{Recipe} Grilled Asparagus with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and Balsamic Reduction

I grew up thinking I hated asparagus. One amazing meal with some equally amazing asparagus later and I knew that it wasn’t asparagus I hated. It was horrible, limp, sad canned asparagus that I hated. Fresh asparagus? Amazing! It’s also amazingly easy to prepare. I found some gorgeous asparagus in the produce department at Walmart and knew it was time to have some fun with one of my favorite vegetables.

Prep is a snap. Literally. Just give it a quick wash and remove the ends. Many people will trim off the ends of their asparagus but I have a tip. Hold the asparagus on either end and bend it. The end will almost always snap off at the perfect spot. Grilling asparagus is my favorite way to prepare it-and my panini press is the perfect size for grilling. (Hello easy clean up!) To grill asparagus just give it a light brushing of oil (I used olive) and a sprinkle of salt. Cook until you see grill marks, but you do not want to char the asparagus. It should be ready in about five minutes. Often I’ll drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over my grilled asparagus. This time I wanted to try something a little different. (But not too different…I do love my asparagus with balsamic!)

Pomegranate and balsamic go great together, so I took a short cut with Hidden Valley Farmhouse Original’s Pomegranate Vinaigrette.
By making this a reduction everything thickened enough to serve as a dip. (A little less cooking would make it thinner and would be great as a drizzle.) It’s totally delicious and so easy to make. I just heated the vinaigrette with a splash of balsamic until it thickened up. Serve it with the grilled asparagus as a great appetizer you can eat with your hands! Visit your Walmart produce aisle for your own fresh inspiration! Don’t forget to follow along with their latest updates on Facebook and Twitter.