By Editor Erin Ogden
Summer grilling shouldn’t be all about the hamburgers and hotdogs! Fruits and vegetables can be used for equally tasty desserts and dinner sidekicks. Although very easy to grill, follow these quick tips for the best grilled produce this season has to offer!
1. Pick the right fruits! Oh, the grilling options for fruits are endless and span from juicy watermelon all the way to bananas, stone fruits and berries! Don’t forget about pineapples either! Whatever you choose, just make sure it is ripe but still firm for the best results. 2. Pick the right vegetables! Some of the easiest and most delicious vegetables that can-and should!-be grilled include squash, eggplants, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and peppers. Harder vegetables like beets, carrots, and potatoes can also be grilled but will take longer. To speed up the cooking process these veggies can be started inside on the stove or in the oven. Don’t let this list limit your grilling adventures, though! 3. Prep! Better flavor will be achieved if the fruits and veggies remain unpeeled. Anything to be grilled should be slice to the proper width to ensure the inside is thoroughly heated without the outside becoming too crispy. Inch-thick slices are appropriate for most foods, with the exception of bananas, which can simply be cut in half, and corn on the cob, which can be left whole. Since you don’t want your fruits and veggies to stick, use a brush to lightly coat each side that will come in contact with the grill. Other coatings like honey or even liquor (for those twenty-one and up!) can be added to fruits, just to give them an extra burst of flavor. For a spicy kick use sriracha as a pre-grill rub for watermelon and portabella mushrooms (I know, technically not a vegetable.) 4. Cook! Fruits and vegetables can be placed directly on the grill over hot coals. Simple as that! Most produce will be done in 5-6 minutes. 5. Serve! Now that you have beautifully caramelized fruits and vegetables with sophisticated-looking grill marks, what’s next? The beauty of grilling within these food groups is that they can be added to any dish that you typically add their non-grilled counterparts to. Try grilled tomatoes in your next pasta dish or grilled eggplant or portabellas as sandwich fillers. An even more simple grilling philosophy is to cook up as many veggies as you like and serve a grilled vegetable medley to costar with your entrée. Grilled fruits are a great light dessert and pair magically with ice cream. Use grilled bananas as the base and grilled strawberries, cherries, and pineapples as the toppings for an epic banana split! |
Sources:
Grandjean, P. (2017). Sriracha-Lime Grilled Watermelon. Retrieved June 18, 2017,
from http://www.health.com/recipes/sriracha-lime-grilled-watermelon?xid=socialflow_twitter_health
Mattheis, C. (2014, June 7). 16 Vegetarian Foods to Grill This Summer. Retrieved June 18, 2017,
from http://time.com/2829606/vegetarian-foods-grill-summer/
Whole Foods. (2017). How to Grill Veggies and Fruits. Retrieved June 19, 2017,
from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/how-grill-veggies-and-fruits
Image Sources:
http://eat.snooth.com/articles/best-grilled-veggies/?viewall=1
http://www.health.com/recipes/sriracha-lime-grilled-watermelon?xid=socialflow_twitter_health
Grandjean, P. (2017). Sriracha-Lime Grilled Watermelon. Retrieved June 18, 2017,
from http://www.health.com/recipes/sriracha-lime-grilled-watermelon?xid=socialflow_twitter_health
Mattheis, C. (2014, June 7). 16 Vegetarian Foods to Grill This Summer. Retrieved June 18, 2017,
from http://time.com/2829606/vegetarian-foods-grill-summer/
Whole Foods. (2017). How to Grill Veggies and Fruits. Retrieved June 19, 2017,
from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/how-grill-veggies-and-fruits
Image Sources:
http://eat.snooth.com/articles/best-grilled-veggies/?viewall=1
http://www.health.com/recipes/sriracha-lime-grilled-watermelon?xid=socialflow_twitter_health