vegetables

Name: How to Grill Asparagus
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients: 1 bunch fresh Asparagus; 2-3 Tbsp Olive or Avocado Oil; 1 tsp Mineral or Kosher Salt; 1/2 tsp Black Pepper; 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder; 1/2 lemon

by Courtney Leave a Comment

How to Grill Asparagus

Fresh asparagus is one of the tastiest parts of the early spring garden. With tender stalks shooting forth from the ground, it’s no wonder that they’ve become one of my family’s favorite vegetables. And grilling asparagus is hands down one of the easiest ways to prepare it. And learning how to grill asparagus is quick and easy!

One of the reasons that I love grilling fresh asparagus (or anything really) is there are fewer dishes to wash at the end of the night. When spring arrives with warmer weather, we are grilling everything we can in order to avoid using the kitchen. Fresh salads, like our Strawberry Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans, are another spring no-hot-kitchen favorite. Later in the summer, easy grilled okra is on the menu as the okra pods start rolling in.

Asparagus is an incredibly tender spring vegetable and over the years I’ve heard different things about the size of asparagus to use for recipes. Those thin, skinny asparagus are not what you want for grilling. In fact, those small asparagus spears are best eaten raw. Asparagus will cook very quickly, whether you blanch, oven roast, or grill. So, the smaller the asparagus spear, the faster they cook. For grilling asparagus (or oven roasting if that’s your preference), choose thicker asparagus that are about the size of your pointer finger or larger. I never imagined I would be taking a picture of my finger along with an asparagus stalk, but I really want you to know the best way to grill asparagus, and that begins with good-sized asparagus stalks.

Ingredients for Grilled Asparagus

1 bunch fresh asparagus

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Avocado Oil

Mineral Salt or Kosher Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

1 Lemon

How to Make Grilled Asparagus

Begin by preheating the gas grill to medium high heat. (You’re aiming for around 450 degrees on your grill’s thermometer.) Then wash the fresh asparagus and cut off the woody stems at the bottom of each stalk. Do this with a good sharp knife on a cutting board. Place cut asparagus on a clean plate.
Season asparagus with a good drizzle of oil all over. This will probably be several tablespoons. Then season asparagus with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Once grill is hot, take asparagus and place it directly on the grill rack in a single layer. Asparagus will cook quickly, so grill from 3-4 minutes on one side, then roll over for another 3 minutes. Sometimes the oil can cause the flames to kick up and lick the asparagus. I actually don’t mind this and find the bit of charring a bonus.
Finally, bring your grilled asparagus inside on a plate and squeeze lemon juice to taste on your freshly grilled vegetables. Serve immediately.

Other Seasoning to Use on Asparagus for the Grill

Cumin and chili powder for a smoky, southwestern flavor (omit lemon)
Fresh, chopped thyme on top of asparagus
Onion slices grilled alongside the asparagus and served together.

How to Grill Asparagus

This recipe is quick and easy. This spring vegetable is the perfect side dish for any of your spring and summer meals, and there’s less clean up!

Other Recipes You May Enjoy:

I’d love to know if you tried this asparagus recipe at home and any variations that worked for you. It’s definitely an easy vegetable to get cooking on the grill, just take care to not overcook them. Nobody like squishy asparagus. Have a great week!

Yield: 4-6 Servings

How to Grill Asparagus

Tender and fresh asparagus are grilled to perfection to make a delicious side dish to any meal!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh Asparagus
2-3 Tbsp Olive or Avocado Oil
1 tsp Mineral or Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 lemon

Instructions

Begin by preheating your grill to a medium-high temperature (around 450 degrees). Cut the tough ends off of asparagus spears using a sharp knife on a cutting board. Place asparagus on a clean plate.
Drizzle oil on asparagus and roll around to coat. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on asparagus.
Place asparagus on hot grill in a single layer. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side.
Remove asparagus from grill and place on a plate. Squeeze lemon juice on top and serve immediately.

