There’s a good chance you’ve already fired up the grill
this year, but there’s an even better chance you’ll be grilling in a couple of weeks
for Memorial Day weekend! Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and
grilled is the unofficial flavor of summer, so it goes without saying that
millions of decks, patios, and community grilling stations are sure to be offering
up that savory, smoky aroma this summer. While you definitely can’t go wrong
with a classic hamburger or a juicy hotdog, why not think out of the box this
year and try something new?
Pasta
If you’re new to grilling a great way to step out of your
comfort zone is to put a twist on a classic. Now, obviously, you’re not going to
be able to cook the pasta itself on a grill (unless you have one of those
fancier grills with the burner on the side), but in the same time it takes you
to boil the water and cook the pasta on a stove you can grill the protein and
veggies that go into the pasta, then toss it all together with some sauce at
the end. This penne
with grilled salmon & chives is a great starting point or inspiration
for your own favorite pasta dish.
Salad
Let’s be honest, no one is excited about the idea of a
salad at a barbeque. That is unless the salad is also grilled! Romaine hearts
hold up surprisingly well on a grill, so for wedge or Caesar salads you can
grill practically everything except the dressing. Or, for leafier greens you can take the same
idea as the pasta and grill the toppings before tossing everything together, like
in this grilled
strawberry and cucumber salad. Wow your next barbeque or be the star of the
neighborhood cookout by bringing something light and delicious to offset the
rest of the heavy and starchy fare.
International
If you’re not quite ready to leave tradition behind, why
not try another tradition instead? Nearly every culture has some kind of dish
that uses direct, high heat to cook. From Korean BBQ to Argentinian…well…anything,
you can find a traditional grilled food in any corner of the globe. Stick
closer to home and grill up some al pastor for tacos, try your hand at Mediterranean
grilled seafood, or go completely different with these traditional
Japanese yaki onigiri (grilled, stuffed rice balls).
Dessert
End your meal the same way you started: on the grill! Sweets
aren’t usually the first dish you think about when grilling, but if you’ve ever
had a meringue or crème brulee, you know first hand how fire can enhance a
dessert. Depending on your grilling prowess, feel free to keep it simple with
just some grilled peaches and ice cream, or step it up a little with these
simple but impressive grilled peach
hand pies. If you have a cast iron skillet you could even take your
favorite summer fruit cobbler recipe and have it baking in a closed grill while
you’re eating dinner.
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