Curry Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

Today we are exploring different ways to serve fresh veggies.  We're kind of past asparagus season in the garden though my folks still have a few spears coming up, but you can still get supermarket asparagus most of the time.  It's darn hot out this week and there was no way I was turning on the oven to make these, so I roasted them on the barbecue!  Now we got a Traeger when our old gas grill died, so I am still getting used to it.  Pellet grills don't get screaming hot like gas grills do.  But that also means you can more easily bake in them, which I will be doing this weekend.  But this recipe is a definite winner.  How do I know?  Because after hubby loaded up a bowl-full and disappeared, he reappeared a minute later with a serious look on his face and the bowl held out almost accusingly.  "WINNER,"  he unequivocally stated; "Big Bleeping winner... you can make this any time you want to."

So, there you go.  And now I know I will take roasted asparagus over sauteed, every day of the week.  Wow, so good and tender.

Curry Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus 

4 large yellow potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks, ~ 4 cups
1 pound fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3-4 tbsp avocado oil
¾ tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1½ tsp yellow curry powder (Vadouvan French curry powder is fantastic)
1 tsp granulated garlic
¾ tsp paprika (sweet or smoked, or both)
pinch of cayenne
4-6 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.  Combine the salt and spices in a small dish. Toss the potatoes with a couple tablespoons of oil and then season generously with about two thirds of the spice mixture.  Mix well with your hands or toss in a gallon zip bag to make sure they are evenly coated.  Spread the potatoes across the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with half the cheese and give a little stir to mix.  Roast for 30-40 minutes.  (Depends on how big your potato chunks are cut, and definitely takes longer in the Traeger.)

Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus.  Snap off the woody ends and cut into pieces.  Toss them in the same bowl or bag with another tablespoon of oil and then season with the remaining spices.  Once the potatoes have roasted about 30 minutes, remove from the oven and add the asparagus pieces to the pan.  Top with the remaining cheese and stir with a spoon or spatula to combine, spreading the mixture evenly across the baking sheet.

Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast an additional 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft with crisp edges and the asparagus is tender crisp or to desired texture.  Remove from oven and serve.

Be sure to check out the rest of our veggie recipes: 

• Creamy Italian Ranch Corn & Green Bean Salad: Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice 
• Curry Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus: A Messy Kitchen
• Garlic Basil Wax Beans: A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garlicky Margherita Pizza: Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Pan-fried Chicken with Curried Leeks and Lentils: Food Lust People Love
• Pinzimonio: Culinary Cam
• Roasted Chinese Eggplant: Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Tendli and Potato Fry: Sneha's Recipe
• Veggie Mac & Cheese: Mayuri's Jikoni