Asparagus, what?

To start I made dinner yesterday(Sunday), also. Which was just Sloppy Joes with a salad. I do not feel the need to say much about this deviation from my 10 week plan because I have made Sloppy Joes and will continue to make Sloppy Joes. I am good at making them! It is simple and delicious and always makes a ton!

Today though I made a fantastic meal. Which consisted of Angel Hair pasta in an Alfredo Sauce, Oven Roasted Asparagus, and Garlic Bread. My one and only reviewer at this point said it was all great.

I have stated that my goal is to ask as few questions as possible by the end of this adventure. Well tonight my only question was "does the asparagus look done?"(which I thought it was, I was just making sure). You are probably wondering why the title of this is "Asparagus, what?" and why I asked only that question. Well the answer is I do not ever eat asparagus. I do not usually enjoy green vegetables. They are growing on me and I am trying more of them more often. I decided at the beginning of this adventure that I would not only try to make things I've never made but that I would try to also make things I would have in the passed turned my nose up at. Tonight's asparagus being no exception. I did however put it on my plate and clear my plate of it. If I had not eaten so much food I would have gone back for seconds. So, it looks like I can now add asparagus to the list of green veggies to try more often. I am embarking on this journey to culinary freedom to learn new things but also to start eating healthier food more aften and that started tonight with my delicious asparagus.

My choice of alfredo sauce was a tough one. I usually make a recipe that I was given by my grandmother/mom. Whom I believe make it the best! I decided though that I would try to make a new kind. I went in search of a recipe and found one that added ingredients that are not found in my original recipe. It was hard for me to imagine not making grams alfredo but I did it and it was great. (the secret ingredients that was the biggest difference were nutmeg and chicken broth).

I also made homemade cheesey garlic bread for the first time. Worried that I would burn or make the cheese melt too quickly I watched it like a hawk and low and behold, I DID IT RIGHT!

My recipes for tonight were:
Alfredo Sauce:
1 1/4 c whipping cream
1 c chicken broth
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Parmesan Cheese to thickness and taste

Mix all of the ingredients but the cheese together and let cook in medium sauce pan until it bubbles and starts to thicken. Afterwards turn down your heat some and stir in cheese until all melted.

Add to cooked pasta

Asparagus:
Asparagus
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
garlic powder to taste

preheat oven to 425*
place asparagus in a bowl drizzle with olive oil  sprinkle with cheese salt and garlic powder
place asparagus on baking sheet
bake until tender around 12 minutes
sprinkle lemon juice before serving

Garlic Bread:
slice fresh loaf of bread in half
lightly butter each piece. sprinkle garlic powder on the bread and then add parmesan cheese

I baked my garlic bread in the same oven as the asparagus so it started out at 425* for about 5 minutes and finished another 5 minutes at 375* just bake until cheese is melty and bread is browning

This was an enjoyable cooking experience. I didn't burn myself, ask too many questions, or give up on anything. I have already learned a lot about what I can and cannot do on my own in the kitchen.

Here are some pictures of my delicious night! Including a thumbs up to the asparagus.

-Jamie