Scrumptious Sides

I grilled a flank steak tonight for dinner and made a couple of really yummy side dishes to go with. The first is super easy: Sauté sliced mushrooms and sliced red pepper, salt, pepper, some dried red pepper for about ten minutes or so, then throw in a lot of fresh spinach and cook down and drizzle with white balsamic vinegar before serving.

The second dish takes a bit more time but it's so worth it---IF you like garlic. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 325. Cut a whole bulb of garlic in half and rub with olive oil-put the halves back together and wrap in foil and bake for 40 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then squeeze the garlic out into a bowl.  In the mean time, caramelize half a large red onion that has been sliced. Cook in a bit of olive oil 20 minutes or so. To the garlic in the bowl add a T of olive oil , some salt and pepper, a pinch of cayenne and stir around. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook asparagus spears for about five minutes or so--tender but not mushy. When the asparagus has cooked, turn the asparagus out onto a  small platter and add the garlic sauce and combine well and then top with caramelized onions. This is good!