Notes

If the oil causes the grill to flame up, the asparagus should be okay. It simply gives a nice char!

Easy Grilled Okra

In the heat of summer, okra shines as a green jewel. It’s one of the favorites of southern gardeners. This may be due to the fact that okra loves hot weather or because it’s tall and leggy, not taking up tons of garden space. And I imagine that the taste is also part of the appeal. I know some people complain about the okra slime, but once cooked, okra loses that particular feature.

Each year, the amount of space I devote to growing okra increases. Freezing okra to use later is an easy way to save an abundant harvest for later, so there’s no reason not to grow a raised bed full (or a few rows). Not sure when your okra is ready to picked (or which okra to choose at the farmer’s market)? Check out my post on when to harvest okra; it’s so easy!

Grilled Okra

With the summer heat that okra plants love so much, also comes my attempt to be in the kitchen as little as possible. The oven heats the house up so much, and frying takes so much effort (and clean up). And since the hubby has been honing his grilling skills over the past few years, grilled okra has become one of the easiest ways to prep this vegetable for a quick dinner. (He highly recommends Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling.)

Grillied okra is not only fast and easy, but it saves on dishes to be washed. That’s always a winner in my book. And if it’s possible to grill the entire meal, even better (grilled okra goes well with just about any protein). This leaves more time for evening bike rides or games in the yard, all the things that make summer so appealing. So here’s what you’ll need to get your okra on the grill.

Ingredients

1 lb fresh okra, cut lengthwise

Olive oil

Seasoning blend of choice (or salt, pepper, and garlic powder)

Skewers (bamboo or metal)

The Recipe

Begin by heating up the grill. While it heats up, cut the tops off of the okra pods, and slice them in half lengthwise.
Skewer the cut okra pods onto the bamboo or metal skewers. Don’t skewer them lengthwise, or you’ll only be able to get a few per skewer. Drizzle the okra with olive oil and use a brush to ensure that the okra is well covered. Turn the skewers over and be sure the olive oil is covering both sides. Then use your favorite seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere’s, Old Bay, or a blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder) to coat the cut side of the okra.
Place okra on the hot grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes, then flip skewers over. You should be able to see lovely grill lines (see skewer on left). Grill for another 3-4 minutes on other side.
Take off of the grill and serve immediately. The okra will cool down quickly, so be sure you’re ready to eat when these babies come off of the grill. For Weight Watchers participants, one serving of the grilled okra is 3 points due to the olive oil, which you could always go lighter on.

So give your kitchen some time off this summer and cook these babies on the grill. If someone else in your house is the designated griller… then you might even get a night off yourself. If you’ve never tried growing okra in your summer garden, I can’t recommend it enough. Okra is easy to freeze for later, a wonderful side dish, and even a healthy powerhouse in smoothies. It’s a winner all around.

I’d love to know your favorite way to cook or use okra. I’m always looking for new ways to use it in the kitchen. Have a great week and happy gardening!

Easy Grilled Okra

Yum

Summer meals are better with this quick and easy grilled okra. No need to heat up the kitchen, and it's the perfect side for any protein! WW SmartPoints=3

Courseside dish
CuisineSouthern

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Easy Grilled Okra

Yum

Summer meals are better with this quick and easy grilled okra. No need to heat up the kitchen, and it's the perfect side for any protein! WW SmartPoints=3

Courseside dish
CuisineSouthern

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb okra
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp seasoning blend or salt, pepper, and garlic powder mix

Servings: people

Instructions

Begin by heating up the grill. While it heats up, cut the tops off of the okra pods, and slice them in half lengthwise.
Skewer the cut okra pods onto the bamboo or metal skewers. Don't skewer them lengthwise, or you'll only be able to get a few per skewer. Drizzle the okra with olive oil and use a brush to ensure that the okra is well covered. Turn the skewers over and be sure the olive oil is covering both sides. Then use your favorite seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's, Old Bay, or a blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder) to coat the cut side of the okra.
Place okra on the hot grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes, then flip skewers over. You should be able to see lovely grill lines (see skewer on left). Grill for another 3-4 minutes on other side.
Take off of the grill and serve immediately.

