Ingredients:
2 C water
2 lbs asparagus spears, trimmed
2 Tbsp butter
1 package (8 ozs.) sliced mushrooms (3 cups)
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh or ½ tsp dried basil leaves
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp coarsely ground pepper
¼ C shredded Parmesan Cheese
¼ C slivered almonds
Directions:
In 12- inch skillet, heat water to boiling. Add asparagus.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium.
Cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until crisp tender. Drain; set aside.
In the same skillet, melt margarine over medium-high heat.
Stir in mushrooms. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are light brown.
Add asparagus, basil, salt and pepper into mushrooms until vegetables are coated with seasonings and asparagus is heated through.
Sprinkle with cheese and almonds.
This dish says spring! You can also use the European white asparagus available in most stores. It has a milder flavor and a soft, tender texture. It is produced by covering the stalks with soil as they grow, this prevents sunlight from reaching the plant and retards the development of chlorophyll.
To prepare asparagus, wash gently with cool water. Asparagus needs to be cooked quickly to a tender-crisp texture. To gauge doneness, poke a stalk with a knife and you should feel a little resistance.
There are about 15-20 medium stalks in a pound. One half pound of asparagus per person will satisfy most as a first course or accompaniment.
