Beer-Battered Onion Rings

When most people hear or think the word VEGAN, their brow furrows and they think, "What do you eat??". It isn't all tofu and fake meat, my curious little friends. I don't like food that tastes like twigs. I don't gather leaves outside and boil them in a broth of Burt's Bees and Whole Foods leftovers.

I LOVE FOOD.
Great tasting food.
This girl can eat, I promise. Maybe it's not rotting carcass and maybe it's full of ingredients that confuse people even more than the phrase, "I LOVE TOFU!", but I love me some tasty grub.

Most days, I eat really well. I try to stick to 1200 calories or less, give or take depending on how hard I work out (or how hard I sit on the couch). Some days, however, I need comfort food.

Whether it's a fat day:



...or a bad hair day:



...or just a plain, ol' broken heart:



...comfort food really hits the spot. Maybe you'll feel a little guilty the next day, but nothing makes this girl feel better than something greasy or chocolatey or not-good-for-you. Hopefully these days don't last long, so I say SPLURGE!!!

That's why I love these onion rings.
1. They're beer-battered. I heart beer.
2. They're fried. I don't eat fried food often, but it's yummy.
3. They're onion-y. No one wants to be around someone who's eaten straight-up onions, unless they're eating them with you, so dig in.



Beer-Battered Onion Rings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: However long it takes to get them greasy-brown


1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup beer (Bud Light for a bad hair day, IPA for the heart)
4 tablespoons Earth Balance, melted
salt to taste
1-2 large onions, sliced into rings
1 quart oil for frying

1. In a HUGE pan (or deep fryer, if you have one, which is crazy!), heat the oil to 375° F. If you don't have a thermometer, here's a trick: splash a drop of water in the oil and if it "freaks out", you're good to go.

2. Dip the onions in the batter. Try not to let a lot of it drip off; immediately and carefully drop the onion into the oil. Repeat! Make sure you don't overcrowd them. You can flip them over if you want, just to check the color. When they're golden brown, carefully take them out with a pair of tongs and place them on a plate covered in paper towels to absorb the greasy deliciousness. Do this until all your onions are cooked up. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Serve this with leftover beer, then a full one. I dipped mine in a mixture of ketchup, vegan mayonnaise, and hot sauce. They were heavenly.

That's it, my dears. Remember: when all else fails, food is there for you. Spoken like a true fat kid. :)

I hope this Tuesday finds you with good hair, skinny jeans, and a happy heart!

Stuffed Zucchini

Have you NOT entered my GIVEAWAY yet??? What on earth is wrong with you?? All this amazing sweet stuff from Suzanne's Specialties and you still haven't entered? Phhh!



Anyway, time for a new recipe.

I LURVE zucchini. Which is crazy, because I used to hate it growing up. I remember my mom used to boil zucchini and summer squash and it was mushy and gross and used to make me gag. It's giving me the heebies just thinking about it. I know my mother is my inspiration for most things, but this is NOT one of those times. I know she now steams her veggies...plus, I believe taste buds change...so we can be squash friends again.

Zucchini was on sale at the market so I had to buy some. I was going to make some Zucchini Weenies ala my beautiful New Hampshire-born friend, Jaclyn, but I wanted something more meal-oriented, so I went with Stuffed Zucchini. I've never made Stuffed Zucchini before, so the wheels were turning, but they were pretty tasty and really got me excited for summer!


HEY!!!

Stuffed Zucchini
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes

4 medium zucchini (6-8 inches long)
2/3 cup TVP
1 cup water, boiling
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer OR 1 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tbsp water OR 3 tbsp water, if using flaxseed
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian spice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for topping (optional)

1. Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Cut about 1/2-inch off each end of the zucchini. Carefully place in the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, pour a cup of the zucchini water over your TVP and let it hydrate.

