Sesame Asparagus, Maple-Mustard-Glazed Potatoes and String Beans, & Portobello Mushroom Burgers

The 'Sesame Asparagus' recipe is from VwaV (pg. 124) and is the new house standard for straight up asparagus. It is a basic recipe which enhances the flavor of the vegetable ~ not covering it up. I was without rice vinegar, so I substituted red wine, and they are topped with toasted black sesame seeds.








I had intended for the 'Maple-Mustard-Glazed Potatoes and String Beans' from VwaV (p. 113) to go with the Portobello Burger, but I only skimmed the recipe and didn't notice that it takes over an hour to make. So, I whipped up the asparagus quickly for the meal, and continued with the potatoes & beans. The flavors in this dish are perfect, I just finished the last of it cold from the fridge. The recipe calls for yellow onion, but we didn't have that on hand so we went with one red onion.


Here is the potato dish out of the oven. We sampled a few spuds, then put the rest in the fridge. My daughters ate some for lunch, we had some the following dinner, & I just finished the last as a snack. The flavor is a blend, as there is no one flavor that sticks out. It's a small secret in our home that I really don't like mushrooms. However, I did gag down a few bites of the portabello burger. Art sauteed it in a tablespoon of butter for 5 minutes, turning once, and adding cheese and a lid for the last minute. It was tasty, but I didn't finish my burger. Just a bite of a mushroom is a big deal for me, so I'd say the portabello burgers were good, served on onion buns with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard.