Four-Minute Veggies

Tax season has drained me of any energy to make veggies but I needed something. So at lunchtime, I stopped at a nearby supermarket to check out the produce and saw asparagus on sale – the ultimate quickie veggie. And a tasty one too.

So tonight, I just rinsed them off, snapped off the tough ends, piled them into a microwave-safe glass casserole dish, tightly covered with plastic wrap, tossed them into the microwave oven – yes, microwave oven and yes, without water or anything else – and cooked them at 100% for three minutes. Done and done.

The asparagus came out bright green and not soggy. Total prep and cooking – 4 minutes total!!! Squeeze some lemon juice on top and they’re ready to serve.

Not only is microwave cooking quick and easy, it also helps preserve veggie nutrients.

Microwave times vary by oven but it's better to undercook than overcook since you can always add time if the veggie needs more cooking. In my 1000 watt microwave, one pound takes roughly three minutes. Reduce time for less than a pound; add time for more than a pound.

If you want more suggestions on using your microwave, Citypixie suggests checking out two recent NY Times articles by Mark Bittman and Harold McGee.

Nutrition Info (per pound of asparagus): 92 calories, 18g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, 10g protein, 1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 9mg sodium

One pound can serve 2-4 people – or, in my case, one person since I just ate the entire pound as I wrote this. At 92 calories, it’s a veggie binge with few consequences (except for the grass-colored you-know-what).