Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

So easy, so delicious.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter
source: Cooking Light, September 2001

40 asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons soy sauce (low-sodium)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Prep tip: Pick up one asparagus spear and snap it. Line up this spear with the rest and cut to that length.

Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes or until tender.

In a small skillet over medium heat, cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Watch carefully; do not burn butter. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. (Careful! The sauce bubbles up ferociously. I always quickly place a splatter screen over the skillet. Learned this the hard way.)

Drizzle sauce over the asparagus, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately.

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds

Link

I discovered this recipe a few years ago. In a word, Yum! Best as an after-school snack on a chilly autumn day but great any time.

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds
adapted from Cooks Illustrated Magazine Nov Dec 2008

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about six evenly sized, 2-3" diameter), peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste (1/8 teaspoon)
up to 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, if desired

Slice peeled sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch rounds. Place into a bowl, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to completely coat.

Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with a layer of aluminum foil. (I use a 12x18 sheet cake pan.) Coat with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes in an even layer. Using a second sheet of foil, cover the potatoes tightly.

Place pan in a cold oven and turn oven to 425˚F. Bake 30 minutes. Remove top layer of foil. 

Return to the oven and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until bottom of potatoes are golden brown. (Lift with a spatula to check underneath.) Remove from oven and flip over each potato slice. Return to the oven, baking 12-15 minutes more until other side browns. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before eating.

Note: I place the cooked rounds on a rack to cool to help maintain crisp exteriors. Interiors should be creamy. They do improve in flavor if you can hold off eating them until they cool to room temperature.