This sautéed asparagus is one of the easiest and quickest veggie side dishes in town, and takes a mere few minutes to prepare. My kinda veggie dish!
Asparagus is rich in Vitamin A (for immune function and vision) and Vitamin C (antioxidant), Vitamin K (helps blood clot), fibre (need I explain what that helps) and is packed with folate, otherwise known as B9. Folate helps protect against neural tube defects in pregnant women and is also essential for keeping your heart healthy among other things.
You can simply use all olive oil and leave out the butter if you want to make this dairy free or vegan.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 2 lb of fresh asparagus, ends trimmed*
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 clove smashed garlic**
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
* trim the asparagus by bending the stems 3/4 of the way down toward the end, the woody part will snap off
**smash a clove of peeled garlic with the side of a chef’s knife, pressing down firmly on the clove with the palm of your hand while holding the knife horizontally
Directions:
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with the oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the clove of smashed garlic, stirring, until it is fragrant but not brown, approximately 30-60 seconds.
- Add the trimmed asparagus, the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté and turn occasionally with rubber tongs until the asparagus is cooked but still crisp, approximately 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed (to taste). Remove the garlic clove and serve immediately!