You can grill your entire dinner this weekend on the BBQ including your greens and dessert. Here are 5 things you can grill this weekend that you might not have thought of doing.
This is the time of year that the BBQ/Grill in your backyard has gone from the fun, new, party friend, to the boring, predictable, hanger-on you're completely sick of.
You've done it all together again and again and again. Steak, baked potatoes, hamburgers, hot dogs. Steak, baked potatoes, hamburgers, hot dogs. Over and over again. You might get wild and add chicken to the rotation once in a while but you get the idea.
Over the past few years I've taken to throwing everything on the BBQ: shrimp, beef skewers, sweet potatoes and leafy greens. Yes. You can grill a green.
I will grill my entire dinner on the BBQ including the meat, the vegetables, the greens and the dessert. I started doing this because I'm the only one in the house which means I can't be outside taking care of the stuff on the BBQ while someone else is inside dealing with whatever is in the oven or on the stove. There is only me and only me doesn't like running in and out of the house trying to keep stuff from burning in not one but TWO areas of my home.
5 things are in constant rotation. And I would like for you to try them too. At least one of them. And I don't want any excuses. No BBQ? Not a good enough excuse. Light a fire on the road and throw a hub cap over it. Just do what you have to do to try something new.
5 Things You Can Grill
- GREENS
Oh yes you can. I grilled kale just last night and it turned out fantastic. I splashed some olive oil and lemon juice on the kale first, smushed it with my hands a bit to tenderize the kale and then piled it on the BBQ turning it a few times until it started to soften but not go limp.
You can do the same thing with chard.
If you leave the stalks on the leafy portion of the greens will get dry, crispy and charred which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
FANCIFY THEM: Toss the greens with a bit of Thai peanut sauce before serving. I usually just use store bought sauce but if i have time I make this spicy peanut sauce from scratch.
2. SLICED POTATOES
A baked potato takes forever on the BBQ. Cutting a potato into ¼" slices speeds up the cooking time. You can either put them directly on the grill, or what I do - throw them in an aluminum pan (which I use over and over again) with a blob of duck fat and Herb de Provence. They'll get crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
If you don't have duck fat use a half and half mixture of olive oil and butter to cook them in.
FANCIFY THEM: As soon as they're cooked, dress them with this grainy mustard, dill and mayo sauce.
3. CORN
There are still a few of you out there that don't grill your corn. You don't need a pot of boiling water to get delicious corn, just throw it on the BBQ next to everything else and turn it when the kernels start to char.
Serve it with butter and salt. Squeeze a bit of lime on top if you're wanting to feel like you're really "cooking".
FANCIFY THEM: Make this grilled Indian Street corn with cilantro, Indian spices and lime.
4. BEETS
Take a bunch of beets, wrap them in a double layer of aluminum foil and put the whole package on the grill to cook for 40 minutes.
When they're cooked the skin will just slide off.
FANCIFY THEM: Slice the beets and top with goat cheese, pecans or walnuts, honey and balsamic vinegar.
5. PEACHES
Grilled peaches are DELICIOUS and all you have to do is stick them on the BBQ on medium/low for about 10 minutes on each side. The sugars caramelize and get sticky and it's heavenly. Sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg before cooking.
FANCIFY THEM: Serve grilled peaches with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with maple syrup or honey and roasted nuts. Maybe another sprinkle of cinnamon for good measure.
Don't get me wrong ... for all of you who only do steaks, burgers and hot dogs on the BBQ and only WANT to do those things, that's O.K. by me. I smell your standard fare as I walk or run around the neighbourhood at dinner time and it all smells fantastic. It makes me run faster so I can get home and throw something on my own BBQ.
When I run in the winter it's the scent of airborne fabric softener that I smell as I run. It never makes me want to hurry home to do laundry.
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Kathy
These are excellent suggestions Karen. I saw a cooking show the other day and they did grilled avocado!
Bryan
Grilled avocado - Brilliant idea! I had never had the idea of getting smoke flavor into an avocado before. Smoked avocado guacamole - yum. I am on a diet and this food porn is not what I needed. I come here for my chicken cam decompression, and then read everything else.
Robyn
I've been on a Grilled Watermelon kick all summer! It completely takes on a more squash-like flavour. If you slice it about 1" thick and leave the rind on it's easier to flip (5min-ish each side). If I'm feeling "all-fancy" I'll drizzle balsamic vinegar on it while grilling and use funky cookie cutters to cut shapes that I'll then lay on a bed of fresh spinach and feta cheese. Always impresses and super yummy!
SuzyM
Have you grilled any of the possessions left by the former boyfriend? Is one of them the motorcycle you mentioned? Or, are you saving them for the big neighborhood autumn bonfire?
Maryanne
Gonna try the peaches tonight! Yum.
