Grilled Asparagus

I'm months behind, and just finding time to post last summer's favorite recipes. Actually Grilled Asparagus doesn't take much of a recipe, as the ingredients are minimal and rather thrown together, but that's part of what makes it so lovely.

Choosing your asparagus for grilling can be a bit tricky. Larger asparagus can be a bit stringy and unpalettable, but if you choose very young, skinny stalks, you'd better be prepared to watch the grill very carefully, or you end up with match sticks.

Asparagus
Olive Oil
Fresh garlic
Sea Salt

Toss or brush the asparagus with the above ingredients, and place them on the grill. Turn them often until they're brown and just before they're crisping up, pull and serve. I've found that I can convince even Asparagus Naysayers to come to my side if I grill it!

Red Beans 'n Rice

I recently had a hankerin' for some down-home, to-die-for, simmer-all-day-long, kick-yer-butt beans and rice. I perused cookbooks and settled on a recipe: Salt pork, tomato sauce, crockpot.

Blyech! I ended up with a giant pot of bland beans to serve over over bland rice.

I grumbled about it on Facebook, and it paid off BIG time. My friend Carla is thankfully on good terms with her ex (my friend also), Bruce. Cajun Bruce! Misplaced-in-the-Midwest Bruce.

Bruce delivered!

1 lb red beans—soak overnight.

Disgard water and add beans to crockpot.

Add:

2 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped onion
1-2 green peppers, chopped
2 bay leaves (a must!)
2 (at least!) cloves of fresh garlic
salt
water

Let it cook all day with plenty of liquid, until, as Bruce says, "everything breaks up into a sludge of unidentifiable ingredients." Add smoked sausage and simmer a little longer.

Serve over rice with shallots/green onions and Louisiana red sauce or Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning.

This really hits the spot!