Asparagus Almondine

Almonds are some of my favorite nuts. I can eat them all the time, in many different ways. Green bean almondine is a very popular side dish that is green beans served with sliced butter-toasted almonds. Of course, like with anything, there are a number of ways it can be prepared. This time I made asparagus almondine instead of green bean almondine. Same thing, but I used asparagus instead of green beans. It was one of the dishes I took with me to our friends Eric and Shannon’s house on Christmas Day. Christmas 2021

Asparagus Almondine

1 lb cooked asapragus, ends trimmed

2-3 TBSP butter

1/2 cup slivered almonds

pinch of nutmeg

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup chopped tomatoes or red bell peppers, optional

Cut off the ends of the asparagus and cook in boiling water for about 5-7 minutes or until mostly tender, but still with a bit of a crisp left. I usually cut off about 2-3 inches of the stems, but that it is up to you and your preferences.

While the asparagus is cooking, prepare the almonds by melting the butter first, then adding the almonds, nutmeg, and salt & pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the almonds start to turn golden brown.

When the asparagus and the almonds are cooked, top the asparagus with the almonds and butter. Top with the chopped tomatoes if using and serve. You can also use red bell peppers instead of the tomatoes if you prefer. This dish couldn’t be much easier to make, but it is simply elegant. I added the tomatoes to make them more colorful and festive with the Christmas red and green. I actually do this quite a bit though, regardless of the season because I always like to mix and match a lot of vegetables together. Rarely do I ever just have one vegetable by itself. We eat a lot of vegetables and a lot of vegetable combinations.

Happy New Year Everyone. May 2022 be a good year to all. Stay safe and stay well.