2. Preheat oven to 350° F. When the zucchini are cooled, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put the seedy parts scooped in a large mixing bowl and set the skin aside. Add your hydrated TVP, bread crumbs, egg replacer, and tomato sauce. Mix well. Taste a little bit and see what the salt level is like before you add additional salt. Add your spices.

3. Spoon the tomato mixture back into your zucchini skins. It's ok if it's overflowing! Sprinkle nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan over the top, place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.



That's it! It's a little more work than someone should commit to on a nice summer-y day, but it's worth it. You could even prepare these ahead of time and just stick them in the oven when you're ready to make them. I love food like that!

Do you have a favorite summer food that you simply can't WAIT to whip up?

Sweet Cardamom Bread

Cody & I went grocery shopping a few weeks ago. If you know anything about me, you'll know this is one of my favorite things. I make my list, organized by store (because we go to three different stores), grab my adorable reusable bags, and venture out to buy ingredients for tasty treats. I love shopping and I love cooking, so this works out really well for me. One of the items on my list was cardamom, a spice I needed to make Chai Tea Cupcakes. Cody was NOT impressed with the price; for a regular spice-sized bottle it's about $12. I needed it, though, so we got it.

The next day at work I was telling my amazing boss about his reaction to the price. She was telling me how she doesn't really like cardamom, nor does she really like chai tea. She did, however, tell me about this bread that the original owners of the restaurant used to make: Sweet Cardamom Bread. She loved it. (What's that you say? A challenge? Oh, how you know me.) Obviously I had to make this bread.

I searched around on the wonderful world-wide web and found a few recipes that I sort of combined and the end result was, well, beyond perfection.



Sweet Cardamom Bread
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

1 1/2 tbsp instant yeast
4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp full-fat, unsweetened soy milk
3/4 cup melted butter (Earth Balance)
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tsp salt


1. Mix flour, yeast, and cardamom in your mixing bowl.

2. Heat soy milk and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add the milk and sugar to the flour mixture. Add 1/2 cup melted butter, too. Mix on low until a nice sticky dough forms.

4. Change out the mixer blade and use a dough hook. Knead for a few minutes and then stop. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes with a light cover over it. When the twenty minutes is up, begin kneading again and knead in the salt.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into three equal parts. Let them rise for about 30-45 minutes. Roll the dough balls into ropes and braid them on a greased baking pan. Tuck the ends of the braid under. (You're literally going to braid this like you braid your hair.)

7. Preheat oven 350° F. Brush the braided loaf with remaining soy milk and sprinkle it with remaining sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Enjoy with a cup of coffee, toasted with butter, a glass of chai tea, or whatever your heart desires.

Now, I'm not one to toot my own horn (I do honk at other drivers, though. I'm a New Englander at heart.), but this bread is probably the best bread ever. Ok, maybe not ever, but it's the best I've ever made. It was gobbled up at work and my boss was even told she now has competition. I don't know about that since she runs one of the most successful restaurants in Albuquerque, but I'll take it as a complement and roll with it. Then braid. Then repeat.

KALE CHIPS!!!

FINALLY!!!

These are long overdue, and if it weren't for my darling friend, Lori, I might have completely forgotten about them (forgotten to blog them, not make them. They're a staple in our house now.) When I try to explain these chips to people, I get the crazy eye. To put in perspective how delicious these are, though, check this: Cody has bought seeds to plant kale in our garden so we can have Kale Chips whenever we want. Bring it! (<---Do people still say that? Really?)


Buffalo Wings & Kale Chips


Hummus Wrap & Kale Chips


Black Bean Burgers & Kale Chips

As you can see, we love these chips. So without further ado...

Kale Chips
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes

1 bunch of kale
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. I don't even use a baking sheet for this; I just use aluminum foil. Break the kale into large chip-size pieces.

2. Combine the oil and vinegar. Sprinkle over the kale, then season with salt, to taste. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.

