Sunday 29 July 2018

Oven Baked Asparagus Fries

A Sweet Pea Chef
Oven Baked Asparagus Fries
Oven Baked Asparagus Fries

If you’re looking for a way to liven up asparagus, this is it, my friends! These Oven Baked Asparagus Fries are a garden-fresh alternative to classic french fries and make a great side dish.  Adding asparagus to your diet has never been easier or yummier!

Oven Baked Asparagus Fries | If you’re looking for a way to liven up asparagus, this is it, my friends! These Oven Baked Asparagus Fries are a garden-fresh alternative to classic french fries and make a great side dish.  Adding asparagus to your diet has never been easier or yummier! | A Sweet Pea Chef

Let me start this off by saying I think that asparagus is so underrated.  

This is something I’ve never understood.  Not only is asparagus super healthy, but it’s also really easy to make. I mean, you can have a pretty great, nutritious side dish ready in a matter of minutes.

There are so many ways you can cook asparagus, but I really like to keep it simple. Come asparagus season, you’ll find me making my Lemon Roasted Asparagus or these Oven Baked Asparagus Fries on the regular. 

An overhead image of fresh asparagus stalks on a kitchen counter, for the Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries

So, today, we’re gonna share the asparagus love, okay?

And we’re cool with turning them into fries, right?  I mean…everyone’s happy when there are fries, no?  Even my kids can’t get enough of these babies and they don’t really care for asparagus!

An overhead image of a kitchen counter with all the ingredients for Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries including fresh asparagus, eggs, chickpea flour, almond meal, grated parmesan, sea salt and pepper.

HOW TO BAKE ASPARAGUS

Honestly, you can eat asparagus all the ways. Sautéing, grilling, blanching, raw — pretty much every cooking technique you can think of can be used to cook asparagus. While I love asparagus, Dustin and the kiddos take some convincing every now and then so I always try to come up with different ways to sneak it into our diet.  Turning them into baked asparagus fries makes it so easy!

Baking asparagus is definitely one of the easiest ways to turn this superfood into a delicious, healthy side dish. It’s also mess-free as you only need one sheet pan. The high heat will deepen the flavor beautifully.

An overhead image of a bowl of almond meal, grated parmesan, sea salt and pepper for the Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries. An overhead image of a stalk of fresh asparagus bein dredged in the mixture of almond meal, grated parmesan, sea salt and pepper for the Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries.

Follow these easy steps for how to bake asparagus:

Preheat your oven. Snap or slice off the woody ends of the asparagus and discard them. Spread the asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with some sea salt and pepper. Bake (Roast) in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp on the outside and tender in the center. minutes.

You can also follow my easy recipe below and make these crunchy, savory Oven Baked Asparagus Fries.

An overhead image of a stalk of fresh asparagus bein dredged in the mixture of almond meal, grated parmesan, sea salt and pepper for the Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries. An overhead image of fresh asparagus coated in chickpea flour, almond meal, eggs, grated parmesan, sea salt and pepper ready for the oven.

HOW LONG TO BAKE ASPARAGUS

I usually bake or roast asparagus in the oven for 8-10 minutes. But, it really depends on how you like your asparagus.

I find asparagus is best when it’s not cooked completely through so I like to take it out before that time.  This makes it super fresh and crunchy. Others prefer it completely tender and cooked all the way through, even crispy on the edges.  To get it more crispy on the edges, you’ll want to add another 4-6 minutes in the oven.  Take care not to overcook the asparagus, though, or you’ll wind up with bitter, stringy asparagus and you’ll be sad.

An overhead image of freshly made Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries on a baking sheet, made with fresh asparagus, almond meal, chickpea flour, grated parmesan, eggs, black pepper and sea salt.

ARE ASPARAGUS FRIES HEALTHY?

Wondering if asparagus fries are healthy?  Good news!  Oven baked asparagus fries just might be the healthiest, most delicious alternative to french fries yet.

Asparagus is super rich in nutrients, yet low in calories.  This is especially true when baking your asparagus fries in the oven instead of deep frying them in oil.

There are plenty of reasons why you should eat more asparagus. It’s a natural diuretic and also full of fiber that will keep you full and happy for a long time. Fighting bloating? Asparagus can help you with that, too. I still crave french fries from time to time, don’t get me wrong, but my love for baked asparagus fries is real.

An overhead image of a serving tray with Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries made with fresh asparagus, almond meal, grated parmesan, chickpea flour, eggs, freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, served with a dip on the side.

Oven Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries

 

Oven Baked Asparagus Fries

If you’re looking for a way to liven up asparagus, this is it, my friends! These Oven Baked Asparagus Fries are a garden-fresh alternative to classic french fries and make a great side dish.  Adding asparagus to your diet has never been easier or yummier!

1 cup almond meal 1/2 cup grated parmesan ((can use nutritional yeast)) 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 lb asparagus, (trimmed) 1/2 cup chickpea flour 2 large eggs, (beaten)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly oil an oven-safe cooling rack with olive oil and set over parchment paper in a rimmed baking sheet.

Set three bowls up for an assembly line for the coating.  In bowl 1, add just the chickpea flour.  Set aside.

In bowl 2, add the eggs and beat.  Set aside.

In bowl 3, combine almond meal, parmesan, sea salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Working in batches, dredge asparagus in bowl 1 (chickpea flour), dip into bowl 2 (eggs), and then dredge in bowl 3 (almond meal mixture), pressing to coat.

Place the coated asparagus in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining asparagus spears.

Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve immediately.  Can serve with ranch dipping sauce, if desired.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

The post Oven Baked Asparagus Fries appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.

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