My brother sent me an email asking me how to cook asparagus. This is one of my favorite vegetables and I know several ways to cook it that are yummy. Below is what I told him.
Here's a tip Mother and I learned from watching Julia Child. Do not use a knife to cut off the tough ends. Take each stalk and break it where it naturally breaks in two, and toss the end stalk into the compost bucket. Using this method, you will never have to try and chew the tough stalk.
Wash your asparagus. I like to hold the tip under running water for a moment to get out any dirt.
Methods of preparing:
I like to boil it for a few minutes until it's crispy tender, then toss it with some butter and lemon or lime juice.
OR you can toss it with some olive oil, garlic, and feta cheese.
OR you can place it in a dish and drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder or fresh garlic, and some parmesan cheese [get decent parmesan, not the canned crap]. Roast it in a 400 degree oven for 10-20 minutes, depending on how soft you want it.
OR you can take an onion and chop it fine, then put it in a skillet with olive oil, butter, salt and pepper, and cook it on high until the little onion pieces turn brown and crispy, then toss in the asparagus [I usually will have already nuked the asparagus in the microwave for 5 minutes covered with a wet paper towel].
You can also boil the asparagus until it's crispy or soft, however you like it, and pour over some Knorr hollandaise or Bearnaise sauce. Those Knorr packets make great sauce, in my experience, as long as you follow the directions.
There are more tips about asparagus [pun intended! LOL] here. Another great source for recipes is the Tasty Kitchen site. There's a recipe on there that sounds intriguing - asparagus in balsamic brown butter..