Simple Asparagus

Kids are notorious for being picky eaters and veggies seem to be one of their biggest eating obstacles.  I try to make a wide variety of foods because I have found that if I always make the same kind of foods, they only want the same kinds of foods.  Asparagus is not a common "kid food," but it can be!  I only began making asparagus a few years ago, and at first had no idea how to even prep it to be cooked.  Since then, I have tried making it many different ways, from grilling to baking and with different seasonings; some I have liked better than others, some have been easier than others.  There is nothing fancy about this recipe - it is as simple as it gets - but it is perfect for a quick side dish that the whole family can enjoy.  To make it a little more appealing for the kids, I let them eat the spears with their fingers, like french fries.

INGREDIENTS:

• Asparagus
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Parmesan cheese
• Lemon Pepper seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the asparagus by washing the stalks and snapping off the ends.  (Gently bend the stalk, holding it at both ends.  It will naturally snap in the appropriate place.  My five-year-old likes to help with this.)
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add the asparagus; immediately turn the heat to medium and simmer for 2-2 1/2 minutes (not longer!).
3. Drain and put the asparagus in a bowl or back into the pot.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lemon pepper to taste.

Difficulty: Super easy

Time: The time that it takes to boil water + less than 5 minutes.

Source: I researched many ways to prep and cook the asparagus in cookbooks and online and found this to be one of the easiest and most foolproof; then I tried different combinations of seasonings and settled on this.  Perfectly simple.

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