Writing this cooking column has opened my eyes to a few things, one of which is how people my age struggle with making very simple dishes. Broiling, baking and grilling are not easy for beginning cooks, so this week I decided to at least answer questions concerning how long to cook and how put a well balanced meal on the table.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 package of asparagus

1⁄4 cup of olive oil

1⁄2 tablespoon of sea salt

1⁄2 cup of the barbecue sauce of your choosing

1. Turn your grill on and allow to preheat at least five minutes.

2. The chicken: Rinse each breast, then place on a cutting board or solid surface. Using a meat tenderizer, flatten the breasts. Baste one side with barbecue sauce, and place on grill with the sauced side facing down. Cook for seven minutes on each side, basting the other side of the breast before flipping.

3. The asparagus: Heat a large frying pan with olive oil. Lay in asparagus and add sea salt. To sauté, use a spatula to move asparagus around oil. Cover for five minutes, then stir asparagus again and allow to cook another five minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Side dishes: I used potatoes au gratin, which can be found as a boxed side in any grocery store or can be made from scratch. Baked potatoes, rice or pasta also go well with grilled chicken.

5. Serve.

Call Corianne Egan, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8652 or follow @CoriEgan on Twitter.