#148: Italian Asparagus Sticks

Don't judge by the picture, these are over done!

I love asparagus, especially when it is in season and freshly picked from a u-pick farm (muddy but fun!).  I wish it was available fresh year round.  : (  So I was excited to see if I could get my girls to eat these since they were hidden in panko bread crumbs.  Who doesn't love Panko?? 


The hardest part of this recipe was finding the right container to dip it into so that all the pieces were easily coated.  Next time, I'll whisk the eggs and put them in a ziplock bag and just shake it on.

I had Brian make these while Allison and I were at Church.  I told him what time to put them in the oven...but I never told him for how long.  So when church ran way over, I came home to very over (they were  burnt!) cooked asparagus.  The tops were better than the bottoms and for most of the sticks, I pulled of the panko breading and tried to salvage any asapagus that I could.  So unfortunately I can't give this recipe a true rating, however I will definitely make these again because what I did/couldy try to eat was good!  And I think the girls might try a bite or two of these as well.
Serves 4 (yeah right--try 2)
1 Cup Whole Wheat Panko or Bread Crumbs (I used white panko)

1 Tbsp Italian Herbs (you can find them in any grocery’s spice section)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Bunch Asparagus, cleaned and stems removed
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
4. Place the flour in another bowl.
5. Make an assembly line with the bowls. Dip the asparagus first into the flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly and repeating with all the sticks.
6. Place all of the coated sticks on the baking sheet/rack. Arrange so they’re not touching, spray lightly with oil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden.


*If freezing: after step 5, place sticks on a baking sheet flash freeze. When ready to eat – remove from freezer and put sticks in the oven, adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.