Lemon Garlic Grilled Asparagus

I have a problem. I am a garlic ADDICT. Rarely is there ever a dinner in our home that does not in some small way include this heavenly spice. So, when I stumbled upon a way to make an otherwise bland (in my humble oppinion) veggie into a fantastic side dish using my dear beloved garlic, I knew I'd need to share!

I must admit, however, this recipe is not my own. It belongs to an adorable couple who I am blessed to be related to: Aaron and Ami Rodriguez. Ami walked me through my first time making this yumm-o recipe on our recent California vacation, and I have made it twice since arriving home!

I have slightly tweaked the recipe, but the jist of it, and all of the credit is due to Aaron and Ami (my suspicion is that Ami is truly the brains of the operation!). Here's what I do:

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh Asparagus

10 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

splash of EVOO

1 Lemon quartered

1 Ziplock gallon sized freezer bag, or similar

Parmesan Cheese for zest!


What I did:
1. Wash the asparagus and trim off butt-ends (only about 1/2 an inch)

2. Combine asparagus, chopped Garlic, and splash of EVOO in gallon Ziplock bag, mix well. Don't be afraid to mush it around really good! Let stand for 10 minutes

3. Heat grill to medium-high heat. When hot, use TONGS to remove asparagus from the bag and place it on the grill. *** BE CAREFUL!! Oil is FLAMMABLE -do not be like me and burn off all your arm hair by pouring the asparagus out of the bag and torching yourself!

4. Use the remainder of the oil/garlic mixture to baste over the asparagus as it blackens. Squeeze lemon quarters over the asparagus while rotating to ensure even cooking. Grill for about 5 minutes, until Asparagus is tender.

5. Remove asparagus from grill, sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and serve!


One bunch of asparagus will yield about 5/6 servings. This makes a great side dish to any dinner, but especially a BBQ dinner! Aaron and Ami made it as a complement to my Uncle Ron's BBQ sauce-less ribs, and it was delicious! **So were the ribs!! I'm going to have to try and make those at home soon!**

This side is also good for you, as it is a full serving of delicious veggies and it's only about 95 calories! And I must say, I've never been a big believer in asparagus without loads of cheesy sauce (which = loads of calories), until now. Ladies and Gents, Lemon Garlic Grilled Asparagus; That's what's on our Kitchen Table for Two tonight!!

**Special thanks to Aaron, Ami, Aunt Susan, Uncle Jon, Lauren, and Uncle Ron (for the rib recipe), for making our vacation such fun! We love you!!