Oven Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

During my foray into the world of asparagus I was quickly smitten. I love vegetables, even as a kid I was never one that had to be forced to eat my veggies. I am admittedly a bit picky about which ones, and especially the preparation of said vegetables. For example, green beans. I love them, and eat them usually atleast once a week. Growing up, my grandfather always planted an adundance of them in his garden, so my grandmother regularly snapped and cooked fresh beans. Toward the end of their growing season she would even can them so we had plenty to last through the winter. The whole family loved them. Me? I ate them, only what was put on my plate the first go round, but when my Big Bad Dad cooked, I'd gladly go back for seconds on the green beans. Why? Because his green beans came from a can! Oh what shame my family must have felt. To this day I still pick canned green beans over fresh. Let's get back on track though shall we? On to the asparagus, oh those green stalks of deliciousness. I'm taking full advantage of the fact that we're in the height of asparagus season right now, buying it everytime I see it on sale, which is pretty regularly as of late. Asparagus has such a pure and crisp flavor that you really should keep the preparation simple. It doesn't need to be weighed down with lots of spices and seasoning. I think it's at it's best lightly coated in a little olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and roasted or grilled to perfection. I grabbed a pound not too long ago while shopping and headed to allrecipes for a recipe I could use strictly as a guide for cooking temperature and length. Twenty minutes later, we were eating some seriously delicious oven roasted parmesan asparagus. Oven Roasted Parmesan Asparagus 1 pound thin asparagus spears 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste (I omitted this and it was totally NOT missed) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer. Spread Parmesan cheese over asparagus, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and asparagus is tender but crisp. Serve immediately on warm plates, sprinkling with balsamic vinegar to taste, if desired.

A Pearl Of A Snack

Looking for a super simple and highly addictive snack? Oh baby have I found one! Ranch Oyster Crackers are on the list as a must-make munchie for my next soiree. Aside from the 20 minute bake time, these tasty little nibbles took about 5 minutes to make, and I spent less than $5 on the ingredients. What's not to love about a snack like that? And to boot, the crackers are relatively low fat. I omitted the dill weed and the lemon pepper, and cut back on the oil a smidge, and this little snack came out great. Ranch Oyster Crackers 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (optional) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional) 5 cups oyster crackers Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). In a large mixing bowl, combine ranch dressing mix, dill weed, vegetable oil, lemon pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well. Add oyster crackers to the mixture and mix to coat the crackers. Pour the crackers onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring gently halfway through the baking time.