Grilled Asparagus Rafts

Pinning asparagus spears together with skewers makes them easier to flip and grill evenly on both sides.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 asparagus raft)

Ingredients

• 16  thick asparagus spears (about 1 pound)
• 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2  teaspoons  sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• Dash of salt

Preparation

Prepare grill to high heat.

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Arrange 4 asparagus spears on a flat surface. Thread 2 (3-inch) skewers or toothpicks horizontally through spears 1 inch from each end to form a raft. Repeat procedure with remaining asparagus spears.

Combine soy sauce, oil, and garlic; brush evenly over asparagus rafts. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds, pepper, and salt.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

50 (38% from fat)

Fat:

2.1g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

3.2g

Carbohydrate:

6.1g

Fiber:

2.4g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

3mg

Sodium:

190mg

Calcium:

26mg

Steven Raichlen, Recipes adapted from Steven Raichlen's books How to Grill (Workman, 2001) and BBQ USA (Workman, 2003), Cooking Light, AUGUST 2003