Homestyle Asparagus and Bacon

Article first published as Homestyle Asparagus and Bacon on Blogcritics.

When trying out a recipe I found in one of my cookbooks or online, rarely does my version look as pretty as the accompanying picture. Case in point:

I found a recipe for asparagus wrapped in prosciutto on Cooking Creation blog. Her picture of the asparagus looked like this.

Mine came out looking like this.

In my defense, there are a few reasons my version looks uglier.

1. The heat index was over 100 on the day I tried this recipe out. Dan vetoed standing in front of a hot grill. I was equally opposed to standing anywhere near a pot of boiling water. I steamed my asparagus in the microwave. In order to fit the asparagus into a microwave-proof dish, I first had to cut it up.

2. Not having prosciutto on hand, I used bacon. Obviously I had to cook the bacon first, but I wasn’t about to saute it over a hot stove (see reason #1). I threw the bacon in a 375 degree oven and then went and sat under the AC in the living room. Well, the bacon cooked a bit longer than it should have, so I ended up with crumbled bacon rather than lovely strips.

3. Homestyle cooking is all about comfort. Let the restaurants serve fancy dishes that look more like a work of art than something you would eat. I’ll stick with my dishes than can be eaten in shorts, t-shirt and no shoes.

My hat goes off to Cooking Creation, asparagus and bacon are a wonderful combination of sweet and salty. In a word, it was delicious. Even Dan who isn’t a fan of vegetables, cleared his plate.

Since my version is quite different from the original, allow me to share it with you:

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled
2 tablespoons of water
salt and pepper to taste

Place the asparagus into a casserole dish. Pour the water and bacon overtop. Cover the dish and place in the microwave. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir. Cook for 3 minutes more or until tender. Season to taste.