Sautéed Asparagus and Mushrooms

A favorite side dish of mine with umami and crunch - I am an asparagus fan to the end, so this goes with many of my fish dishes that are slightly lighter and need some romance on the side.

1 lb fresh asparagus spears

1 Tbsp olive oil plus 1 Tbsp butter

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

dash crushed red pepper flakes

juice of 1/4 lemon

Peel the base of the stalks of the asparagus with a vegetable peeler. Cut the stalks in half and separate the tips and the bases in separate bowls.

Heat oil and butter in a wide skillet. Sauté the mushrooms for about 8-10 minutes, until they release what water they will, and brown up nicely.

Add the asparagus stalks and sauté the mixture another 5 minutes or so until just barely softened - careful - stalks will continue cooking in next step.

Add the tips, the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the tips are just heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with lemon juice and tip into a serving platter.

Serves 4.

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