An Inspired Cook

There are a few vegetables that I feel need some help to make them taste extraordinary. This is just my opinion but roasted asparagus needs more than just salt and pepper to entice me to eat it. I guess over time I got burnt out on asparagus but recently I’ve discovered some new flavors to add to it that make it taste fresh and new. Josh was my inspiration for this dish. He was here over Mother’s Day and suggested we make roasted veggies. We picked up some of his favorites, including asparagus and tomatoes. We crumbled some goat cheese and added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper. Asparagus suddenly tasted good again! So I got to thinking that I’d like to add something crunchy to the mix and came up with some candied pecans which paired perfectly. There’s a contrast of flavors ranging from salty, tangy, sweet and savory. As I try to make healthier choices I’m striving to make those healthy choices taste better.

This is my go to recipe to make candied pecans with a hint of red chile. Usually I will toast the pecans in a dry pan until they become fragrant but I found a package of toasted pecan bits from Trader Joe’s that saved me a step. So what I did was melt the butter and add some brown sugar, cinnamon, red chile, salt and a bit of water.

Stir the mixture as it begins to boil. Let it boil for a minute or so but make sure it doesn’t start to burn.

Add the pecan bits to the pan and stir until they are completely coated.

Transfer the pecans to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool.

Time to get started on the asparagus. I trimmed the bottoms and skewered them to make it easier to turn them. I opted not to roast them in the oven since it is a hot day, but it’s just as easy to set them on a grill pan and grill them outdoors. The grill was hot at 400 degrees. I let the pan get hot then set the asparagus rows on it and gave it a drizzle of olive oil.

I left them on the grill for 8 minutes then turned them over for another 5 – 6 minutes. As you can see one side was hotter than the other side, I have 3 heating elements but only 2 will light and one is hotter than the other. I have to swap sides to even things out sometimes.

If you have room on your grill you can set your tomatoes beside the asparagus and roast them at about the same amount of time. All you need to do is make a slit into each tomato so they don’t explode. But with my grill situation, I don’t have room. So instead I’m going to roast the tomatoes on top of the stove in my mini wok. Rinse them and place them in the pan or wok, heat to medium high, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place a lid on top and let them steam. Every 2 – 3 minutes toss them so that they break down evenly. In a few minutes they will look like you roasted them in the oven or grilled them along with your asparagus.

To assemble; lay out the asparagus on a platter. Spread the roasted tomatoes evenly across the row of asparagus. Add some goat cheese crumbles and the candied pecans. Drizzle with balsamic over the entire platter and serve.

This is my favorite balsamic vinegar (New Mexico Red Chile Dark Balsamic) straight from Santa Fe, NM. You can order it at Santa Fe Olive Oil & Balsamic Co.

Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans

1 bundle Asparagus
1 (8-10 ounce pack) Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 cup Candied Pecan Pieces, recipe follows
2 ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled
Balsamic Vinegar (Buy New Mexico Red Chile Dark Balsamic here)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil for drizzling

To make Candied Pecans

1/2 cup Toasted Pecan Pieces (I used Trader Joe’s Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces)
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1/8 teaspoon Red Chile Powder, I used Guajillo Chile but you can use any chile powder you like
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
Smidgen of Salt
1 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Water

In a small skillet over medium high heat, melt butter and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and stir while the mixture begins to thicken. Add the toasted pecan pieces and stir for a minute more. Transfer pecans to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the pecan pieces across the parchment paper and let cool.

To prepare asparagus : Trim the bottoms of the asparagus. Arrange the asparagus in a row on a grill pan and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the asparagus on the grill at 400 degrees. Let asparagus cook for 8 minutes, then turn over to cook another 5 – 6 minutes. If asparagus is thin, reduce the total cook time by 2 – 3 minutes.

Roast tomatoes on the grill or in a skillet/wok pan on top of the stove. If cooking on top of the stove, pierce each tomato with a knife so that they don’t explode. Salt and pepper to taste and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place a lid on top and let tomatoes steam, tossing every few minutes so that they roast evenly on all sides. When they begin to break down and collapse, remove from heat.

To assemble dish: Lay out a row of roasted asparagus on a platter. Spoon the roasted tomatoes evenly across the asparagus. Sprinkle with goat cheese crumbles over the tomatoes. Add some candied pecans and drizzle balsamic vinegar over top.

Makes 4 servings