Sunday, June 27, 2010

{recipe} maple dijon chicken & asparagus



I made this meal for my best friend's birthday. The chicken and asparagus were both delicious but it was the mashed potatoes for me that took the cake. I'm not sure why I have never thought to put caramelized onions and garlic together in mashed potatoes, but I can't imagine eating them any other way now. The flavors are fantastic!

Maple Dijon Chicken
adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
  1. Marinate the chicken in the maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Grill the chicken on a George Foreman grill for about 9 minutes, or on a grill pan for 4-5 minutes each side.

Maple Dijon Asparagus
adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds asparagus (trimmed and cleaned)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
  • 1 small clove garlic (grated)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
  1. Toss the asparagus in the oil, salt and pepper.
  2. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 10-30 minutes. (Note: Roasting time can vary greatly depending on how thick your asparagus is.)
  4. Mix the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustards, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  5. Toss the asparagus in the maple dijon vinaigrette and serve under the chicken breasts.
  6. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the chicken and asparagus.

Caramelized Onion Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:
  • 6 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1/3 cup warm milk
  • 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons butter or margarine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Dash pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of garlic
  • ½ large white onion
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
  1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper; mash until light and fluffy. Gently fold in onions and garlic.
  2. To caramelize onions: Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a saucepan and add onions. Saute over medium-high heat until onions are starting to caramelize 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic for the last minute of cooking. If you like your onions darker, saute them slightly longer (or if you like them lighter, diminish the saute time)

xx, Jen

Friday, June 25, 2010

{recipe} bruschetta, sangria, & asparagus carbonara, oh my!


I had some very good friends over the other night for dinner and wine. My friend Amanda wanted to cook dinner for everyone, so I made sangria and an appetizer, Beth brought the wine and Kaitlin brought dessert! It was a wonderful night catching up with friends with extremely yummy food at that.

Bruschetta:

Ingredients:
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
`1 french baguette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven on broiler setting.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow mixture to sit for about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Divide the 1/4 cup of olive oil onto each baguette slice. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch this carefully! This is where my bread started to burn a little bit.
Step 4: Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Step 5: Broil for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Again, keep a very close eye on it!

White Wine Sangria

Ingredients:
Your favorite large bottle of white wine. (We used Pinot Grigio.)
2 cups of your favorite fruit (We used white peaches and strawberries)
1/4 cup orange juice with pulp
1/4 cup diet sprite

Directions
Combine all in a pitcher (if making ahead of time, omit the sprite and add just before serving). Put in fridge and serve over crushed ice. Enjoy :)

Amanda preparing our Asparagus Carbonara. She found the recipe on Closet Cooking, a wonderful blog filled with a very diverse recipe list. She added fat-free milk instead of the heavy cream the original recipe called for. The consistency of the sauce was still great, so if you are looking to cut calories and fat then you can do the same without losing any flavor! She also added yummy scallops as well.

Our chef for the night!

Kaitlin's yummy red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

It was a great night and we decided we are going to try to keep it up at least once a week for the rest of summer :)

xox, Jen

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Simplicity at its best.

Pasta Margherita 

I love how some of the simplest ingredients can combine to create a delicious and satisfying, yet light, meal. Margherita pizza is one of my all-time favorites. The basil, mozzarella, garlic and tomatoes combine to create an extraordinary flavor combination. I was craving the pizza version, but I am kind of apprehensive to attempt a homemade pizza (the pizza dough intimidates me!), so I decided to incorporate the ingredients and flavors to make the pasta! This is an incredibly basic recipe, and fairly cheap as well. The fresh mozzarella (this means the mozzarella cheese in the water) brings the cost up quite a bit but substituting for the bagged mozzarella would completely change the dish!

