Spring has finally sprung!

Flowers are busting out everywhere.

(Thankfully my allergies haven’t kicked into high gear yet… last year was a bit miserable, to say the least, so hopefully the pollen gods will cut us sensitive beings a break this time around.)

The days are getting longer.

Which means I can actually take photos of my food creations after work! Sunlight you are truly my best friend.

And asparagus has made a long-awaited appearance in the increasingly promising produce section.

(Things were looking a little dire there for a while… you can only force down so many apples, bananas and oranges, after all.)

So, naturally I have to stuff as many asparagus bunches as possible into my shopping cart during every visit to the store.

And consume the stuff at least once a day.

You’ll be seeing a lot of asparagus over in these parts.

Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with too much of the slender, green vegetable.

If you’re not a fan, a little roasting action paired with cheese and an irresistible poached egg might just turn you into an asparagus convert.

Yes yes I used to turn my nose up whenever runny eggs were part of the equation but sometimes you can force yourself to enjoy certain aspects of life.

Fennel and celery are a lost cause, but eggplant is one example of a success story.

I’ll save that for another day.

This tasty bowl right here is quite easy to whip up.

Simply spoon nutty brown rice into a shallow bowl, then top with sweet peas, roasted asparagus, fresh lemon juice, a creamy poached egg, flavorful grated Parm, fresh ground black pepper, salt, spicy red pepper flakes and snipped chives.

Dinner is served!

P.S. I actually don’t add any salt to this recipe, since the Parm is deliciously salty already. But you do you.

P.P.S. If you’re vegan, omit the egg and cheese and throw some garbanzo beans in there instead.

P.P.P.S. Make a big batch of brown rice on the weekend then enjoy it all week long! My rice cooker has saved my life. No more mushy masses of brownish guck.