THAT IS IS!!!
You will be absolutely amazed and delighted with the crispy, delicious flavor of these chips. Plus, check THIS out:



Now, as you will when you bake these, you aren't eating all of the oil that remains left on the foil (which is still such a trace amount, you don't have to feel guilty), so there are even less calories than what's above. So go ahead! Eat up!

Buffalo Wings

Two weeks ago, Cody & I drove up to Colorado Springs with our good friends, Erik & Stephanie. Erik is from Colorado and he & Stephanie lived there for 8 years. We drove up to see Manchester Orchestra (if you haven't listened to them, get on it!). We got to meet some of their good friends, their family, and ate loads of good food! My favorite place, by far, was Trinity Brewery. They had great beer AND great food. Their menu was dedicated to vegetarians and vegans. Stephanie got the tempeh sliders and I got the Buffalo Wings with mustard beer dipping sauce and a side of sweet potato fries. Mmmmmmmm.

You know me: recreator extraordinaire! I literally couldn't stop thinking about going home and making buffalo wings. It was all I could talk about. I didn't want my little wings to be gone! We made it safely back to Albuquerque on Monday and I made them for dinner that night. :)

You can find the recipe for the seitan HERE...it's the first recipe. Once it has cooled and is ready to use, head on to this post and get your buffalo on!

Buffalo Wings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Make sure you start your SEITAN ahead of time!

1/4 cup flour
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce, or hot sauce of choice
4 tbsp butter, melted

1. Break the seitan into wing-size pieces. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat.

2. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic, salt, and pepper. Dredge the seitan pieces in flour, making sure to cover all of it. Carefully drop each piece in the oil. Let the seitan cook for 5 minutes, or until browned. Flip on all sides and brown.

3. While the seitan is cooking, heat the hot sauce and better in the microwave or small saucepan over low heat. Mix until well incorporated.

4. Remove the seitan from the pan. Pour the hot sauce mixture over your seitan, making sure to coat each piece. I then put mine on a skewer and served!



(Yes, kale chips....so good...)

The next night, I had extra seitan, so I made more buffalo wings and made a calzone. I filled it with spinach and kalamata olives....mmmmm......



The seitan has a nutritional value to drool over. I'm pretty impressed with it.



Add the buffalo sauce to it, it's still not so bad.



So go ahead. Indulge!

Spinach Balls

For our housewarming party a few months ago, I created a spread of delicious vegan appetizers for everyone to munch on. Yes, they were delicious. Yes, they were labeled. That's how I roll. Anyway, I decided to put a poll up on the blog to see which recipe I should post up. I posted the Red Chile Tofu up just because I made that for dinner, too, and it was just killer. I couldn't NOT put it up. There were a few other things, too, like hummus, which might go up at a later date in time. However, much to my pleasant surprise, the winner was my gram's Spinach Balls that my sister sent me the recipe for.

These Spinach Balls taste like home. If you know what I'm talking about, great. If not, start making these for special occasions and never stop because they're delicious, easy, and everyone loves them.



Gram's Spinach Balls
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

2 pk frozen spinach, thawed
3/4 c melted marg
2 c stuffing
4 egg replacers (I used flaxseed)
1/2 c parm cheese (Veggy Parm is really good!)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Squeeze all the liquid from the thawed spinach. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until completely combined.

2. Put on a lightly greased baking sheet and cook till they start getting brown and crispy on top, about 20 minutes.



You can serve these hot or cold, for lunch or dinner, to kids and grown ups alike! What a tasty, versatile snack!

Sushi Rolls

I'm pretty sure everyone knows that I had three things I ate constantly while in Japan. CoCos Curry (yummmmm), TanTan noodles, and sushi. I have a feeling I could live on those three items alone. I found a recipe in Veganomicon for Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls. Obviously I had a try it! I trust (almost) everything Isa Chandra Moskowitz makes, plus she has really good instructions.

I had purchased loads of veggies, as I always do, so I figured there would be loads of variety. Plus, I had the tempeh in my fridge...waiting to be used in my first tempeh experiment. Cody was a HUGE help throughout the process; he decided to call it "food engineering".



Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls
Total time: 40 minutes

For the rice:
1 cup sushi rice
2 tbsp rice vinegar (do not use regular white vinegar!)
1 tbsp sugar

Spicy tempeh filling:
1/2 (4-oz) package tempeh
2 tbsp prepared vegan mayonnaise
1/2-1 tsp hot chile-sesame oil
4 sheets nori seaweed
1 scallion, white part discarded, sliced lengthwise into narrow strips
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and sliced into 1/4-inch wide strips
1 tbsp toasted or black sesame seeds if used inside the foll, or 1/4 cup if used as a coating for inside-out rolls.

(Note: I was able to find a sesame seed spice made up of sesame seeds and sea salt that was loads cheaper and had three times the amount. I'm pretty sure it was in the asian section of the supermarket.)

(Double note: I added matchstick cucumbers and carrots. Plus, Cody wanted tuna in his and found a can of crab meat so switched to crab.)

1. In a heavy-bottomed, 2-quart pot or saucepan with a cover, combine the rice plus 1 1/4 cups cold water. (I used my rice cooker, so you can do that, too.) Turn the heat to high, bring the water to a boil, and stir the rice just once. Lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and steam the rice for 20 to 22 minutes, until it is tender and the excess liquid has been absorbed. Or, prepare the rice according to the package instructions. Cook until the rice is tender but slightly firm, and remove from the heat.

2. Empty the hot rice into a large glass or plastic bowl. Sprinkle with the rice vinegar and sugar, folding in the rice gently with a large spoon or rice paddle to mix thoroughly. The rice should be moist and have a very mild vinegar flavor. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. When the rice is slightly warmer than room temperature (but not completely cold), it's ready to work with.

3. While the rice is cooling, prepare the filling by steaming the tempeh. Allow the tempeh to cool for 10 minutes, chop into small cubes, and place in a medium-size bowl. Add the mayonnaise and chile-sesame oil and mash until chunky; taste and add more chile-sesame oil if desired.

4. Fill a shallow cup with about 1/3 cup of water and a tablespoon of rice vinegar, and keep near your sushi workstation (unless you have an amazing husband who will stand on guard at the faucet!). Follow these steps to the perfect nori roll:

--Place the nori sheet on the bamboo mat (my mother will vouch...I couldn't find one, so I found a bamboo PLACE mat at Walmart. Worked just fine!). With wet hands, take a snowball-shaped handful of rice, about a cup's worth. Gently pat onto the bottom two-thirds or so of your nori sheet. The layer of rice should be less than 1/3-inch thick.

--Place a small amount of the fillings across the center of your rice. Lay or spread them horizontally to each side of the nori to create a straight line of filling-the less filling, the easier the sushi will be to roll. Aim for about 1 1/2 tbsp of Spicy Tempeh, three strips of avocado, and some scallion strips. You'll figure it out.

--Using the mat, gently roll up that sushi starting from the rice-topped end; try to keep your grip relatively tight, for a firm roll. When you've reached the seaweed-only end, pat gently with a little bit of vinegar water to seal the roll.

--Slice your roll into 1-inch pieces with a sharp, serrated knife. That's it! Make a hundred of 'em.

Inside Out Rolls
Maybe you've been rolling your own for a while, or you just need to look like a master sushi chef right now! Then inside-out rolled nori rolls will get you the attention you so deserve, and with way less stress than you might expect.

Simply prepare your nori roll as directed, spreading the seasoned rice onto about two-thirds of the toasted nori sheet. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top, gently slide your hand underneath the bamboo mat and rest your other hand on top of the plastic wrap. Then in one quick motion...flip everything upside down. Remove the bamboo mat from underneath and place on your countertop. Place the nori and rice-plastic wrap side down-on the mat. Place fillings as usual on the edge without the rice underneath it. Then, carefully roll everything up, using the bamboo mat to firmly push everything together and being careful to peel away the plastic wrap as you go.