Ingredients:
~3.5 cups of your favorite pasta. I used penne.
1 large on-the-vine tomato, de-seeded and chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Large handful of fresh basil, chopped
Fresh mozzarella cheese balls, cut in half- As little or as much as you want!
3.5 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

Directions:
 Step 1: Fill a large pot with cold water. Add salt to taste and put on high until water boils. In the meantime, cut up all of the ingredients and set aside. Follow instructions on box on how long to cook the pasta until al dente.

Step 2: After putting the pasta in the boiling water, heat one tablespoon of olive oil on a medium sized skillet on medium heat. Once the oil starts to bubble place the garlic carefully on the surface. Stir constantly until garlic starts to brown. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine with the garlic.

Step 3: Drain the pasta and let it cool down for a minute or so. Once it is cool enough to where it will not melt the mozzarella, pour pasta in bowls and top with the tomato/garlic/olive oil mixture. Next, sprinkle the fresh basil and mozzarella on top and stir to combine. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the dish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

This meal was super simple and quick and left my margherita pizza craving satisfied :)

xox, Jen

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Bowls


Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Pineapple, Black Beans, Maduros and Coconut Rice

I made this dinner for my roommates before I left to go home for Father's Day weekend. I do admit, I am not the best at making rice. I don't know what it is about the grain that makes me incapable of making it fluffy and delicious. Sadly, my rice turned out more like rice pudding than fluffy coconut rice. I do think that part of my problem was that I used white rice instead of the jasmine rice the original recipe called for and I also doubled the recipe. I was trying to cut corners/costs and did not exactly succeed. It tasted very good, it just did not have the right texture. Oh well, there is always next time! I am going to post the original recipe so that your rice does not turn out the same way :)

**CAUTION: Please make sure you wear gloves or avoid touching the insides (especially the seeds) of the jalapenos. I learned the hard way that touching this area causes a burning sensation for about two days.**

Original recipe from Budget Bytes
Yields enough for 2

Ingredients (for most of the bowl):
1.5 cups long grain jasmine rice
1 can (1.5 cups) Light coconut milk
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 (about 1 lb. total) boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle jerk marinade
1 fresh jalepeno
1 can black beans
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks
1 handful green onion or cilantro
Countertop Grill

Ingredients (for Maduros):
This recipe will make 4-5 servings

3 large ripe plantains
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
½ teaspoon vanilla
Dash of cinnamon, optional


 Directions:
 Marinate the chicken in the jerk seasoning in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. I marinated my chicken overnight. 


STEP 1: Begin cooking your rice by placing 1.5 cups of long grain jasmine rice in a pot with 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tsp of salt, one can of light coconut milk and 1.5 cups (or one can full) of water. Stir once to combine ingredients. Cover the pot and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to warm/low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off after 30 minutes and let it rest until you are ready to serve. Fluff with a fork just before serving.

STEP 2: Preheat a countertop grill for 5 minutes. Once warm, grill your first chicken breast for 6 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and grill the second breast. Slice the breasts diagonally into strips.

STEP 3: While the chicken is cooking, mince another clove of garlic. Deseed and mince one jalapeno. Place the jalapeno and garlic in a small pot with 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil. Saute them for about 2 minutes over medium/high heat or just until soft. Add the can of black beans (undrained), reduce the heat to low and let until you are finished preparing the rest of the ingredients.

STEP 4: Hit the plantains on all sides with a wooden spoon to soften. Peel and cut into 5 pieces each. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil on high heat; add plantains. Fry until brown. Combine sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and water. Reduce heat to low and pour liquid over plantains. Continue cooking until the liquid thickens, about 15 minutes.



STEP 5: To assemble the bowls, begin with 1 cup of coconut rice. Top the rice with 1/2 of a chicken breast (about 4 oz.), 1/3 cup of black beans, 1/3 cup of pineapple chunks (with some juice) and 1/4 of the plantain medallions. Garnish with chopped green onions or cliantro.