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by Courtney 4 Comments

What to Grow in an Early Spring Garden

Spring garden season is almost here, and what better way to usher in the garden season than with some cool weather loving crops. For those of you who live in areas where gardening year round isn’t an option, then early spring is a great time to get your hands dirty with vegetables that don’t mind cooler nights. For my year-round deep south gardeners, I’m looking at you Florida and Texas, you can already have your tomatoes in the ground in some areas. I’m so jealous!

But I have to work with what I’ve got, and where I live the nights can be cool, and the danger of frost isn’t over yet. In fact, last year our last frost was on March 25th, and it got down to 27 degrees. My poor fig tree couldn’t handle it, even with being covered. So early spring gardens should be full of veggies that can stand up to the cooler temps that those March evenings can bring.

Early Spring Garden Veggies

There is a surprising number of things you can grow in an early spring garden. And many of these veggies can go right on producing into the summer, especially if you give them a little shade during those much warmer days. So consider planting taller plants in late spring beside your early spring vegetables to keep them cool and less likely to burn up in the hot summer sun.

Here are some great choices to use in your early spring garden:

Lettuce: All types! You really can’t go wrong here. Lettuces enjoy cooler weather, and a lovely salad garden is perfect for harvesting weekly and enjoying fresh salad greens. Some favorite varieties include: romaine, arugula (I consider this a lettuce), mixed lettuces, butterhead, mesclun. A garden coach I follow on Instagram, The Rooted Garden, actually offers an online course called Salad School where she teaches you how to grow salad well, so you can have fresh salad greens year round!
Beets: I have a love/hate relationship with beets. I love to eat them, but I usually plant them too late and they grow poorly for me. I’ve been reading up on beet care this winter, and I will succeed this year! They also enjoy the cooler weather, and I can truly attest to the fact that they do not do well in the middle of summer. Lesson learned. And since you can eat both the root and the greens, they work with a variety of meals! (Double chocolate beet muffins, anyone?)
Greens: While greens like collards, turnips, mustards, spinach, and kale are known for their winter longevity, early spring crops can still be grown. The young tender leaves that come first are delicious, and many greens are chock full of iron. And I do have a fantastic recipe for Balsamic Bacon Collards, because who doesn’t love a little bacon with your healthy greens?
Onions: Early spring is a great time to plant onions, especially if you like to harvest them early to use in recipes. I’m going with seed this year instead of sets, as I did last year, and I had much more success. Growing your own onions is easy, and you’ll be amazed at how much better they taste than what you’re buying at the grocery store.
Brassicas- No, we’re not growing metals here, but the brassicas family, including broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, do particularly well in the early spring weather. They enjoy the cooler temperatures with less intense sunlight, which also makes them a fall favorite. We’ve been eating a lot more cauliflower lately (though I haven’t done the pizza crust yet, have you?), so I’m going to try growing them this spring.

Our early spring garden is actually going in today, so I’d love to know what you enjoy planting in the early spring! I’ll give you some updates on my success with the beets this spring. I may have to nurture them like a newborn, but they will grow! Have a great week and happy gardening!

by Courtney 9 Comments

Easy Oven Roasted Okra

Okra, okra, mo-mokra, banana fana, o-hokra… and so it goes. It may not be an easy to word to rhyme or insert into song, but there’s something magical about those delicious green pods. While they’re not quite as versatile as shrimp (as we learned from Bubba in Forrest Gump), okra can be fried, pickled, stewed, roasted, grilled, or eaten raw. I’ve also recently used frozen pods in smoothies as a thickener. Who would have thought??

