Grilled Asparagus Rafts

Preheat grill to high heat.

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Line up 4 asparagus spears, touching each other, on a flat surface. Thread 2 (3-inch) skewers or wooden picks horizontally through spears 1 to 1 1/2 inches from each end to form a raft. Repeat procedure with remaining asparagus spears.

Combine soy sauce, oil, and garlic, stirring with a whisk; brush evenly over rafts. Place rafts on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds, pepper, and salt.

Young Chefs can:

Count out and line up 4 asparagus spears

Sprinkle grilled rafts with sesame seeds

Older Chefs can:

Carefully thread asparagus onto skewers

Brush rafts with soy sauce mixture before grilling