How Long do you Cook Asparagus
Today’s commonly asked question is about asparagus:
How Long Do You Cook Asparagus?
There is no correct answer to this question unfortunately. This really is a matter of personal preference. I personally like my vegetables with a little snap to them, so I do not really cook my asparagus that long.
I see many people cooking their asparagus until its soft and wilting. Personally, I think this is a crime, but if you prefer your veggies this way, then by all means, cook it to death. Remember though…. The longer you cook your vegetables, the less nutrients they will have.
The length of time you cook your asparagus also depends on the type of cooking method.
There are three ways that I personally like to cook fresh asparagus and by far the best in my opinion: parboiling, roasting and grilling.
First things First - Prepare the Asparagus
Before you cook your asparagus, there needs to be some simple preparation. You need to first wash your asparagus to remove any dirt or other particles. Then you need to cut your asparagus if it has not already been cut for you. Cutting your asparagus is a must. There is a very tough part that is not edible and needs to be removed.
I have included a short video that demonstrates how to do this below:
Parboiling or Blanching
Blanching or parboiling asparagus is a very easy and quick way to prepare this delicious vegetable. All you need to do is add some water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Once the water has been brought to a boil, add the asparagus. Allow the water to boil again and cook for several minutes. You may want to cut the long stalks in half so you can easily fit them in your pot. After a few minutes, I will take a piece of asparagus out and taste to see if it is done to my liking. Once done, strain and rinse under cold water.
Roasting
Roasting asparagus is another very simple cooking method. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out your prepared asparagus on a baking dish and pour on some olive oil. Toss the veggies to make sure they are evenly coated with oil. Sprinkle on some salt, pepper and garlic powder and toss again to coat the asparagus with the spices. Lay out the spears evenly in a single layer and place in the oven. Roast for approximately 8-10 minutes or until they are slightly browned and tender.
Recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Garlic
How to Grill Asparagus
This is probably my favorite method for cooking asparagus. This is another simple method but does require a bit more attention as you can burn your veggies if you do not keep an eye on them. This cooking method does provide the most flavor in my opinion. I like to use a grilling basket. It just makes it easier to cook the spears in my opinion. Heat up the grill and get it nice and hot. Coat the asparagus with olive oil and spices and grill over high heat for 5 minutes or so turning each spear occasionally. The asparagus is done when slightly browned and tender.
Well there you have it. I hope I have answered your question: How Long do you Cook Asparagus?
Please enjoy and happy cooking!
Recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Garlic
Here is a very simple and delicious recipe for cooking fresh asparagus:
Recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Garlic
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds of Fresh Asparagus (washed and tough ends trimmed)
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon of Freshly Minced Garlic
- Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste
- 1/2 Lemon Freshly Squeezed
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Get yourself a large baking dish then coat and toss the asparagus with the extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- Bake the asparagus until it is slightly browned and tender. Should take about 8 - 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the spears.
- Remove from the oven and squeeze on some fresh lemon juice. Adjust seasoning if necessarry.
Enjoy!
How Long do you Cook Hamburgers on a Grill
How Long do you Cook Hamburgers on a Grill?
Cooking hamburgers on the grill is probably the tastiest method for making these yummy summer treats. Of course many of us find ourselves asking the same question, time and time again: How Long do you Cook Hamburgers on a Grill?
This is a fantastic question. After all, an undercooked hamburger can make one very sick, so it pays to be safe and educate yourself. The time it takes for your hamburgers to fully cook really depends on the thickness of your burger and how hot your grill is. So the most accurate method for testing when your hamburgers are fully cooked, is by using an instant read thermometer.
Really folks, you need to invest in one of these. Head over to your local home goods store and pick one up. You will be very glad that you did. They are not expensive and it will make grilling a whole lot easier and enjoyable.
Whatever you do, NEVER cut your burger in half to see if it is done. I see a handful of sites recommending you do this and it is a big no no! Nothing will dry your buger out quicker than cutting it on the grill. Resist the urge to cut!
The optimal temperature to grill your hamburger to is 160 degrees fahrenheit. This temperature will kill off dangerous bacteria and make your burger safe to eat.
So there you have it, the answer to your question: How Long do you Cook Hamburgers on a Grill?
