Super Side: Cajun Asparagus

When I was younger, I hated asparagus. With a passion. I'll never forget the night that my poor Mom spent way too long in the kitchen making a dish that the rest of my family ended up hating...Ham and Asparagus Casserole. Blah. None of us liked it, though looking back on it now I wish I'd been a little more discrete in my disgust (sorry, Mom). That was my first taste of the stuff, and while I don't think I found it as gross as I did lima beans (which I STILL hate and probably always will) or peas, I also wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of eating it again. My, how things change.

Fast forward a decade and a half or so, add in a more sophisticated palette and an affinity for food that I didn't have when I was a kid and, voila - I am now a huge asparagus fan. Alright, so it makes your pee smell bad...yep, I said it (most of you were thinking it anyway)...but so what? It's so yummy that I don't really care. AND, it's really versatile - there are several different ways it can be prepared, and plenty of flavor combincations that work really well. Like the roasted red potatoes I gave you here, it's just as natural to serve this vegetable with a casual dish as it is to add it to a fancy date night dinner. I've already given you a fancy way to prepare it (check it out as a date night side item here), so today I thought I'd show you how you can dress it down. Yes, it's a spicy recipe; however, this side is just as good if you omit the cajun seasoning, which will eliminate the spice factor for all of you who don't like the heat.

Cajun Asparagus

14 asparagus stems, white ends trimmed

1 1/2 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cajun seasoning

Ziploc bag

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place asparagus in ziploc bag and add olive oil, salt, black pepper and cajun seasoning. Toss to coat asparagus entirely with oil. Place in refrigerator while oven preheats. 

Add asparagus to lightly greased baking pan and cook in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately. This recipe makes 2 servings, so double it if you're planning on four.

Until next time...

Cheers!