52 New Foods: Week 12, Asparagus with Ginger-Soy Glaze March 27 2012, 4 Comments

Celebrate spring with the perennial harbinger of buds and butterflies: asparagus. With bushels of bright green spears crowding our local markets, we decided to welcome asparagus to our family table.

A perfect spring meal at our house always includes asparagus. Beautiful and easy to prepare, asparagus is a welcome guest at our table for the few weeks that it is in season. Asparagus recipes abound, but this deliciously simple recipe is one that my family loves.     

Feature Recipe: Asparagus with Ginger-Soy Glaze

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. Its delicate flavor always reminds me of playful spring brunches with my family and simple summer outdoor meals. Grilled or broiled and tossed with a touch of olive oil and salt, it epitomizes wholesome, simple cooking. It’s also a fun way to start the conversation with your kids about colorful, seasonal vegetables. Can you name a few?

Asparagus with Ginger-Soy Glaze

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients:
2lbs thin asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced ginger
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
Juice from one lime
Salt to taste

Directions:

1) Set oven to broil.

2) Snap off ends of asparagus.

3) Toss with olive oil and salt. Lay on a baking sheet.

4) Broil for about 8 minutes, turning halfway through.

5) Whisk soy sauce, ginger, honey and lime juice together in a small bowl.

6) Arrange asparagus on a platter. Drizzle lightly with ginger-soy glaze.

A special thanks to Aida Mollenkamp for the beautiful pictures of this family-friendly dish. Check out her take on our Asparagus with Ginger-Soy Glaze, along with her other wonderful recipes, at aidamollenkamp.com.

Crunch a Color Kids Vote: Let’s celebrate!

What we liked: This recipe is delicious, colorful and easy enough for kids to prepare. Make it more than a meal! Stop by your neighborhood farmers’ market, scout out locally grown asparagus, and enjoy swapping recipes with the people who grow the food we eat.       

What is your favorite colorful springtime recipe? Share your comments.

Next up: Kale

My kids love potato chips but they haven’t been willing to try kale. Could a healthy, colorful twist be the answer? Tune in next week for the latest in our new food adventure: kale chips.

Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Whole wheat banana pancakes.

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color™ -- the award-winning game that makes healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit children’s nutrition programs including Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and FoodCorps. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Follow @crunchacolor on Facebook and Twitter to tune into Crunch a Color's healthy eating adventure and Jennifer’s tips and kid-friendly, easy recipes.