This is has nothing to do with grilling but
if you want a single serving of corn on the cob the microwave does a GREAT job. It is unreal how good! Have you try it Karen? You tube Shucking Corn -- Clean Ears Every time. An adorable Grandpop shows you how. Best of all you don't need to husk. Check it out Karen.
Joyce
How bout wrapping the corn in bacon?
Ann
Pineapple. I grill just to do pineapple. So I throw on some fish just so it doesn't get lonely out over the coals. But honestly, I would stand out in 20 degree weather to grill my lovely pineapple
Natika
Sounds loverly! My grill is electric, hence I haven't pulled it out even once this summer. Electric grills are just not anywhere near as fun as real fire!
But I have a small grill drawer in my stove top, (which isn't nearly as fun as a BBQ, but things turn out tasting more or less the same), so I might be trying some of these ideas soon!
Mary Kay
Did you ever doing any smoking on your grill? With apple wood or mesquite? We have done a turkey and pork loin - it takes a few hours so we only do this when we know we are going to be home most of the afternoon on the weekend. The smells coming out of that grill - ohhhh yum.
Karen
Mary Kay - Before I got my smoker I did do some smoking on my grill. It's great! The only trouble I had was keeping the temp. of the BBQ low enough. :( ~ karen!
Adrienne
You're right, the grill is the most delicious method for corn. Two of my other favorites are zucchini and pizza. Pizza on the grill is heavenly. Slathered with lots of olive oil, some cornmeal on the bottom, plenty of sauce and cheese, and that fire toasted crust is nearly impossible to beat.
The only thing that might beat it is grilled well done work boots...but only in concept. ;)
Tigersmom
We're actually awaiting getting to use our grill. Something about standing next to a fire in 100 plus degree temps makes us lose our appetite for anything cooked and get cravings for cereal and delivery.
I love corn grilled in the husk, but now I'm eager to try your method. So much quicker. And the potatoes, too. And we loooooove beets. Never done those on the grill either. Once again, you drag us out of a rut.
I wonder what the smell of burning exercise equipment would inspire a passing runner to do. Stop? Turn around and go home and lie on the couch? Stop for donuts on the way?
mimiindublin
Hubcap? brilliant idea, if I hadn't given away the 3 hubcaps I had in my driveway. Seriously. just 3 weeks ago!
peaches also lovely if you put a little ball of marzipan in the groove when you turn them over, yummy! Also some chopped white choc mixed with the nuts on top: what a way to eat fruit!
Sally
OMG, yum to the peaches, corn and potatoes! I guess I'll have to try the chard and beets. If they are as good as the others, it will be a real winner.
Caitlin Evelyn
Yum! Grilled Peaches were one of the many ways I consumed my weight in peaches on the daily this summer.
Pat
Yes, the potatoes almost, kinda taste like fries without the grease! My husband cuts them lengthwise and brushes with oil, etc. We do cauliflower, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and the usual corn on the cob, fish and meats. Love, love the grilled vegs. If you can do swiss chard I bet you could do kale the same way?
Barbie
Never thought of grilling potatoes! Thanks Karen!
BTW...ever tried grilling a whole onion? Wrap in foil with butter and grill for about an hour...sooooo hummy
Bre Quantrill
Mmmmm....some mushrooms with garlic are nice done like this, too!
Pam'a
We grilled our used check registers one year before we got our paper shredder...
Amie Mason
Large field mushrooms, skin side down, with the top filled with danish feta & basil pesto - vegie-porn! Serious omm-nommy food. I also love grilled beans, zucchini & baby eggplant.
Do you ever cook lamb chops on the BBQ? I'm wondering if lamb is more of an Aussie thing...
I can't wait for Summer; the husband slow cooks ribs, rabbit & duck in the Webber then chars them on the BBQ. Sooooo good!
Estee
and what about romaine???
Karen
I personally have never grilled Romaine, but yes, you can grill romaine. Not like the swiss chard though. The chard you want to go a bit limp. The romaine you would probably just want a nice char on. ~ karen!
Call Me Patty
I've grilled Romaine lettuce exactly like you do the swiss chard pretty much, and it is amazing. First time I did that, my husband thought I'd lost it, but he sure changed his tune when he tasted it. I cut the whole romaine in 1/2, lengthwise, brush with olive oil, and salt/pepper. Grill 1 to 1-1/2min. per side, just until charred. When done, I drizzle a little more olive oil and some freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Rebecca
Yeah, but can you grill Brussels sprouts?
JBB
You certainly can! Cut in half, with some of the stem on each half. Oil coating (make sure cut face is oiled well), sprinkle with salt, grill cut-side down.
Obviously you need large brussels sprouts and/or a narrow grill or flattop.
Marti
No bbq'd Cheez Whiz?
How about bbq'd Cuddles?
Where are the Girls while you're doing all this grilling? Do they keep you company? Or do they think that wandering too close to the grill might be tempting fate?