Summer Grilling Ideas – Veggies, Meat and even Fruits!
It’s just about summer in some areas of the US… at least a warm & toasty spring. Cooking indoors on a warm/hot day is not very enjoyable! That’s where the grill or barbecue comes in handy. Grilling is done outdoors and grilling ideas are unlimited!!! I think you can probably grill any fruit, veggie or meat you’d like. There are even special grilling baskets to grill small items or you can use good old fashioned aluminum foil to wrap up veggies and cook on the grill.
Grilling is also known as barbecuing in some areas of the US – or BBQ. It’s been a cooking choice for ages – before we can even imagine I am sure. It’s essentially “cooking over fire” which doesn’t truly require expensive metal box with knobs, burners and a gas tank you buy at Home Depot. All you need is a match, some wood and a metal grill. But most of us want convenience, right? So buying that metal box at Home Depot or Lowe’s is key to grilling convenience.
There are many types of grills – gas, charcoal, electric, Kamado and smokers. The cheapest type would probably be the charcoal Weber Grill. They come in all sizes and all you need is charcoal, some lighter fluid and a match to grill up some good food.
Grilling ideas include meats, vegetables, fruits, breads and meat alternatives. The key to grilling is keep an eye on what you’re grilling. Cook to your liking/doneness. Meats will take longer, and can probably handle more heat than fruits or fragile veggies. Potatoes will take a good long time (hour or 2). Check out FineCooking.com for 100’s of grilling recipe ideas, scroll down to narrow down to beef, chicken, veggie, etc.
Here are some helpful tips I’ve gathered from FitSugar too, click on any of them to see more detail about them:
- Clean your grill. – reduce the buildup of char, bacteria, and other residue on the grates.
- Take temps. – using thermometer, measure the internal temperature of meats when grilling
- Don’t burn it. – Blackened and charred meats may contain chemical compounds which may be carcinogenic.
- Use a marinade. – Try marinating meats in a light vinaigrette salad dressing to keep things simple. Improves the taste and flavor of your foods, but will also reduce possible charring.
- Use a grill rack. – This allows fat to drip away from food which reduces the total fat in the food.
- Trim the fat. – Buy leaner cuts of meat and trim away any excess fat before cooking.
- Wrap it up. – Grilling foods in foil reduces the likelihood of overcooking or burning foods.
- Partially cook meats. – This can reduce grilling times.
- Cook slower. – Cooking meats low and slow is the best way to achieve tender barbecue, plus reduces your risk for carcinogenic charred meats.
- Grills aren’t just for meats! – see below for numerous ideas – fruits, veggies, etc.
Here is a good list of WHAT TO GRILL:
MEATS:
Beef steak, rib-eye, beef kebabs, hamburgers, turkey burgers, chicken burgers, chicken, pork chop, pork tenderloin, pork kebabs, chorizo sausage, kielbasa sausage, italian sausage, hot dogs, salmon, tuna, snapper, mahi mahi, halibut, sea bass, cod, trout, tilapia, scallop, shrimp, lobster, squid, crab, swordfish… etc. These are all Paleo Favorites.
VEGETABLES:
Corn on the cob, potato, sweet potato, yam, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, italian pepper, eggplant, squash, zucchini, asparagus, tomato, purple onion, green onion, yellow onion, portabella, mushrooms, escarole, bok choy, raddichio, romaine lettuce, brussels sprouts kebabs, fava beans (in pod), green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, fennel, artichoke, veggie kebabs… etc.
FRUITS:
Pineapple, peach, nectarine, fig, strawberry, pear, banana, plantain, kiwi, apricot, watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, orange, lime, lemon. Make kebabs with smaller fruits such as strawberries, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, cherries.
MEAT ALTERNATIVES (VEGAN/VEGETARIAN):
For vegetarians or vegans there’s always alternatives. Bean burgers, veggie burgers, tofu, veggie dogs, veggie sausages, tempeh, veggie chick’n patty, veggie fish patty, etc…
Tell me if I forgot anything in the comments below. What are you favorite grilling recipes?
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I loved this post and have found it helpful and inspiring. I see you mentioned potatoes and would like to share my favorite way to grill them. Half fill a gallon baggie with sliced raw potatoes, shake a little bit of the following spices into the bag; salt (1/2 tsp), pepper (1/2 tsp), rosemary (abt 2 tbsp). Pour in about 1/4 cup oil, seal bag and shake/massage until both sides of each slice has spices on them. Set aside until ready to grill. Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you Lorelei, this sounds good!