Asparagus with Sesame Oil

One of the many reasons I love spring is asparagus! I'll eat it up pretty much any way you want to serve it -- steamed, broiled, stir-fried, raw... just bring it on!

This recipe is one of my favorite ways of preparing asparagus for two reasons. 1) It's really fast and easy to make. (We're talking less than 15 minutes from start to finish!) 2) It introduces another of my favorite flavors -- sesame oil.

Note:
Although you don't have to, if you have time, you may want to soak your cut asparagus in cold water for 20-30 minutes before cooking it. This will crisp it up. Just be sure to drain it well (and maybe even pat dry with a clean dish towel) so that you don't get spattered when you toss your veg into the frying pan.

Asparagus with Sesame Oil

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch long pieces.
approx 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp olive oil
approx 1/2 tsp salt
a few Tbsp of water (about 1/4 cup)
approx 1 1/2 Tbs sesame oil

Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it's nice and hot, add the asparagus and stir fry until all the pieces are coated in oil. Add the salt and stir. Add the water.

Cover the pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the asparagus until it is bright green and cooked through, but still crisp. The length of time depends on how thick your asparagus is. If it's pencil-thin, it may be only a minute or two.

Remove the cover, and turn the heat up to high. Quickly boil away any extra water while continuously stirring the asparagus.

Mix in the sesame oil. Transfer to a platter and serve.