For any recipe, or raw okra eating, you want to make sure you pick them at the right size. You’ll find great info on picking (or choosing at the farmers’ market) here. (Here’s a hint: pointer-finger sized is just about perfect!)

Frying vs. Roasting

While coating and frying cut okra is a southern staple, it’s not always the fastest way to get this veggie on your weeknight dinner table (not to mention the clean-up and “fried” smell left lingering in the house). So what’s an easy way to get this veggie prepped and cooked with hardly any fuss and no constant monitoring? Oven roasting.

I didn’t always think this was an option for okra. What about the slime? Will it get crisp? But as it turns out, my family loves oven roasted okra. In this version, the cumin provides a smoky flavor while the light seasoning of salt and pepper let this green jewel’s flavor shine through.

While oven roasted okra doesn’t have the same “crunch” as the fried variety, the true okra taste also isn’t overpowered by a thick coating. My husband would still prefer the classic fried okra every once in a while, but for me (and whoever is cleaning the kitchen) roasting can’t be beat.

Ingredients

Fresh okra, cut into pieces

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp salt (I love using mineral salt)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cumin

Easy Oven Roasted Okra

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash your fresh okra pods and slice into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. Spread okra onto a sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat.
In a small dish, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin (I love the hint of “smokiness” that this adds). Mix. Sprinkle over the top of cut okra.
Place pan in preheated oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. You want the edges of the okra to be browned. Remove pan from oven and serve immediately.

For low-maintenance or busy cooks, this okra recipe is a winner. Our girly gardener, who loves all things fried and buttered, ate three helpings of this last week. I’m not going to complain… even though I would have liked to have had a few more myself.

I’d love to know about your favorite way to eat okra or what veggie you think tastes best roasted. Happy Gardening!

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

Complicated name…it’s brussels sprouts, not brussel sprouts. I’ve been confused for years, too, but here’s some clarification. Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family, and they’re incredibly popular in Belgium. The capital of Belgium is Brussels…. boom. Brussels sprouts. And if you ever get a chance to go to Belgium, eat lots of chocolate as a dessert after your plate of brussels sprouts. I digress…

If you saw yesterday’s post, then you know I love roasted Brussels sprouts; my kids refer to them as baby cabbages, and though we have both cabbages and brussels sprouts growing in the garden, I don’t have the heart to tell them they’re wrong. This was our first try at growing brussels sprouts, and I’ll be posting later in the week about how we did it and what we learned this first year.

Brussels Sprouts for the win

Our pickiest eater, the middle child, is the hardest to please around here. If it doesn’t have bacon, butter, or bread involved, then she’s going to turn up her nose… I can say that her culinary preferences don’t fall far from the tree. But last night, I threw some of these maple roasted brussels sprouts onto her plate and stood back. Waiting. Expecting. But playing cool, not wanting her to know I was watching. She devoured them. It was the first thing finished on her plate. Success! I felt like Mom of the Year, briefly, until I started fussing about kids putting their shoes away. (Why is that so hard to remember?)

So, if our pickiest eater will gobble these up, then your family will too. Whip up this side dish to accompany any main course; they’re delicious! (Scroll down for the super simple printable.)

Ingredients

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts

Olive Oil

Maple Syrup

Salt

Walnuts, chopped

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

Start with one pound of fresh Brussels sprouts. Slice off any tough ends and cut the sprouts in half.

2. Whisk olive oil and maple syrup in a bowl; add the sprouts, and gently toss until well coated. Spread brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet (if they’re not in a single layer, some will steam instead of roast), and sprinkle with salt. (I have been loving this Pink Himalayan Salt over the past few years. It’s delicious!)

3. Roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until easily poked (very technical term) with a fork and crispy and browned on the edges. While the brussels sprouts are roasting, toast walnuts in a skillet over medium heat. Toss or stir continually for several minutes until they brown lightly or you begin to smell a toasty scent (again, very technical info here).