Enjoy and happy grilling!
How Long to Bake a Potato
Many cooks far and wide often ask the question: “
how long does it take to bake a potato?”
This is a fantastic question. It is sometimes difficult to tell when a potato is done, especially if you are new to baking potatoes at home. Generally, a large russet potato will be done in roughly 1 hour when cooked at 350 degrees f. This is not an exact science of course. It really depends on the size of the potato and how hot your oven is. When the skin of the potato is crisp and the inside is soft, then your potato is done. What I like to do is take a toothpick and gently insert it into the potato. If it slides through easily, then it is done. If it still feels tough inside, then keep cooking.
There you have it. That is how you know how long to bake a potato.
Click here for full instructions on how to make a baked potato
Have a Family Picnic
How many of us remember the family picnic?
I have many fond memories of packing up a cold supper and going with my family, including aunts, uncles and cousins, for a family picnic by the lake. Sometimes we would barbecue hot dogs and hamburgers to go with the salads and cool desserts my mother had packed. Other times it was a cold supper, with cold meats and fried chicken pieces to eat alongside those wonderful salads.
Before supper we would play in the water, play games and get our appetites ready for delicious picnic food. After supper, we would relax, maybe play some cards and watch as the beautiful sunset amazed us yet again.
Times have changed and it seems we don’t always take the time to create those memories with our families. It’s an easy thing to do though.
Here are three easy recipes that will help to create a memorable picnic experience for your family. They are all easy to pack up in plastic containers with lockable lids. Just pop them into a cooler with some ice, take along some cold drinks and maybe a watermelon, the perennial hot weather refresher, and you have a fun day that family and friends will remember for a long time to come.
Peanut Crunch Slaw
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup finely cut celery
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Toss the cabbage and celery together and chill. Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, onion, green pepper and cucumber. Chill that mixture too. Just before serving, toss chilled vegetables with the dressing. Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top.
Makes 4 servings.
Sweet Potato Salad
4 orange sweet potatoes
1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 - 8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
Wrap each sweet potato in foil and bake for 1 hour at 400ºF until tender, or poke with a knife, wrap each potato in a paper towel and cook in the microwave for 5-6 minutes until soft.
Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into 3/4 inch chunks. Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the sweet potatoes, celery, red pepper, pineapple and green onions. Toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Chill, covered, for 1 to 10 hours.
Just before serving fold in the pecans. The salad can be sprinkled with chopped chives for presentation if desired.
Serves 6
Three Fruit Fluff
1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup canned mandarin oranges, undrained
8 ounces strawberry yogurt
8 ounces whipped topping
1 small package white chocolate instant pudding mix
maraschino cherries or fresh strawberries (optional)
Combine the undrained pineapple and mandarin oranges, yogurt, whipped topping and dry pudding mix in a large bowl. Mix well. Chill, covered, until ready to serve.
Top each serving with a few maraschino cherries or a fresh strawberry.
Serves 6 to 8
Of course all of these recipes can be enjoyed anywhere and any time.
I hope though that they pique your interest in packing up and finding a great spot for a family picnic.
Don’t forget the frisbee!!
Karen Ciancio is a cook and a fan of all things cooking related. Her website http://www.cookingnook.com contains recipes for all occasions, cooking tips, cooking measurement conversions and lots of kitchen ideas. Look for more great summer recipes here
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Celebration Beef Tenderloin With Seasoned Butter
Every so often you want to splurge on a meal. You want to serve a meal that family and friends remember for months. 
Beef tenderloin is one of the first cuts of meat that comes to mind. Though beef tenderloin is the perfect choice for your celebration dinner, it is a pricey choice. Thankfully, many grocery stores have sales on beef tenderloin during the holidays.
Do not buy wrapped slices of meat because they cost $7.00-$8.00 more than whole tenderloin. If the tenderloin is sealed in a plastic wrapper, chances are you will have to buy the whole thing. A specialty butcher shop may be willing to sell you half a tenderloin or less. Beef tenderloin is also known as Chateaubriand and Filet Mignon.
