Before I forget...

I've been meaning to add this recipe for a while now. I got inspired by a lemony green bean dish that I had at a restaurant a couple weeks back. I decided to use asparagus and add some panko and garlic to give it a little pizazz and it turned out great.

Roasted Asparagus

What you need:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 C. panko
course sea salt to taste
1 1/2lb of asparagus
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
juice from 1/2 a lemon (take the seeds out before squeezing. no one likes lemon seeds)

What you do:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add half of the minced garlic and cook, stirring often until fragrant. Add the panko and toast, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Remove and add a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a foil covered roasting pan, lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil. Roll the spears back and forth until covered. Sprinkle with remaining minced garlic, salt and pepper. Roll the asparagus once more to coat evenly.

Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 10-12 minutes, depending on how thick your spears are. The tips should be browned and the spears tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer the asparagus to a serving tray and toss with the lemon juice. Add the panko, toss again and serve.

Happy New Year!

My new year's resolution is to take more pictures of the food that I post on my blog. I know how irritated I get when a recipe doesn't come with a picture and I don't want to be that chick. Sometimes it really helps to have a visual reference. It can also be inspiring. Or make you really, really hungry.



So, while relaxing on this final day before heading back to work tomorrow, take 20 minutes to whip up some of my mom's blueberry muffins. They kick ass and will be a quick breakfast while your rushing out the door in the morning. Let's face it, your snooze button will probably be getting a work out tomorrow. I know mine will.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

What you need:
2 1/4 C. plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
3/4 C. rolled oats
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 C. soy milk (or you can use buttermilk if you chose not to go the vegan route)
EnerG egg replacement equivalent to 2 eggs (or you can just use 2 eggs)
1 C. sugar
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 C. fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp granulated sugar

What you do:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Combine 2 1/4 C. of flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Sift ingredients together.

Combine milk, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil. Whisk just until combined. Pour liquid mixture into dry mixture and stir until just incorporated. Do NOT over mix. Toss blueberries with remaining flour and fold into muffin batter.

Spoon equal amounts of muffin batter into lined muffin cups, sprinkle with sugar and bake for about 20-25 minutes.