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Are you looking for a super simple, super healthy, super rich-decadent-tasting side dish? Try this!

Roasted Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms

1 or 2 bunches of asparagus
6 to 8 ounces of fresh shiitake mushrooms
good quality olive oil
salt

Roasted Asparagus

Clean and trim* the asparagus. Rinse the shiitakes and drain well; if necessary trim the stems a bit. Place the asparagus and mushrooms in a large roasting pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with a generous pinch or two of salt. Roast at 375-degrees Fahrenheit until the asparagus is to your liking. I like it crisp-tender.

Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms

If you’re cooking other items in the oven at the same time, you can use whatever temperature you’re using for your other items, as long as it’s at least 350-degrees. I’ve roasted these at anywhere from 325 to 450 degrees and found that 350-400 degrees is best, but you could go up to 450 if need. At 325, it just took a little longer and I found it didn’t maintain the bright green, fresh flavor I like.

If you’re grilling, you can cook these on the grill, too! Just remember to use a pan that can go on the grill – like the disposable aluminum pans pictured here.

This tastes decadent, but it is a low-calorie, nutrition-packed side dish. Roasting brings out a delicate sweetness in the asparagus and shiitakes, the olive oil lends it a rich, almost buttery flavor. It’s also vegan and gluten free!

If you happen to have leftovers, they make a great addition to a frittata, or tossed with some pasta and other goodies (fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.). They’d also be great quickly stir-fried with some brown rice. Oh, the possibilities!

Rich in antioxidants, folates, vitamins and minerals, asparagus has many health benefits. Shiitake mushrooms are also a nutritional powerhouse, rich in trace minerals copper, pantothenic acid, and selenium. Shiitake mushrooms also have anti-inflammatory characteristics that can be very helpful.

*Tip: to trim the asparagus, I just hold the cut end on one hand and the center of the stalk in the other hand. I then gently bend the stalk until it snaps. I start as close to the cut end as possible. The stalk will naturally break where the tougher part ends. This is a great method to avoid unnecessary waste, but you’ll get stalks of varying length. If you want or need the stalks to be the same size, then you’ll want to use a knife to trim them.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2014 at 5:32 pm and is filed under Fruits & Veggies, Nutrition, Side Dishes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.