Lemony Roasted Asparagus

Spring is here and that means it is the height of asparagus season. Now, asparagus isn't really my favorite veggie, I'm a little more obsessed with green beans, but there is a lot to love about asparagus.

It's tasty, it adapts to different seasonings well, and its quick to cook.

Here is one of my go-to spring side dishes. The lemon and garlic flavor match well with just about any main dish and, best of all, this is ridiculously easy to throw together.

Lemony Roasted Asparagus
From: Me =)
Time: about 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
One bunch of asparagus
3 tbsp of olive oil
the juice of one lemon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
.5 tsp black pepper
one lemon, sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Prep a baking sheet by lightly spraying with olive oil to prevent sticking or break out a trusty Silpat. Arrange lemon slices evenly on the baking sheet.

Toss all other ingredients together in a bowl.

Arrange asparagus on the baking sheet, trying to make sure no pieces overlap. Pour any remaining juice/seasoning over the asparagus.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring once to prevent sticking and promote even browning.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 109, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Sodium 599 mg, Total Carbohydrate 4 g, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, Protein 2 g.

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Valentine's Day Steak Dinner

Valentine's Day dinner, I always look forward to it. We don't do anything crazy, but I like planning a nice date night in. The last few years we've had lamb. This year we decided to change it up and have steak. Radical, I know. 

I had seen this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago and it called to me. Steak, bacon, cheese, butter, cream, what's not to love? Well, to be honest, the calorie content. At nearly 1,500 calories a serving this doesn't exactly fit in the diet. 

So, I played with the recipe a little. My adapted version? Right around 800 calories per serving. Much better. 

This was really good. Like really good. I'm definitely keeping this recipe around for the next special occasion. 

Steak, Gruyere Noodles, and Asparagus

From: Zestuous

Servings: 2

Time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons shallots
1 bunch asparagus spears
2 ozs. Gruyère cheese 1 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
1 lb. beef tenderloin 1/2 lb beef tenderloin
4-6 slices bacon 4 slices of bacon
1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 T. plus ¼ tsp. course ground black pepper
4 ozs. thin spaghetti noodles 2 oz angel hair noodles
6 T. butter 3 Tbsp butter
2 T. olive oil 1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup cream 1/4 cup cream
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
2 T. cognac 1 Tbsp cognac

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring pot of water to a boil. Cut steaks into 4 pieces, wrap with bacon and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut the woody ends off asparagus. 

Add noodles to the boiling water and cook. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a cast iron pan. Add steak and sear on both sides. (About 5 minutes a side.)

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Add asparagus and 1 tbsp shallots, toss to coat in butter. Put the meat in the oven and let cook for 5 more minutes.

Drain noodles and return to pot. Add shredded cheese, 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp cream, and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Toss to melt all ingredients and evenly coat the noodles in the sauce.

Season asparagus with salt and pepper and toss to ensure even cooking.

Remove meat from oven and put back on a medium burner. Remove meat from pan and keep warm. Add shallots to hot pan and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add cognac to pan and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp cream and cook for about 1 minute or until sauce has thickened slightly. 

Put half the asparagus, noodles and steaks on two plates. Drizzle steaks with the shallot/cognac/cream sauce. Enjoy!

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