Asparagus and Mushrooms, Sauteed

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Mirlandra's Kitchen

Her page has lots of extra info and tips.

I made this recipe and it's a keeper.  It's easy and tasty.  It can be modified to be oil-free.

• 1 bundle of asparagus
• 6-12 mushrooms crimini or baby bella
• 3 Tbsp. Butter (or not!)
• 1/4 cup water
• fresh ground pepper
• salt

Snap or cut the root ends off of asparagus spears and then snap or cut each spear into pieces 1"-3" long.

Wash and slice mushrooms.

In a large nonstick pan, add butter and mushrooms. Sprinkle on a little salt. Fry on medium - high heat until mushrooms are golden brown in color, about 1 minute.

 

Remove the mushrooms to a plate but leave the any remaining butter in the pan. 

Add asparagus, and water. Sprinkle additional salt (at least 1/8 tsp.) and grind in some pepper.

Saute the asparagus on medium high for about 2 minutes until it is bright green and slightly softened. If you bite a piece and it has a slight chew/crunch but is still mostly soft it is done.

Remove from heat, stir in mushrooms and serve hot.

Asparagus, Green Beans and English Peas

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Good Housekeeping

I saw this photo on Pinterest and knew I needed to try this combination.    What I was most interested in was putting these three items together.  Could it possibly look this pretty?  Yes and as it turns out, these three are awesome together!

Note:  I didn't follow the inspiration recipe to the letter.  I don't bother tossing the veggies in ice water after steaming.  They still retain their bright color just fine. I also don't bother sautéing an onion to add on top.  I usually have onions in another recipe at the same meal.   

Boil or Steam 5 to 7 minutes or until asparagus and green beans are tender.

• thin asparagus, cut into thirds at an angle
• green beans (haricots verts in case you want to act fancy), trimmed
• fresh or frozen (thawed) peas

Vinaigrette - In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, chives, sesame seeds, syrup, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.   To serve, toss vegetables with onions and vinaigrette.

• lemon juice
• fresh chives
• sesame seeds
• maple syrup

Full length green beans and asparagus would have been prettier, especially if making this dish for a special occasion.  It didn't matter.  It was still delicious and pretty - prettier than in my photo!

Asparagus in Instant Pot - with Garlic & Nooch

• 1 bunch of Asparagus, ends trimmed off
• 3 cloves of Garlic
• 1-1/2 cup water
• 3 tbs broth (or oil)
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast  (aka Nooch) - traditional version uses Parmesan

*Note: Recipes originally called for oil instead of broth, so the asparagus may not turn out all that crispy.

Instant Pot Version

1. Place 1-1/2 cup of water and trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot.  Nice touch - add lemon juice to the water.
2. Place Asparagus on a stainless steel insert with whole cloves of garlic.  Drizzle with broth / oil.   Salt and pepper to taste. If you like you can seasoned salt instead to kick it up a notch. Sprinkle with several drops of lemon juice, and lay a few thin slices on top of the asparagus.   Do not cover.  Can also use large piece of aluminum foil with the edges folded up so no broth leaks out.
3. Place your Pot on High pressure for 4 minutes for regular size stalks or 2 minutes for small ones.  
4. After 2 minutes natural release, do a quick release.   
5. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and serve.

Instant Pot Cooking Option from Another source -

Select the Steam option and set the timer for 0 minutes.  When the timer goes off, quickly release the pressure.

Alternate Stovetop Version

Heat broth in a large skillet over medium.

Add asparagus spears. Put a lid on the pan to steam for a few minutes. Continue to cook with lid removed so the asparagus will crisp. Stirring occasionally. Entire process only takes about 7 to 12 minutes.

Drain off broth, and sprinkle with Nutritional Yeast, salt and pepper.

How do I reheat asparagus?

If you have leftover pressure cooker asparagus that you want to reheat, simply place the leftover asparagus onto a cookie sheet and place it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is warmed. You can reheat the asparagus in the microwave but the texture will come out a little bit soggy. By reheating the instant pot asparagus under the broiler, you’ll have a nice crispy outside with a soft inside. 

Asparagus - Balsamic Roasted New Potatoes with Asparagus

A simple, delicious side dish featuring seasonal asparagus and new potatoes with the subtle sweetness of balsamic vinegar. 

Potatoes First

Preheat oven to 390F.

Line a large casserole dish or cookie sheet with parchment. Spread the potatoes in the dish. mix with oil, vinegar and salt.

Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes.  (Could also steam them.)

• new potatoes, cut into quarters
• A generous pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil - omit if avoiding oil
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Asparagus Last 15 Minutes

Mix in asparagus and cook for an additional for about 15 minutes. 

• asparagus tips, cut into 2 inch pieces or halved  (OR green beans)

Serve and enjoy!

CAUTION:  In the photo below, the potatoes were good, but the asparagus overdone and dry.  I did not use foil or a cover and I think I cooked the asparagus with the potatoes the whole time instead of the last 15 minutes.

You can use green beans instead of asparagus in this recipe!

This is before baking.  All I had on hand were frozen green beans, which are not as good, but it turned out OK.  I forgot to take a photo after they were cooked.