- 1 pound fresh asparagus - 1 tablespoon butter, olive oil, or mixture - 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Wash asparagus and snap off the tough ends (save ends for soup, if you wish). Cut stalks on the diagonal, into pieces about 2" long. Mix soy sauce with  4 tablespoons water.

Heat butter or oil in a heavy skillet and add asparagus. Cook, stirring to coat pieces, for a minute. Add soy sauce-water mix and cook (covered, if the asparagus is quite thick; uncovered, if  thin), until asparagus is crunchy-tender. Test for doneness every minute. (Taste a piece, or test with a sharp knife, to determine doneness.) The liquid should have mostly cooked away, leaving a slight glaze on the asparagus. Serve immediately.