Recipe Round-Up: Soy-Glazed Asparagus with Pecans

I love Fridays. I especially love Fridays when the forecast calls for 80 degree weather. And I love all the yummy food that goes with this season.

So, let's bust out some asparagus, shall we?

This dish is pretty spectacular! It is tangy and refreshing, perfect for the summer. You must try it this weekend because I promise it will make you want to sing a little ditty.

And like most of my recipes, it is SO STINKIN' SIMPLE!

Here's what you need:

 

 

Asparagus, Pecans, Sugar, Olive Oil, Pepper,

Cider Vinegar and Soy Sauce.

That's it. Nothing else.

 

 

Here is the star of the show: asparagus.

Or as Wikipedia and I like to say, Asparagus officinalis.

 

 

Make sure the asparagus heads are firm and still clumped together. I heard that on the Food Network.

 

 

Snap the ends off. Just bend those suckers until they break.

 

 

And put on a pan of water to boil.

 

 

Drop them in. You don't want to cook them through, just until they turn bright green.This should only take 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile...

Let's mix up the glaze!

 

 

Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil...

 

 

A little bit of cider vinegar...

 

 

 

 

A little bit of soy sauce...

 

 

And some sugar. I have also used Splenda for this dish and it turned out great! Just add a packet/teaspoon at a time until it is the sweetness you like.

 

 

Next, grind up some pepper.

I love the sound of grinding up pepper. Weird, I know.

 

 

Okay, now it's time for some nuts. Grab a handful of pecans and chop them up.

Side note: I still love my knife. Thanks, siblings.

 

 

I love pecans.

Side note: My grandparents used to have a goat farm in Texas (that's right, you heard me) and in their front yard they had a huge pecan tree. I remember shelling pecans for hours and we would each take home huge sacks of them. I miss my grandparents and that tree...but not the goats.

 

 

Okay, throw those pecans in there and mix it all up. Make sure you let the sugar dissolve.

Now, quick! Go check on your asparagus!

 

 

Yep, they're ready! Perfect timing.

 

 

Now immediately throw them into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This helps them keep that bright green color.

 

 

After they are cooled, put them in a dish.

They have no idea what is about to happen to them...

 

 

They just became blissfully happy, that's what happened to them.

This is what asparagus were grown to do.

 

 

Pour the sauce and the pecans all over. Make sure everything is coated.

 

 

And there you have it! I dare you to eat one.

You can eat them at room temperature or you can pop them in the fridge. I love both ways.

Give this a whirl and let me know what you think!

But I do know one thing, your asparagus will never be the same.

Here is the recipe, my friends:

1 1/2 pound asparagus

2 TBSP olive oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sugar (you can reduce this amount to 1/4 cup or use Splenda)

3/4 cup chopped pecans

pepper

Wash asparagus and snap off the ends. Place asparagus in a boiling pan of water until al dente, or bright green. Immediately put asparagus in an ice bath and allow to cool for a few minutes.

For the glaze, mix all the remaining ingredients. Place cooled asparagus in serving dish and pour glaze over the top. Serve room temperature or cold.

Happy Friday, you turkeys!