Grilled Asparagus with Double Lemon and Parmesan

Not that anyone has ever complained, but sometimes I wonder if my faithful readers ever notice that a lot of my recipes are variations on a theme presented in an earlier recipe? Since this site is more than anything a reflection of the way I personally cook and eat, now you know that not only do I have a hard time following a recipe, but when I do find a recipe that's a total keeper, like Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan, I'm already starting to think of ways to "improve" it as soon as the first version is finished.

So this variation-on-a-theme recipe came about on a night when I was cooking some of Utah's own Colosimo's Sausage on the grill. When I went to get it out of the fridge I spotted some asparagus and decided to grill the asparagus too. I also had a big basket of lemons on the counter, and possibly I was thinking of the over-the-top flavor of the Stir-Fried Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts I made not too long ago. Or maybe it was this perfect asparagus that popped into my head. Anyway, whatever the reason I grilled the asparagus, tossed it with lemon zest and juice, tossed again with parmesan, and proceeded to gobble up about a third of a pound of asparagus, it was that good.

By the way, now that it's nearly summer and I'll have time, I'm starting a little project to improve the recipe archives at Kalyn's Kitchen by sorting the recipes by type within the categories. So far I've done Easy South Beach Recipes and Vegetables and Vegetarian Dishes. I hope people will like the change. I use my own recipe archives as much as anyone does, and I think it makes the recipes much easier to find.

Grilled Asparagus with Double Lemon and Parmesan
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 pound asparagus
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
salt/pepper to taste (I only used pepper)
zest of one lemon, about 1 tsp.
juice of half a lemon, about 1 T
about 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat charcoal or gas grill to medium high (you can only hold your hand over it for a few seconds at that heat.)

Put grill-top pan or grilling basket on top of grill while you prepare asparagus. Break one piece of asparagus to see where the tough part of the stem starts, then trim ends of asparagus all to that length. Cut aspargus on the diagonal into pieces about 3-4 inches long and place in ziploc bag. Put olive oil into bag and sprinkle in a little salt and pepper, then mix asparagus around in the bag until it is well coated with olive oil.

Pour asparagus into hot grill pan and grill, turning every 2 minutes, until asparagus is getting browned edges and is barely tender-crisp. Cooking time will vary depending on your grill, but I cooked mine about 10 minutes.

While asparagus is cooking on the grill, zest the lemon and squeeze the juice, saving each separately. Grate parmesan cheese into a small bowl. When asparagus is as done as you'd like it, place it in a large bowl and toss with lemon zest and lemon juice. Then sprinkle with freshly-grated parmesan, toss again and serve immediately. If you're cooking this for guests, get ready for compliments.

South Beach Suggestions:
This is a perfect side dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet. For a super-healthy phase one dinner, serve it with Greek Salmon and Grilled Mushrooms. For phase two or three you could replace the mushrooms with something like Curried Rice and Red Lentils.

More Asparagus Love:
Lightly Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette
Slow Roasted Asparagus (all phases)
Roasted Asparagus with Garlic (all phases)
Asparagus with Basil Pesto (all phases)
Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms with Spike Seasoning

Things you might want to know:
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Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes