Panko Crusted Asparagus with Soy Garlic Aioli

Every time I cook something for the boyfriend, he has a reflex response of, “Mmmmmmm. This is SO good!!! Best ever.” He says this even before he takes a bite, and it’s the sweetest thing but sometimes, I can’t tell if it’s as good as he says. But today, he responded in a completely different manner.

After he took a bite of the asparagus, he said, in a very serious tone, “This is the best thing you have ever made. Really.” This time, I could tell he was telling the absolute truth. The crisp breadiness with the soft texture of the baked asparagus created such a magnificant combination, and once it was dipped into the creamy and tangy soy garlic aioli, it was absolutely divine. The best part is, it was so simple to make!

Panko Crusted Asparagus with Soy Garlic Aioli (adapted from For the Love of Cooking):

Yields 2 servings

1/2 lb asparagus, end trimmed
1 egg
2 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup Italian seasoned panko crumbs
Cooking spray
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the aioli:

2 tablespoon mayonnaise (can use Light)
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced

(It may seem like a lot of ingredients but you’ll have most of these in your pantry.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and coat it with cooking spray.

Combine the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl; place the panko crumbs in a shallow bowl. (I used a dinner plate for the panko crumbs.)

Dip the asparagus into the egg mixture.

Then coat them in the panko crumbs.

Place the asparagus on the baking sheet and repeat the process until all of the asparagus are coated in panko. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, then season them with a bit of sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.