Grilled Asparagus

Spring and asparagus go hand in hand.  If you are anything like me, by the time you finish prepping and cooking a main course, you're out of steam.  But of course having no green on our plates makes me cringe inside, so I have to pull out the bag salad and some dressing: that's all I've got left me some nights.  Of course, this is perfectly fine, but variety is the spice of life, and one can get a little bored by the same leafy greens and dressing with no special accouterments.  Spring is fabulous for asparagus, it's delicious and tender, and doesn't cost $10 a pound (may a bit of an exaggeration)!  This takes under 10 minutes, start to finished on your plate.  The beauty is in it's simplicity. 

1 bunch asparagus
2 tablespoons (more or less) olive oil
1 or 2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
salt
pepper

Remove the woody ends of the asparagus spears.  Place spear into a grill basket (GrillPro 98121 Porcelain Coated Square Wok Topper), or alternately, use some skewers if your racks are spaced too far apart.  (But really, a grill basket is AWESOME, and totally worth the investment of a around $10).  Toss with the olive oil to be sure all spears are evenly coated, and sprinkle with garlic, salt, and pepper to taste.  Place on a preheated hot grill, lid down.  In about 2-3 minutes, move the spears around or flip them, and in another 1-3 minutes, your spear should be crisp tender.  Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and possible some parmesan spears if you can do dairy....delicious!

Serves about 4 people, generously