Chateaubriand is a whole tenderloin that has been grilled. Some professional chefs and home cooks insert slivers of garlic into the tenderloin before they grill it. If you don’t have a grill, roast the whole tenderloin in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes. Before you put the tenderloin in the oven, rub the outside with a little olive oil and season it with salt and freshly-cracked pepper.
Roasting a whole tenderloin is easy, but you have to keep an eye on it, and take it out of the oven just before the temperature reaches 140 degrees. (The tenderloin will continue to cook for a few minutes.) Do not over-cook tenderloin or you will lose flavor and tenderness.
Beef tenderloin is an adaptable cut of meat. You may season it with Southern, Southwestern, and Oriental herbs and spices. Bring out the flavor with fresh mushrooms, shallots, Roquefort cheese, port wine, red wine, or Madeira. Often the simple recipes are the best and I came up with this recipe several years ago. It is easy, fast, and memorable. Celebrate family, friends, and life itself with my Celebration Beef Tenderloin with Seasoned Butter.
Ingredients
1 stick of soft butter (no substitutions)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely-chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 pound beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon butter
Method
Combine the butter, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and parsley in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours. After the butter has hardened, cut small marbles of butter with a melon-baller. Cover the butter balls and refrigerate again.
Cut beef tenderloin into 3/4-inch slices. (You may have to make the slices thinner, depending on how much meat you have.) Put 1 tablespoon of butter into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet and saute the tenderloin quickly, over medium heat, until the outside is firm and the inside is pink. Season the steak with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Place two slices of tenderloin on each plate. Top each slice with a ball of seasoned butter. Save the extra seasoned butter for other meals. Serve the sliced tenderloin with a side dish of wild rice, caramelized onions and dried cranberries. Round out your meal with warm French bread and a fresh spinach salad with thinly-sliced red onion, fresh Mandarin orange segments, and vinaigrette dressing. Makes 6 celebration servings.
Copyright 2008 by Harriet Hodgson
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30 years. Before she became a health/wellness writer she was a food writer for a local magazine. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Associatioin for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com
Centering Corporation in Omaha, Nebraska — North America’s oldest and largest grief resource center — has just published her 26th book, “Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life.” The company has also published two companion resources, the “Writing to Recover Journal,” which contains 100 writing affirmations, and the “Writing to Recover Affirmations Calendar,” which contains life affirmations.
Please visit Harriet’s website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
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Flour-Less Chocolate Cupcakes Devine
By Lynne Hayes
This collection of recipes has been tried and tested on many occasions; I have included a couple of BONUS recipes that are family favorites.
Like my BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CAKE recipe, a favourite with my kids on their birthdays and everyone else who tries it. I use and recommend GLAD Bake & Cooking Paper as it is the best I’ve used to stop the Best Ever Chocolate Cake sticking to the tins.
Cooks tips
1. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start
2. Use caster sugar for a finer texture cake, as it is absorbed by the butter and eggs more rapidly
3. Always use the type of flour specified in the recipe
4. Cook cakes in the center of the oven
5. If you cook more than one at a time place them on the same shelf being very careful not to let the tins touch each other, the sides or back of the oven and always reverse the positions of the cakes 1/2 way through cooking time
6. Always line tins with paddy cases, glad bake or use silicone bake ware
7. Never substitute ingredients as the results will be entirely different
Flour-less chocolate cupcakes 200 grams dark chocolate (good quality cooking) 2 eggs 90 grams butter 1/4 cup caster sugar 1 1/2 cups almond meal
1. Place chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl. Either place in microwave for 1 minute & stir OR sit over a saucepan of simmering water until melted. Cool slightly.
2. Beat sugar and eggs in a small bowl for 6 minutes, the mixture should be thick and pale.
3. Lightly fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the almond meal, then fold into the egg mixture
4. Spoon mixture into lined trays using an ice-cream scoop, fill to about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes then check with a fine skewer to see if cooked (inserted into cupcake, if it comes out clean then there perfect)
5. Remove from the trays straight away and cool on wire racks for at least 1/2 hour before icing. You can dust with icing sugar instead of icing these Cupcakes, or cook as one round cake.
http://www.yummymummycupcakes.com
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Grilled Peppered King Crab With Mussels and Salsa Fresca
By Allie Moxley
Grilled Alaskan king crab legs are a perfect appetizer. In this easy-to-follow recipe, learn how to cook king crab legs with mussels and salsa fresca.