Let me know how your rice turns out :) I will be following the original recipe exactly the next time!

xx, Jen  

Monday, June 14, 2010

{recipe} chickpea & feta salad

This photo taken by The Kitchenist
All other photos by me

My mom makes something pretty similar to this recipe. I always forget to get all of my favorite recipes from her whenever I go home, and I started to get a craving for this particular salad, so I just found a recipe that was somewhat like it to make at school! There is quite a bit of prep work (chopping up all of the vegetables) but the ingredients were really cheap and healthy. I will definitely be making it often!

Recipe adapted from The Kitchenist
Yields enough for 6 as a side and 3 as a main dish.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup + 2 Tbs. olive oil
1 leek, sliced lengthwise and chopped (white and light green parts only)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 mini red bell peppers, chopped and de-seeded
1 mini orange bell pepper, chopped and de-seeded
4 tsp. chili powder
3 teaspoons of pre-chopped garlic from jar (or 3 finely chopped garlic cloves)
15.5 oz can of chickpeas (drained)
Half container of feta, crumbled
4 green onions (dark and light green parts only)
2 Tbs. finely chopped mint
1 Tbs. finely chopped basil
zest and juice of 1 large lemon

Directions:

 I recommend chopping up all vegetables before heating the olive oil.


Heat 2 Tbs. of the olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Gently cook the leek and red onion for 8-10 minutes, until very soft and beginning to turn golden. Add the chili powder, mini bell peppers, and garlic and cook for another minute or two until very fragrant- be careful not to brown the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.


Place the chickpeas, feta, green onions, mint, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice and remaining olive oil in a large bowl.


When it's cool enough not to melt the feta, add the mixture from the frying pan and gently stir everything to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave salad for at least one hour (or as many as 24) before eating in the fridge because the flavors will meld together!


Tomorrow night I am making Jamaican Jerk Chicken Bowls with plantains, coconut rice, pineapple and black beans for dinner with my roommates. So look back for that recipe :)

xox, Jen

Friday, June 11, 2010

Eggplant Parmesan (Baked Eggplant, not Fried!)


I had a craving for Italian food, but I have been trying to cut back on the amount of pasta I eat lately, considering that is pretty much all I had time to make during the school year! I found an awesome recipe for Eggplant Parmesan on the best college friendly food blog ever, Budget Bytes. She lists out the prices of all of the ingredients in her recipes and keeps most of her recipes priced under $10.00. This recipe takes a bit longer than others I have on my blog, but it is mostly just waiting on the dish to bake, so make sure you leave enough time to prepare and wait!


Recipe adapted from budgetbytes.blogspot.com 
Yields enough for 6
Ingredients:
2 medium (2 lbs.) eggplant
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
  1/2 cup grated parmesan
3 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Non-stick spray (as needed)
Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:
STEP 1: Wash the eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place it in a colander, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of salt, toss to coat and let sit for about 45 minutes. The salt will draw out moisture from the eggplant allowing for more crisp slices once breaded and baked. I placed the eggplant a single layer and then put a paper towel on top, another layer of eggplant, another paper towel, etc., etc. After 45 minutes, give the colander a good shake to let extra water drip out the bottom (it will look brown).

STEP 2: Press the eggplant slices between a few sheets of paper towel (or a clean, lint-free cloth) to absorb excess water. Place the slices in a ziplock bag with 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour. Toss the bag so that the slices become coated with the flour.

STEP 3: Prepare the second two steps in the breading process as follows. Lightly beat three eggs in a bowl until they become a fairly even consistency. Pour the Italian bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg (turning to coat both sides) then into the bread crumbs (coating each side again). Place the breaded slices on a plate or baking sheet until all slices have been breaded.

STEP 4: Position your oven racks on the top third and bottom third of the oven so that they have at least 6 inches between them for air to flow. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place two baking sheets in the oven (one on each rack) as it preheats so they will be preheated as well (this helps with crisping).