For best results, roll your spiffy inside-out rolls in fun things like toasted sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, toasted nori flakes, or Japanese ground up red pepper.



After preparing and slicing all the rolls, I placed them on our wooden cutting board. It looked oh-so-Japanese! I had some wasabi powder in my cabinet, so I mixed it according to the container and made plenty of wasabi. Cody didn't like his crab roll so much, but he loved the tempeh roll! I had a lot of fun making these and can't wait to make them again! It was surprisingly easy...and they looked so impressive that I just kept smiling!





For the first time out, this went really well. I just pretended I was in Japan, where you don't really want to look at anything you eat; just toss it down the hatch and hope for the best! Not to say that this looks gross, because it didn't. But who knows what's going to happen when you put the words "vegan" and "sushi" together. In a rather odd chain of events, the non-vegan sushi ended up being WAY worse. I was like, "Oh! Old crab in a can! That sounds like a great ingredient to put in my sushi!" NOT. It was not good, to say the least. The main ingredient in the vegan sushi was awesome because it tasted like Tan-Tan Noodles. I do loves me some spicy noodles. I do have to say that what impressed me the most was the inside-out rolls. It was culinary engineering at its finest. Try this one out...but don't use shitty crab by-product thinking that you're going to beat the system.

What do you eat...lettuce??

For the 4th of July, Cody, Deidra, Chuck & I went with our friend, Nolan, to Oklahoma. Nolan's family is from a very small town there...I'm talking no cell phone service anywhere...so we decided to join him & his family for some down time. We had such a blast! It was a little too hot for my taste, but everyone was so nice...the scenery was great...I got to meet a former Patriot...and we woke up to cinnamon rolls in the morning. One night we were talking about my crazy idea to go Vegan. Our plans were to go to breakfast in the morning, then Cody realized there might not be much for me to eat. Adam responded with, "Pancakes." I shook my head no: there are eggs in pancakes. He looked at me all crazy and asked, "What DO you eat?? I just couldn't be full on lettuce and nothing else."

In my kitchen, it's soooo easy to show people what I eat. I love cooking up delicious, hearty meals that even meatatarians devour. I always feel accomplished when I use ingredients people wouldn't dream of to replace ingredients that people didn't think they could live without. This is a prime example.

Cody is in an 80s metal band called Mister Scary. Once or twice a week, he heads out to go rehearse. I usually eat by myself, enjoying leftovers or something heated in the microwave. This past week, I had some leftover fried rice (so delish!) and a grilled cheese sandwich.

WAIT.
Did I just say grilled cheese sandwich???
Yes. That's right. I did.

Most bread is accidentally Vegan. I always check the ingredients because sometimes "whey" and "eggs" will be hiding on there. Most of the time, though, bread is on the ball. As I've mentioned a million times before, I love Earth Balance Natural Butter. It's got a nutty, buttery flavor that I would eat even if I wasn't Vegan. My sister, Miranda, found out she loved Earth Balance at my mom's house (Yes, my mom had Earth Balance and Boca Crumbles in her fridge! Woo hoo!). Plus, the Light Blue Bonnet says VEGAN on the back...and it's about $3 cheaper than Earth Balance. Then there's Veggie Cheese. I have to admit, it doesn't quite have the same flavor of real cheese. However, it's a great substitute. I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich, and that's exactly what I made myself.



I don't really feel the need to put cooking instructions up for a grilled cheese sandwich. Even my husband knows how to make them...which is really saying something. So there. Vegans eat grilled cheese sandwiches.

Red Hot Chili Tofu

If you haven't noticed, I've had a lil' poll up on the side of the blog to determine which appetizer I should put up. Red Hot Chili Tofu is on of the options. Even though it's not in the lead, I made this for dinner last night for our friend, Autumn. Also, when I made it for our House Warming party, it was literally the first thing gone. I'm posting it because it's sooooo tasty! I have to give props to Robin Robertson...she has been a huge inspiration and I love her recipes!!!