4. Once sprouts are done, combine walnuts and roasted Brussels sprouts and serve! Your family will love it!

I’d love to know if you try this recipe, either from your home-grown brussels sprouts or from store bought. There’s no shame in how you get your veggies! Comment below and let me know if you have a tried and true way of getting your family to eat these powerhouse vegetables!

4 Reasons You Need to Eat Brussel Sprouts

It’s a new year, and most folks are resolving to get a bit healthier, or at least give it the old college try for a few weeks. If part of that “healthier” living involves your eating, then I have a treat for you: Brussel sprouts, a member of the Brassicas family. They kind of get a bad rap. They’re constantly brought into conversations about things people would rather not do… “I’d rather eat brussel sprouts than (enter completely unpleasant experience here, i.e. root canal).” Sometimes I feel a little pity for these bright green beauties, but I guess if most other folks turn up their nose, then that’s more for the rest of us!

The Bad Rap

So, why is there such a strong aversion to these green gems? I know living here in the south, there simply wasn’t a lot of exposure to them when I was growing up. Brussels sprouts thrive in places where they get at least one good frost, and I don’t know anyone who grew them in gardens when I was growing up. So perhaps people only like what’s familiar (and there’s totally science to back this up. Check out Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit if you want to be blown away by habits you didn’t even know you had!) And even if people are adventuresome enough to try a new vegetable, there’s always the question of how to cook them. I know this has stumped me quite a few times when a new leafy green shows up in my CSA box. What is this? What in the world do I do with it? (Sometimes new and different things simply end up as chicken feed around here.) So we have to be willing to break out of our frozen-pea-as-side-dish routine and find recipes to bring in new foods for our families to try. (Even if they seem reluctant!)

The Great News

If you’ve never really tried Brussel sprouts, but are basing all experience on that one time in the 3rd grade when you licked one and decided you didn’t like it, then I challenge you to let go of your childish (or adultish) picky habits and give them a go. Here are some great reasons why you totally should:

Vitamin C! Step off orange juice, which only has 71% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C per serving (and don’t get started on how you’re ignoring the rest of the fruit just to get the juice). Brussel Sprouts pack over 100% (85mg) of your daily recommended intake in only 3.5 ounces. They’re like a vitamin powerhouse! The same is also true for vitamin k in these awesome sprouts; who needs to take vitamins now?
Calories Shmalories-That same 3.5 oz. portion of Brussel sprouts only has 43 calories, which is definitely a win for those watching their figures. Even with some olive oil for roasting, these sprouts are an excellent side dish choice.
Sulphoraphane- You can impress your friends and neighbors by spouting off this word the next time you’re in conversation. (Try to ease it in real casual like…) Basically, this is a phytochemical that recent research has shown has anticancer properties. While boiling your brussel sprouts may decrease this chemical, roasting and stir frying do not. So warm up the oven and get to roasting!
They’re Delicious! Maybe you’ve had them before and would rather lick the sidewalk than eat them again, but I promise you, if prepared well (and not overcooked to oblivion), they’re super tasty. Try them simply roasted with olive oil and garlic or go a bit fancier by starting them in a skillet for some crispy edges, then moving them into the oven to finish them off. The ideas are endless (and so are the Pinterest posts)!

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing my super easy Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Walnuts recipe, so be sure to check it out. It will give you a slightly sweet start to your long future with this fabulous vegetable! And I’ll also post about growing brussel sprouts in your own kitchen garden like we were able to do this year.

I’d love to know your favorite way to eat b-sprouts! I know I wasn’t always a huge fan, but I’ve been won over. Even the little gardeners gobble them up when they’re served with dinner. Have a great week and happy gardening!

vegetables

How to Grill Asparagus

Ingredients for Grilled Asparagus

How to Make Grilled Asparagus

Other Seasoning to Use on Asparagus for the Grill

How to Grill Asparagus

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