A vegetable recipe for a change

Asparagus with Mushrooms
Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook Copyright 2009

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt WAY TOO MUCH IMO!
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper I used white pepper

In a large skillet, saute asparagus and ginger in oil for 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add the mushrooms, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes longer or until mushrooms are tender. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup equals 92 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 599 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat.
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I haven't been eating enough vegetables lately. I eat lots of salads but they're mainly just lettuce with a few carrots and some cabbage, nothing exceptionally nutritious. I'm going to try to mix things up and work more vegetables into my diet and I started with this recipe.

I had some execution problems. The ginger wanted to burn so I had to keep everything moving and I added the mushrooms right away. The recipe calls for way too much salt. The mushrooms lost a lot of water at the end, which was actually a blessing since when I drained that liquid off, much of the salt went with it. I find a sprinkle of salt is all it takes to let the mushrooms release a bit of water so they steam a bit as they sauté yet they won't end up looking like they came out of a can.

While this isn't a knock-your-socks-off recipe, I enjoyed it. It was different than other asparagus recipes I've tried. I liked the Asian influence and I will have to remember this as a side for other Asian dishes.