Snap one of the asparagus spears and cut the rest to match. Place the asparagus in a microwave safe bowl or dish and fill it with cold water, about a quarter of the way up the sides. Steam in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl and drain the water. The spears should still be slightly firm. Using a vegetable peeler, slice each asparagus spear lengthwise into very thin ribbon-like slices.