One of my personal favorite vegetables is the asparagus. What is strange is that although I have acquired a taste for it as an adult I remember not being a big fan of it when I was younger, but what kid is, right?

Over the past year I have been looking for ways to incorporate healthy eating into my everyday life, as are a lot of people. One thing I have learned about the asparagus is although it can be quite expensive purchased at a grocery store, it is well worth the extra money. This vegetable is not only packed with a good amount of vitamins and minerals, but it also has excellent flavor and texture when prepared different ways.

Since asparagus can withstand a good amount of heat and water as well as varying temperatures without loosing it's flavor and mineral value, it is a favorite amongst many people that have acquired a taste for it.

Here are different ways that you can prepare this vegetable:

Health Conscious?

One way you can prepare asparagus is by using a steamer or by making your own steamer. Fill a medium sized pot with water about halfway.

Place the asparagus over the steam in a netted type sifter or steamer tool. Set your timer for about 20 minutes and let the steam do it's work to cook the asparagus.

If you would like to add more flavor to your asparagus plus add an effective fat burning technique you can use the juice of a lemon to give it an accent of citrus flavor, which can be enticing. This can substitute other fattening condiments like butter.

People have said that this is an effective way to maintain the mineral density found within these vegetables, therefore you benefit more from preparing it this way. You also cut back on the amount of fat consumed, which is great if you are watching your fat intake.

Combination Saute/Steam

One way that many people enjoy this vegetable is to prepare it by sauteing it. I always like to cut off the ends about an inch from the bottom to make sure to get rid of the bitter part towards the end. I then place them in a colander and wash them well.

After I do this I then put about a tablespoon of butter in the pan and let the pan heat up. I usually put the heat on low, halfway between low and medium.

I then set the timer for about 20 minutes, depending on how many I put in the pan. I would say about 12-15 average size stocks should suffice. After this I then cover the asparagus with a lid.

Once 20 minutes have gone by I check them to see if they are at the consistency that I like. I also like them on the softer side, so you may want to put the timer on 15 minutes for a more crisper asparagus.

When they are done, they are delightful, tasty and have tons of nutrients in them. I favor them being prepared with butter rather then olive oil because the butter gives them a richer flavor than olive oil in my opinion.

Added Flavor

• Butter and olive oil are great to add to asparagus. Butter gives them a richer flavor, while olive oil gives them a lighter, crisper flavor.
• You can also use bacon drippings to give them a nice smokey flavor. This allows you to use the drippings from the bacon you cooked in the morning. So you can save money and time.
• Another great seasoning is garlic, you can use fresh garlic or garlic salt to give them a more vibrant flavor. About a teaspoon of garlic salt is all you need because this is very salty. As for the fresh garlic about 3 medium sized cloves finely chopped, should do.
  

You can try both of these ways to prepare your asparagus. Whether you are health conscious or are in the mood for some flavorful vegetables, there really is no wrong way to cook asparagus.