Asparagus- steamed

Along with my Jambalaya the other night, I cooked up some asparagus. I use to steam Asparagus in a pot that I bought for boiling pasta. Its a large stock pot with a big strainer insert and a smaller steaming insert. The strainer insert really does not work well for pasta. I find I have to put in a lot of water and that the pasta gets stuck in the strainer holes. But the pot was pretty good for steaming. I use either insert and place the asparagus into it. But now I've upgraded. For a long time I wanted to buy a bamboo steamer, but they were always just a little too expensive. Finally I went to a Chinese restaurant supply store and found what I wanted. But it turns out the models available in stores work just as well. I have a cheap old wok which the steamer basket fits nicely into.

Banboo Steamer @Amazon

Asparagus - steamed
1 bunch - asparagus
water

Prep and clean the asparagus but running in under cold water. Then grab the base of the stalk with your index and thumb of one hand and then grab with the other hand further up the stalk. Bend the stalk until it snaps at a natural place. If your asparagus is really thin you might not need to do this step. Instead just chop a little bit off of the base. Place the asparagus into your steamer. Place half an inch to an inch of water into the bottom of your steaming vessel. Turn you stove to medium heat and let it steam. Depending on this size of your asparagus and how done you like it, it should steam for 6-10 minutes. It should be a bright green color. Serve immediately. If its going to be some time before eating, you might consider running the asparagus under cold water or plunging it into an ice bath for a few seconds to stop the cooking and lock in the nice color. I usually eat all the asparagus I cook, but when I don't I store leftovers in a zip lock bag and use them to top salads, inside of wraps, or even on top of pizza.