Summer Grilling: Asparagus with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

Image Via: My Recipes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

20 asparagus spears

1 shallot, finely minced

the1 cup olive oil, divided

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and pepper, to taste

Image Via: Better Homes & Gardens

Preparation:

1. Heat your grill to medium.
2. While it’s heating, make the vinaigrette by combining the shallot, ¾ cup of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Season it with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
3. Prepare your asparagus by chopping off the woody ends.
4. To keep the spears from falling through the grill grates, thread a skewer through lower third of spears while gently turning the skewer to keep the spears from breaking. (Note: If using wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them overnight first.)
5. Brush the spears with the remaining olive oil to coat and season them with salt and pepper.
6. Grill the asparagus for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until the spears are tender with light grill marks.
7. Serve warm, drizzled with the vinaigrette.

This best part about this recipe is that it’s incredibly versatile. It’s quick enough to be thrown together on a busy weeknight, but fancy enough to impress dinner guests. It could be made into a healthy lunch salad when mixed with slivered almonds and topped with a fried egg. However you serve it, one thing’s for sure: This is a summer grilling side that will have you reaching for seconds.

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BBQ Side Recipe: Jalapeño Cheddar Corn on the Cob 

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 8

Grilled Corn Ingredients:

8 ears of corn

1 stick of butter

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons cilantro, packed and chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons jalapeño pepper, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Grilled Corn Directions:

1. Start by cleaning your corn. Peel back the husks. Remove them, along with any silk, and discard.
2. Soak the ears of corn in a bath of moderately salted water for 15-20 minutes to ensure that they retain moisture while cooking.
3. While the corn soaks, ready your ingredients. Set the butter out to soften. Grate the cheese and chop the cilantro. Juice the lime. Remove the ribs and seeds from the pepper before mincing it very finely, remembering to wash your hands afterwards.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, cheddar, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeno until all the flavorings are evenly distributed. Adjust seasonings to taste.
5. After the corn finishes soaking, shake off any extra moisture.
6. Prepare a packet for the corn by laying a few sheets of aluminum foil on top of each other. Lay the corn on the foil and butter it generously. Then, seal the packet closed by crimping the top and bottom together and folding the sides over themselves.
7. Cook the corn for 15 minutes on a grill that’s been heated to medium high. Make sure to flip the foil packets every 5 minutes to keep the foil from charring.
8. Carefully remove the corn from the foil packets. Serve warm with extra butter, salt, and pepper on the side.

The clear star of is BBQ side recipe is the jalapeño cheddar compound butter. You may want to keep extra on hand to jazz up cornbread or potatoes during your weeknight dinner routine. However, you shouldn’t stop there. Feel free to swap out the flavoring ingredients to reflect what your family loves to eat.

See our other corn recipes!

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Texas Style Sweet Cream Corn

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Ingredients:

2 lbs of frozen corn kernels*
1 – 8oz. package of cream cheese (cubed)
½ cup heavy cream
1 stick of butter (sliced into 10 – 12 sections)
1 to 3 tbls. Sugar (depending upon desired sweetness)**
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large pot.

2. Place the pot on the stove top and set to low.

3. Cover the pot and allow the ingredients to meld together.

4. Stir every 15 minutes or so.

5. Allow the mixture to slow cook for at least 3 hours or more***.

*Use corn on the cob instead as a special twist – follow the directions exactly the same but replace frozen corn kernels with frozen corn on the cob.

**1 tablespoon of sugar makes the dish barely sweet; 2 tablespoons make it mildly sweet; and 3 tablespoons make it candyish.

***The longer the dish cooks, the thicker it becomes. Do Not Add any additional liquids to make it soupy as this is not creamed corn.

And there you have it – easy to make, mouthwatering to eat! Enjoy!

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