STEP 6: Once all of your eggplant slices are breaded and the oven/baking sheets are preheated, carefully remove the baking sheets and coat them with non-stick spray. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the sheets and spray the tops of them with another coat of non-stick spray. Place the sheets back in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Switch the position of the baking sheets half way through (the top rack is often hotter and browns faster than the bottom).

STEP 7: After the slices have baked, reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer over the marinara. Top with a second cup of marinara and one cup of mozzarella. Arrange the rest of the eggplant slices over top and then cover with a third cup of marinara and a second cup of mozarella, etc., etc.

STEP 8: Bake the casserole for about 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly. (Check it every now and then, my cheese ended up a bit too brown, as you can tell from the picture at the top of this post!) Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
I won't be cooking much this weekend as it is my friend's birthday weekend, so we are going out to eat! I am planning on cooking  Jamaican Jerk Chicken Bowls on Sunday or Monday for my roommates though, so check back to see the pictures and recipe! :)

xox, Jen

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Strawberry Banana Muffins


I had a few bananas that were getting a bit too ripe for my liking so I decided to find a way to use them without having to actually eat them alone. I stumbled across this recipe while looking through For the Love of Cooking. (I promise I'm going to find more blogs to feature! There are just way too many good recipes on there to pass up!) I had a tupperware full of fresh strawberries in my fridge and the other ingredients were basic baking ingredients so I decided to give it a go. They were extremely easy to make and turned out moist and super flavorful. I especially LOVE the fact that brown sugar was used instead of white sugar.

Dry Ingredients
2 1/4 cup of flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. After mixing, gently fold in the strawberries, making sure to coat them with flour - this helps prevent the berries from sinking while baking. In another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (I use a potato masher to break up the banana) until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stir until just combined - do not over mix the batter or you will have tough muffins. Fill the muffin tray with the batter, place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

 
What to look forward to with the next post: Delicious & CHEAP Eggplant Parmesan (The two best words to describe food of course!)
xox, Jen

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

{recipe} cilantro lime rice w/ mojo chicken


Sometimes my roommate and I get a craving for Chipotle's rice bowls: white rice with cilantro and lime... grilled chicken... salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc. etc. Unfortunately for us, for some unknown reason there is no Chipotle within ~100 miles of Tallahassee. How can this be? There is even a Facebook group about bringing Chipotle to Tally (with over 1100 people in it!) We decided that it was no longer okay to crave these rice bowls and decided to find a recipe that was similar to the Chipotle rice recipe.



Mojo Marinated Chicken 
My own "recipe"
2 1/2 cups of store bought Mojo Marinade- I used the Badia brand
 3 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
Large Ziplock Bag
George Foreman Grill / Grillpan 

Directions: Pour the marinade into a large ziplock bag and place the chicken breasts in it. Close the bag, leaving plenty of air inside. Shake the bag around gently, then open it up and close it tightly, leaving as little air inside the bag as possible. Place the bag in the fridge and store for 30 minutes-up to 24 hours. I left mine in the marinade for about 3 hours and it was very flavorful. Start the rice (recipe below) before you take the chicken out of the fridge. I grilled my chicken on a George Foreman grill for ~9 minutes. On a grill pan I would probably keep the chicken on the same side for about 6 minutes then flip it on its other side for about 3-4 minutes. Just check to make sure there is no pink left in the meat! Cut into strips and place on top of rice. *Yields enough for 2 servings, plus a little leftover chicken for salad/tacos the next day

Cilantro Lime Rice
 Recipe from For the Love of Cooking
 1-2 tsp olive oil
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup long grained rice (brown or white)
2 cups of water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 large handful of cilantro, chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lime   
DirectionsHeat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes, until soft and tender. Add the rice and garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add the water and chicken bouillon granules, bring to a boil over high heat, cover and reduce the heat and simmer, until tender, about 20-25 minutes for white rice and 40-45 minutes for brown rice. Remove from heat and mix with the cilantro, lime juice and zest. Scoop rice into two bowls and place the chicken strips on top. *Yields enough for 2 servings

Rice Bowl Toppings:
 You can add whatever floats your boat really but we added: Fresh salsa, halved grape tomatoes shredded pepper jack cheese, fat-free sour cream, fresh/ripe avocado and lettuce.

