I’m kinda an NPR junkie. I think there’s some switch that flips on in your late 20s that suddenly makes NPR totally fascinating and awesome. There are so many shows I love on NPR, but one of my favorites is The Splendid Table.
I never would have thought a food show could be so successful on the radio. I mean, no photos, no smells, no tasting, but it really is incredible. Every show leaves my mouth watering and me itching to get into the kitchen.
One time I was listening in, and the show started off with a description of the simplest, easiest, most delicious sounding asparagus recipe I’d ever heard—Midnight Asparagus. It’s a one skillet meal that’s all cooked under the broiler in about 10 minutes, resulting in a super delicious, super easy dinner for two (or midnight snack, if you’re living up to the name of the recipe).
Our asparagus patch is just starting to produce, and I’m loving every fresh, tender spear of it. I’m sure I’ll eventually get sick of living on asparagus, but for now, I’m reveling in our harvest!
Asparagus is actually pretty easy to grow around here. I know some people struggle with it because it’s such a heavy feeder, but it comes up year-after-year around here without any issues. Since asparagus is a perennial (meaning, it comes up every year from the same plant), we’re still eating off the same plants my parents planted in the garden years ago.
To get it to produce in the spring, all we have to do is give it a little blanket of mulch over the winter, give it a heavy layer of compost in late winter, then come early spring, we’ve got spears! Easiest veggie ever.
This recipe is so simple and so easy that it seems like it has to be bland, but it’s just the opposite. The simple flavors really let the flavors of the fresh asparagus shine. The soft-cooked eggs make for a velvety sauce that coats the asparagus and onions and is delicious sopped up into a piece of crusty bread. To balance out the richness of the eggs, I squeezed half a lemon on top to add a nice hint of acid.
We’ll be eating this midnight asparagus all asparagus season long. Enjoy!
Midnight Asparagus and Eggs
This quick, tasty, and nutritious Midnight Asparagus and Eggs is just as welcome for dinner or a midnight snack as it is for breakfast.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into one-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 4 large eggs
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the broiler on high. Put the butter in a large cast iron or other ovenproof skillet, and put the skillet under the broiler for a couple of minutes, until the butter is melted.
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Add the asparagus, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and stir. Return the pan to the broiler for about five minutes, until the asparagus is somewhat tender but not fully cooked.
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Use a spoon to make four wells in the asparagus mixture for the eggs. Carefully crack one egg into each well. Broil for 2-5 more minutes, checking frequently, until the whites are cooked through but the yolks are still runny (or until cooked to your liking).
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Remove the skillet from broiler and top with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve directly from the skillet or transferred to individual plates. This is especially delicious accompanied by some crusty bread or toast!
Notes
You can use a sweet onion instead of a regular one to impart a delicious hint of sweetness to the finished dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 325Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 403mgSodium: 562mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 19g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