Red Hot Chile Tofu
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons sake or dry white wine (I'm a wino...I always have wine on hand!)
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch strips
3 tablespoons cold-pressed canola oil
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hot chili paste (or more, to taste)

1. In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, water, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

2. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch and salt. Dredge the tofu strips in the cornstarch mixture, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in batches and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a platter.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and chili paste, and cook, stirring for 15 seconds. Add the reserved tomato paste mixture and stir until well blended.
Add the reserved tofu and toss gently to coat with the sauce, cooking until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve hot & enjoy!

I've definitely made tofu before and thought, "Seriously? People eat this stuff?!" However, I'm getting the hang of it now and I always have tofu in my fridge.





For those of you who don't know, Cody & our brother-in-law, Chuck, built a beer pong table a few weeks back for our party. For the past week, we have done nothing but work on it; from staining and painting to sanding and lacquering, it's been a lengthy process. Cody is sitting on the couch now, beer in hand, relaxing. I have been instructed to let everyone know that Cody finds this dish TASTY. The end.

Stuffed Peppers

Yesterday, the family & I took a trip to Old Town. We went through all the little shops, stopped to listen to some pan flutes, and got a few good pictures. Deidra bought some heavy-duty, authentic margarita glasses. OBVIOUSLY we had to break them in and make margaritas!

Cody & I never get to pay for the bill when we go out with the family. The least I can do is cook up a good meal, so that's exactly what I did. With the help of Chef Chuck and Jose Cuervo, dinner was super tasty. We had stuffed peppers and roasted rosemary asparagus. Yum!!!





Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 20 minutes

4 green bell peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
salt & pepper
1 package Burger Crumbles
1 cup cooked brown rice (I use instant rice. It's easier!)
1 small can tomato sauce (I think it's 8 oz!)
Dash of soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
Dash of hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut of just the top of the green peppers. Remove the seeds and discard. In a large pot, bring to boil just enough water to cover the peppers. Keep them in the boiling water until they turn bright green, about 7 minutes.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, cook until tender. Add the spices and stir. Pour in the entire bag of crumbles and heat through. Add the rice, tomato sauce and soy sauce. Stir until evenly distributed.

3. When the peppers are bright green, carefully remove them with tongs. Place in a large baking dish filled with 2-inches of water. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture.

4. Combine the ketchup, hot sauce and another dash of soy sauce to taste. Spoon a little bit of this mixture on top of the stuffed peppers. Bake for 20 minutes.



Roasted Rosemary Asparagus
Prep Time: 5 minutes

2 bunches of fresh asparagus
2 sprigs of rosemary (Chuck has an herb garden, so this rosemary was sooooo fresh and delicious!
2 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh black pepper
Olive Oil

1. Remove the bottoms of the asparagus. A trick I like to use is to hold one end of the asparagus in each hand, bend, and where it breaks is a guideline for where you should cut the bottoms.

2. In a large Ziplock bag, place the asparagus, garlic, rosemary (OFF the sprigs!), pepper, and enough olive oil to coat completely. Let this marinade for AT LEAST 20 minutes.

3. Remove from plastic bag and place on tinfoil. Either roast in the oven at 400° F or on the grill. Roast for 10 minutes, making sure to flip once.



Chuck cooked these on the grill and it was, by far, the best asparagus I've ever had. The fresh rosemary accented the asparagus, and the garlic was super tasty. The pieces that were slightly charred were even better. And....we all now how Cody feels about asparagus, so everyone was quite pleased!





We have done stuffed peppers quite a few times now and they always go over well. The asparagus was really good with the rosemary too. Do not fear this dish, it tastes like normal food!

(DISCLAIMER: My husband is boring today. I apologize to all his devoted fans.)

...Ok, how about this for a disclaimer: I take back what I said. There. Now nobody will know if your food is really good or not. HA!