Are you tired of asparagus yet? I’m not! This dish is perfect for those spring days when it’s still a bit cool but the asparagus is in full production. The best of all worlds: fresh veggies, a sheet pan, and a quick & easy recipe. Add to that a truly scrumptious sauce, and you’re going to love dinner tonight!

I’ve been making and tweaking this dish for years. I started with a recipe from somewhere or another; it was kind of “meh.” So I forgot about it for a while, tried again with a tweak or two, and still wasn’t happy. I kept coming back to it, though, knowing there was the potential for a delicious dinner in there somewhere. I’ve lost count of how many versions there’ve been, but this one is a keeper! Like my fourth-grade teacher Miss Dancy always said, I have “stick-to-it-ive-ness.” If at first you don’t succeed, right?

This is a healthy dinner, too, at least for those of us who don’t have to watch our dietary sodium too closely. For those of you who do, I’m afraid you’re stuck with a tiny portion or finding another recipe. The World Health Organization recommends less than 2 grams of sodium intake per day. The American Heart Association considers less than 1.5 grams to be ideal, especially if you have high blood pressure or other conditions. I don’t, and most days I easily meet the AHA number, so I don’t worry too much about the occasional meal going overboard.

A note about the asparagus: Tempting though it might be, it’s important not to add the asparagus to the pan until after the chicken has cooked a while. I used really fat asparagus, so it took about 8 minutes. If I’d put it in at the beginning, it would have been badly overcooked. Limp asparagus is icky, so be sure to wait. If your spears are skinny, add them even later. They may only need 3 to 4 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 tablespoons minced ginger (large knob)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 – 4 cloves)

1 tablespoon red miso paste

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Off-The-Hook (or your favorite) hot sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 or 5 chicken thighs, about 1 pound (454 g)

2 tablespoons almond butter

6 fat asparagus spears

Preparation:

1.) Preheat oven to 425º F (218º C). Combine first 9 ingredients (tamari through black pepper) in a medium bowl.

2.) Line a half-sheet pan with foil. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl, turning to coat. Gently shake off any excess liquid and place the thighs on the lined sheet pan with plenty of space between them. Put the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.

3.) While the chicken cooks, make the sauce. Set aside about a tablespoon of the tamari-ginger mixture. Combine the rest with the almond butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a slow simmer and cook over medium-low heat until mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Add a little water or unsalted chicken broth as the mixture thickens to keep it at the desired texture. Remove from heat and set aside.

4.) Remove the pan from the oven when the 10 minutes is up. Add the asparagus to the pan and lightly drizzle the reserved tablespoon of the tamari-ginger mixture over the spears. Return the pan to the oven and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is done.

5.) When chicken is done, transfer it and the asparagus to a serving platter. Pour any remaining pan juices into the tamari-almond mixture and stir well. Drizzle the mixture over the chicken and asparagus to serve.