Thai-Style Asparagus

Despite my great love for Pinterest, and the many great recipes I've gotten from it, I started feeling a little bad about not utilizing the two shelves of cookbooks that Chef Hubby has. A couple of those cookbooks are mine, that I paid good money for, and I've never made anything from the. So I started wondering, why on earth am I cooking all these FREE recipes when there are all these recipes I've paid for just waiting to be made!!!

So this recipe is from the Better Homes & Garden New Diabetic Cookbook. I served it with steak.

Thai-Style Asparagus
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced
dash - 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 pound asparagus
2 oranges peeled and sectioned
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional and I didn't use in mine)

1. For vinaigrette, in a screw-top jar (I used tupperware) combine orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and red pepper.

Cover and shake well; set aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook asparagus in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender, turning asparagus occasionally.

I used rubber tongs (so as not to scrape the nonstick pan) to turn the asparagus. It's harder than you would think. Once it gets all brown-y and good on one side, like this:

it no longer wants to turn. It wants to stay on that one side. And to be honest, you don't want it to get any more browned that that. Bright green is what you're going for. I used my fingernail to puncture the sides of the asparagus that weren't browned to see if they were done enough. Just do your best to get every side cooked.

3. Shake the vinaigrette, pour over asparagus in skillet. Cook the asparagus for 30 seconds more.

Gently stir in the orange sections.

To serve, if desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Makes 4 servings - and at 55 calories per serving that's pretty fantastic.

The asparagus was tangy, sweet, citrus-y, and fantastic. I love finding new ways to do food I already like and this was a great way. Plus it made me seem like a much better cook than I really am, because it looks and tastes so impressively beyond my usual skills. Double bonus!