I did not grow up eating many vegetables. Broccoli, corn and carrots were about it. My Mom was raising us 5 kids alone in a 2 bedroom apartment and we were pretty poor. There were 3 of us kids in 1 bedroom and my 2 oldest sisters in the other one. That left Mom sleeping on the pull-out couch in the tiny family room. She worked her butt off for us kids. Usually holding 2 or 3 jobs just to put food on the table. I think about it now as a mother myself with only 3 kids AND a helping husband, it’s still hard. I have no clue how my Momma did it alone, but she did a great job and I have so much respect for her doing what she did for us kids.
That being said, we had fast food a lot or quick and easy meals at home. They mostly consisted of ramen noodles, soups and tacos. I know my Mom wanted to feed us healthy food but it can be expensive. She was working a 9 to 5 day job then a 5 to 10 waitress night shift, so I’d imagine she hardly had time to worry about her kids getting their fruits and veggies every day. Now that I’m a grown up (lol, I like to think I am anyway) I have experimented with many new vegetables I never ate as a kid. Asparagus was one that I fell in-love with at first bite. I love the texture, the flavor, and I also love all the different ways you can make it even yummier. Like this DIJON ROASTED ASPARAGUS. It is incredible! Even if you’re not a big mustard fan I still think you’ll like this recipe. 😀
What I also really liked about it was the bread crumbs over the top. I went with panko and it just made the topping crispy and delicious. This asparagus was like comfort food to me! And it went perfectly with a side of grilled lemon chicken. Yum!
P.S. Mom, if you’re reading this, I love you. Thank you for all you’ve done for my siblings and I. ♥
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
- 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (or Asiago cheese)
- In a small bowl, combine Dijon mustard, oil, and garlic. In a small bowl, combine panko bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon of the mustard mixture.
- Place asparagus in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; drizzle with remaining mustard mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture and cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Such a sweet tribute to your mother! 🙂
I love your mother, too! And thank you so much for making me more grateful to my own mother who was much like yours.