Four Minute Asparagus

Four minute asparagus. Now that is a little misleading. The four minutes refers to the cooking time but you might add another 5 minutes for prep. Nonetheless I have an easy side dish for you. Perfectly steamed asparagus spears are drizzled with a citrus oregano dressing and dotted with sweet orange segments. Did I mention that there is no cooking required? Just set 4 minutes on your microwave and you're done. The color stays vibrant and the texture still crisp. I may never turn on the oven for asparagus again.

Asparagus with Citrus and Oregano
adapted from Urban Italian

about 1 lb thick asparagus
1 navel orange + zest
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tblsp lemon juice
4 tblsp olive oil
2 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Zest the orange and set aside. To segment the orange, cut off each end then set on end and slice off the peel and pith. Cut the segments away from the membrane and put in a small bowl. In another small bowl collect any juice and squeeze remaining juice out from the pulp. In this bowl whisk 2 tblsp olive oil, scallions, oregano, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside

Prepare the asparagus by cutting off the bottom 1" from the tough end. Place in a microwave safe dish and sprinkle the orange zest over top. Pour over 1 oz of water and 2 tblsp of olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Rotate dish and cook for another 2 minutes. Test for doneness. Remove plastic wrap and drain off liquid. Pour the dressing over asparagus and layer with orange segments. Serve hot or room temperature.