Asparagus season is upon us! WooHoo!!! Here’s a quick side dish to serve with chicken, pork, beef…just about anything really.

For easy clean up, place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet before arranging the asparagus in a single layer.  Be sure to trim the tough ends off each piece of asparagus. Nobody likes gnawing on those hard-to-eat, woody ends! This dish is best served warm. Enjoy!

Recipe variation: drizzle the asparagus with a little balsamic vinegar before sprinkling with salt, pepper and Parmesan; then roast in the oven.

Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan
-recipe from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living

1 1/2 lbs asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

Preheat oven to 450° F.  Trim the tough ends from asparagus.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
Spread asparagus in an even layer. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Roast until asparagus is tender and cheese has melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tags: olive oil, parmesan, roasted asparagus, springtime

These moist and tender muffins are a great way to show off a seasonal Springtime ingredient: rhubarb. The muffins are slightly tart and slightly sweet with a delicious cinnamon-sugar topping.  I like them best the day they’re made when the muffin tops are still a little crunchy.

Trim away any rhubarb leaves from the stalks (they’re toxic), stalk ends and brown spots. Look for firm rhubarb stalks that are pale pink (hothouse grown) or bright red (field grown) in color. 

For other recipe ideas, check out Cupcake Tuesday.

Cinnamon-Rhubarb Muffins
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine
 
These muffins are best when freshly baked, but they’re still good the second day. Just reheat them in a 350°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to refresh them. Yields 12 muffins.

For the muffins:
9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb (7-1/4 oz.)

For the topping:
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil baking cups.

Make the muffin batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Lightly stir the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula until the batter just comes together; do not overmix. Gently stir in the diced rhubarb. The batter will be thick.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or a small spatula to settle the batter into the cups. The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle a generous 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over each muffin.

Bake the muffins until they’re golden brown, spring back most of the way when gently pressed, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift the muffins out of the pan—if necessary, loosen them with the tip of a paring knife—and let them cool somewhat. Serve warm.

Tags: cinnamon, Muffins, rhubarb, springtime