Parmesan Grilled Asparagus

One of my favorite sparks of summer is eating outside. With gorgeous outdoor evenings come an excuse to indulge in many of my favorite foods: salads, fish, veggies, and some chicken on the grill, just a few typical meals that we all usually like to enjoy outdoors.

This recipe for Parmesan Grilled Asparagus came to me for a few reasons. First, I love veggies- duh. Second, I had a few bundles of asparagus stalks in my refrigerator that looked entirely too enticing for me to allow to go bad.

I am some what of a rookie to the grill. This is partly because I am impatient and I tend to become antsy trying to learn something new. It's also partly because I'm scared of lighting our backyard on fire. Okay, it's MOSTLY because I'm scared of lighting our entire house on fire. I don't doubt my own intelligence, but I do sometimes question my common sense. (I read somewhere that lacking common sense is a sign of genius. True or not- I will always tell myself that it's the truth). My dad says that the grill is pretty basic, almost entirely self explanatory.

Can you see why I'd be scared.

This past Sunday, I faced my grilling phobias and produced some grilled asparagus that I can't seem to write about without my mouth watering for more.

Heres the gist: Take as many asparagus stalks as you like - 5, 15, 50 - whatever.
Spray some Pam on a large piece of tin foil, and then toss the asparagus a top the foil.
Slightly wrap the sides of the tin foil around the asparagus, leaving enough space so you can see the entire stalk.
Drizzle EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. (All to taste)
Place on the grill, in the tin foil, on medium heat. Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes. There is really no need to turn the asparagus while on the grill.




After about 7 minutes, the cheese will have crusted over the asparagus. You want to cook them so that when you bite into the spear, the raw crunch is gone, but not lost. It's an instant jolt of cheese and summer freshness. This is a fantastic, quick, and EASY, side to anything from grilled salmon, to grilled chicken, or even steak.

As for my time with the grill, my dad only had to rush out of the house once to remind me of the dangers of playing with a gas grill. I guess the flames got a little too high for his liking?