Blackened Garlic Asparagus

Here's the recipe for the side dish pictured with my Spicy Eggplant Rolls recipe I posted a few days ago.

I usually like my asparagus steamed, with just a bit of Earth Balance vegan butter. But every once in a while, I prefer a side dish that's a little more... well, bad. Not that this side dish is horrible for you... but breaking out the olive oil twice for the same meal was an unusual experience. Let's justify it by just saying it's comfort food.

Anyway, this is a pretty simple recipe, and can easily be completed in about 10 minutes.


Garlic Blackened Asparagus

1 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 tbsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic; saute for 1 minute.

Add asparagus spears; stir to coat with olive oil. Continue to stir fry for 7 minutes.

Add cumin, basil, and crushed red pepper; stir fry for an additional minute.


That's it... crunchy, garlick-y asparagus with an earthy, slightly spicy taste. It's a good accompaniment that stands up to Italian inspired main dishes, especially those using heavy sauces or lots of "cheese".

Oh, and my wife adds that it works great with a glass of chianti... but that it would probably suck with anything sweeter. I tend to stay away from red wines, so I'll defer to her expertise on the matter. After all, pretty much everything goes well with beer. :-)

Completely irrelevant tangent: I was buying some wine for the New Year's festivities.... you know how if you read the back of the label, it will usually say that the wine evokes notes of cherries, strawberries, or whatever? One particular cabernet - I won't divulge the label - stated that the wine "evokes notes of 'old leather'".

Wha~?

I'm thinking of all the times I've thought, "you know, I really wish I had an alcoholic drink that reminded me of an antique belt." Yeah, there aren't many.

Oh well, I guess I'll never be a good wine snob.

Anyway, that's it for today... may you have an enjoyable and safe New Year's Eve and ridiculous abundance and joy in the New Year!

The (No Life After Leather) Veggie Guy

Tomatillo Corn Salsa

Anybody that knows me can attest to the fact that I loathe store-bought salsa. I'm not sure why... it just has some strange wang to it that I can't get past. Whatever the reason, I suffer long periods of salsa withdrawal, because I'm too picky to eat salsa from a jar, but too impatient to make my own.

Sooner or later, though, the salsa bug always gets me. That usually involves a long round of chopping, simmering, tasting, swearing, and tweaking. Tonight, though, I decided that I'd try and keep it simple.

It worked out very well. I had this salsa ready to go in about 10 minutes, and I don't think there was even any swearing involved.

It's also spicy without being too immolatingly hot, thanks to the sweetness of the green tomatillos. So you can take it to the next office potluck without having to listen to Wilma from the payroll department gripe about it afterwards.

So, here we go:

Tomatillo Corn Salsa

1 can golden corn
4 medium or 2 large green tomatillos, de-husked and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 serrano peppers, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 tbsp ground cayenne pepper
1/3 tbsp ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl (glass, not metal). Put in refrigerator and let sit for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

This is very good with tortilla chips, or in burritos.