Homemade Tortilla Chips
  Tortilla recipe adapted from Food Network 


We bought a fresh salsa from the store and then forgot to buy tortilla chips. I had some soft taco tortillas laying around so we decided to make our own instead of making another trip to Publix. My roommate was completely in charge of this part of our meal. She isn't too much a fan of cooking, but she made some really yummy chips! I like the homemade baked kind much more than the super fattening Tostitos chips.

Ingredients:
5 soft taco tortillas
1/2 tblsp Vegetable Oil (we just eyeballed it)
Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover each tortilla with the vegetable oil and salt and pepper on each side. Place them in a stack and cut the stack into sixths to create your chips. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in oven for about 9-15 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!

xox, Jen
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Monday, June 7, 2010

{recipe} grilled chicken with tomatoes, feta, basil, & caramelized onions



I found this recipe on my new favorite blog, For the Love of Cooking, while searching for a recipe to make for dinner. I was going to just make it for dinner on my own, but cooking is ALWAYS way more fun when you have a co-chef helping out. :) I invited one of my best friends, Amanda, over for dinner. She loves food and cooking just as much as I do, so we always have a blast together. She also has a blog, Life as a College Foodie. (FOLLOW HER!) She is the reason I found out about the blog For the Love of Cooking. Once I told Amanda the plan for dinner she immediately replied that she would definitely be coming over to help cook. After the first few bites we both looked at each other and agreed that it was the best meal we had ever cooked before. I will definitely be revisiting this recipe and this blog many times.

Grilled Chicken with Grape Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Fresh Basil & Feta Cheese
Recipe credit to For the love of cooking

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup of red grape tomatoes
  • Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
  • Garlic powder, to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2-3 tbsp of feta cheese

Directions:
  1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a bit of salt then saute until golden brown and caramelized - about 15-20 minutes.
  2. In large grill pan, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and season the chicken breasts with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste. Make sure pan is nice and hot before adding the chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes before turning over. Cook for additional 3-4 minutes to desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat to a serving platter. Make sure to let the chicken rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing so it stays nice and juicy. Slice into thin strips at an angle once it has rested.
  3. In the same skillet as the onions, add the grape tomatoes then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Add minced garlic, stirring frequently for 60 seconds. Pour the tomatoes and onions on top of the sliced chicken, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Top with feta cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus w/ Browned Butter, Soy & Balsamic Sauce


Our accompaniments for the chicken with tomatoes, caramelized onions and feta were a baked potato and asparagus. I found the recipe for the asparagus on For the Love of Cooking as well. She recommended making this recipe to go along with her chicken recipe. When I told my mom that I made asparagus as a side for dinner she started laughing and said, "I thought you hated asparagus!" I used to avoid it like the plague when I was little. My taste buds have since then gotten used to the texture and taste, and I can now officially say that I am a fan. If you think you don't like asparagus then I challenge you to try recipe. It is now officially my go-to asparagus recipe. One thing I did notice however, being somewhat of an inexperienced cook (hey, I'm trying!), was that the butter started evaporating too quickly before it browned. Amanda and I ended up doubling the sauce recipe. I think we might have been cooking on too high of heat.Once we doubled the recipe the sauce came to be the perfect amount.

Ingredients:
  • Cooking spray
  • 20 spears of asparagus, ends trimmed
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp of butter
  • 1 tsp of soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp of balsamic vinegar

Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (easier clean up) and coat it with cooking spray.
  2. Add the trimmed asparagus spears to the baking sheet and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until fork tender.
  3. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted and starts to brown - DO NOT BURN. Add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar and stir until well combined. Drizzle the sauce over the roasted asparagus and serve immediately. Enjoy.




xo, Jen