Grilling Ideas: Vegetables, Pizza and Even Dessert
Published by Umer Financials
Posted on May 29, 2016
Summer’s almost here, and for many, that means preparing food on the grill. Whether it’s steak, burgers, chicken, sausages or hot dogs, grilling can be an easy and delicious way to prepare meat.
But you may be able to make the rest of your meal on the grill, too. Vegetables, fruits and even desserts can be cooked on the grill. If you are ready to take your outdoor cooking skills to the next level, consider the grilling ideas and tips below.
Grilling Vegetables
Grilled vegetables don’t have to be limited to kabobs. According to Better Homes and Gardens (BHG), asparagus, sweet peppers, potatoes, zucchini and carrots are among the vegetables that can be grilled. BHG suggests rinsing, trimming and brushing vegetables with oil or butter before putting them over medium-hot coals. You can cook them right on the rack (perpendicular to the rack’s wires) or place them on a piece of aluminum foil, BHG suggests. Whichever method you choose, be sure to turn them periodically and cook until tender.
Grilling Entrees
Your entrée is the focal point of your meal, but it doesn’t always have to be grilled beef, pork or chicken. Other unique, yet enjoyable, main dishes that can turn out great on the grill include:
- Oysters: Bon Appetit says you can cook oysters on the grill without even shucking them; the shells will simply open when they are done.
- Homemade pizza: Grill one side of the crust over indirect fire, rotating 180 degrees after a few minutes to evenly cook both ends, chef Elizabeth Karmel tells The Washington Post. Then flip the crust over, add toppings and grill over indirect heat again until the crust browns and the cheese is melted. Find her complete instructions here.
- Tofu: Begin by pressing the tofu to get rid of excess water and make room for new flavors, says Good Housekeeping. Then marinate it for some extra flavor and cook for up to seven minutes on each side, or until you see grill marks.
Grilling Dessert
From cake to fruit, your grill can deliver some amazing desserts. According to the Food Network, pound cake cooked on the grill is an easy and delicious treat. Simply brush both sides of a piece of cake with butter and cook each on the grill for about two minutes.
Ripe, but not overly soft, fruit works best on the grill, dietitian Joan Salge Blake writes in the Boston Globe. Some of the best fruits for grilling are pineapples, nectarines and peaches, she says. Blake offers the following tips:
- Cook fruit only over indirect flame.
- Do not remove the skin before grilling.
- Cut fruit into pieces big enough that they won’t fall through the grill grate.
Expanding your grilling horizons can lead to some amazing meals. But before you fire up the grill, make sure you take grilling safety precautions. Fires are a possibility for both charcoal and gas grills, and it’s important to understand their safety hazards before even lighting them.
Once you feel confident in your preparations and process, see what kinds of delicious grilling ideas you can come up with.
Do you have any additional suggestions for food to cook on the grill? Share them with us in the comment section below.