends to be tough and woody, and isn’t that pleasant to eat. The best way to figure out where to trim your asparagus is to take a stalk and bend it. Wherever the stalk snaps is where the tender part starts and the tough part ends, usually 2 inches from the bottom. From there, you can line up all your asparagus stalks and trim the bottom off.

After cutting the tough part I cut the apparatus in half, so each stalk was about 3-4 inches long.

HOW DO YOU SAUTE ASPARAGUS?

The key to cooking fresh asparagus to make sure it’s tender, but not overly soft. You’ll want to watch the asparagus closely as it cooks. As soon as the color turns deep green, it can be removed from the heat.

While I enjoy this recipe as-is, sometimes I add other ingredients that I happen to have around the house to spice things up a bit!

Sun Dried Tomatoes: Add 1/3 cup chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes.

Mushrooms: Cook up 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms before you add the asparagus to the pan.

Olives: Add 1/3 cup sliced kalamata olives.

Cheese: Sprinkle feta or parmesan cheese over the asparagus before serving.

Pine Nuts: Add 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts right before serving.

No matter how you serve this sauteed asparagus, it’s sure to be a hit! We all need some go-to easy side dishes to complement dinner, and this one is a keeper.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

450 gms of asparagus

I juice of a lime

1 tsp chili flakes OR MORE IF YOU LIKE EXTRA SPICY

1/2 tsp chaat masala

salt to taste

parely to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat.

Add the asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just tender.

Stir in the chili flakes, chaat Masala, salt and lime. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring constantly.

Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.