This recipe is for 4 portions.
Ingredients for King Crab:
- 2 long king crab legs
- 1 tablespoon of whole pepper
- 2 teaspoons of salt
Ingredients for Mussels:
- 25-30 fresh mussels
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove of garlic
- ¼ cup of white wine
Ingredients for Salsa Fresca
- 1 mango, small cubes
- 2 tomatoes, small cubes, skinned and without seeds
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of basil, finely shredded
- salt
- pepper
Directions:
Start by making the salsa. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together. Pour in the lime juice and olive oil. Stir in the basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Just below the joint, chop the king crab legs. Using a small and sharp knife to make round both ends of all the legs and pull the crab meat from each shell.
Toast the whole pepper in a dry frying pan. Then crush it with a pestle and mortar. Turn the meat in the pepper and add salt to taste.
Next, brush the grill with oil. Fry the crab meat for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. The meat should still look and feel a little bit raw when you remove it from the grill. Leave it to cool for a few minutes before serving it. (However, if you are boiling the crab meat, which is the preferred way to cook king crab legs, it should only be heated for about 1 minute.)
Put the mussels in aluminum foil with the white wine, bay leaf, and garlic. Steam them on the grill until the shells open on their own after about 4 minutes.
Arrange the crab meat and mussels with the salsa on small portion plates. One plate for each person.
As you have seen, learning how to cook king crab is easy. Share and enjoy this recipe with your friends and family.
Are you are looking for a meal that is low in saturated fat, filled with nutrients and packed with good heart healthy Omega-3s oils? Then you should start with Alaska Seafood.
Browse thousands of extremely popular Alaska seafood recipes using our Internet based recipe database. Whether you are preparing a meal for one or 100, you are sure to find a recipe that fits the occasion.
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/recipes
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Pressure Cooked Beef & Veggies With Mustard and Bacon
Where else can you get delicious beef, potatoes, and veggies cooked in less than 18 minutes?? Watch out Rachel Ray!! I bring the world a speedy 18 minute ensemble that’ll blow the delish’ off that 30 minute meal of yours! I now bequeath to the world this 18 minute masterpiece, worthy of some food TV network endorsement; along with my own bastardization of the english language with the word Fantabulous (fantastic + fabulous). Okay, I’m stepping down from my soap box, and hoping that modesty will once again possess me where egotism has just reigned. I hope that my energetic words will inspire you to make this dish and see for yourself just how
fantabulous this dish really is.
Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 5
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Ingredients
2 pounds of cubed steak
1/2 cup or more of Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard (or any spicy brown mustard)
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 package of sliced bacon (about 1/2 pound)
tooth picks - cooking grade
1/4 cup of olive oil
one large Vidalia onion - quartered
4 carrots - skinned
4 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes
Preparation
Lay cubed steak flat and spread mustard so it fills the crevasses and leaves a thin coat on the beef. Then lightly sprinkle garlic, salt, and pepper.
Next, place a strip (or more) of bacon on the beef so there is only one layer of bacon, trim any excess bacon hanging over the sides of the beef. Do this for all the pieces of beef.
Roll steak (bacon side up) and secure with toothpicks. Repeat for the remaining pieces of steak.
Over medium heat, in the pressure cooker add olive oil, rolled beef pieces, onion, carrots, and potatoes; potatoes may be quartered to make them fit into pressure cooker. Close pressure cooker top and place percolator on top (remember to follow manufacturers recommendations). Once steam starts to release and pressure cooker percolates, lower heat to a minimum temperature that keeps the pressure cooker percolating.
Start timing when percolation starts; cook time is about 8-10 minutes (you’re pressure cooker may vary), then remove from heat. Remember not to open the pressure cooker until it cools and the pressure is relieved!! Follow your manufacturers recommendations.
Remove beef, veggies, and potatoes then serve.
Enjoy your meal!
Peter Alfieri is the host of the cooking show: Buon Appetito Providence, http://www.BuonAppetitoProvidence.com Pete cooks many different foods from several geographical areas; his specialty is Italian food which is also featured on the TV show. Be sure to check out other recipes on the show’s website.
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