Making Asparagus a Summertime Favorite

Asparagus is one of those veggies that people just don’t know what to do with. In fact, a majority of people have probably never even had asparagus. When grilling out, they tend to move towards other veggies, but asparagus is one of the easiest veggies to grill, and it tastes great, too. With just a few simple tips, you can make asparagus an important part of your grilling and give yourself a new taste to enjoy. These easy to follow tips can give you all of the information that you need to take asparagus from a hated veggie to one of the most loved and enjoyed veggies of the summer season.

Try a Grilling Plank

A cedar grilling plank offers you a great deal of flexibility when cooking on the grill. It offers flavor and is a great surface to cook on for those thinner pieces of food, such as asparagus and other veggie slices. The smoked flavor will add great taste to your asparagus, and you can even cook your fish and asparagus together on the grill. These grilling planks come in different sizes, so depending upon the size of your family, you can choose to get smaller or larger grilling planks that can take your cooking up a notch. Find cedar grilling planks and use them to add a bit of smoky flavor to your asparagus.

Prepping your Plank

Grilling planks have to be prepped to be used. Without the proper preparation, they will flame up, and this can ruin your entire meal. One of the easiest ways to keep this from occurring is by soaking the planks before you use them. Use a large pan or sink to submerge the planks in water for at least an hour before use. Use something heavy, such as a mug or even another pan, to keep the cedar plank fully submerged and allow it to soak up some of the water to keep the plank from flaming up as soon as you put it on the grill.

Prepping your Asparagus

Asparagus comes ready to grill, but with a little trimming, you can make it even more flavorful. Trim the tough ends of the asparagus and, if it is a thick piece, you may even want to peel it to make it easier to cook. There are many things you can add to your asparagus, but grilling it means that you need to toss at least it in olive oil, along with your choice of juice or sauce, to ensure that it does not stick. You can simply salt and pepper the pieces, or you can add more spice to a spice blend or fresh herbs. The easiest combination is olive oil and lemon juice, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, but there are many different ways to enjoy this vegetable.

Cooking Asparagus

Now that you have your planks and asparagus prepped, what do you do next? You are ready to start grilling! First, you want to be sure that you heat up your grill until it is hot. Once your grill is heated up, place your grilling plank on it and place your asparagus on it in a single layer and season as you want. Close the lid on your grill and then let it cook for around 10 minutes or until a knife will easily pierce the asparagus. Remove from the heat and enjoy with your steak, fish, chicken, or other meat or veggies.

Asparagus Recipes

There are many different ways that you can make your asparagus taste different. With sauces, different seasonings, spices, and more, you can give it a new taste and make it an essential summer veggie that everyone will love. The key is to think of what spices and herbs that you and your family enjoy, and try them out on veggies like asparagus, as well as meats and fish.

Garlic can be a wonderful addition to your asparagus
Seasoning salt can be a great choice to add some flavor
Dust your asparagus with parmesan cheese.
Balsamic vinegar that can be drizzled over the asparagus
Wrap the asparagus with bacon and place on the grill

Asparagus is one of the best veggies for the grill. Even if your kids are not a fan of asparagus at the onset, it is possible that you can make it fit any of your children’s tastes and make it a favorite by changing out spices or even adding cheese. The key is to try out a variety of different seasonings and wraps to give the asparagus extra flavor and taste that will catch the eye and the taste buds of your kids. Take some of these easy to follow tips and add asparagus to your grilling repertoire. You will be amazed at how this veggie can quickly become one of the favorites.