One of the best things about living in a warm climate or otherwise seeing the summer months roll by is grilling outside. The gas grill is a fantastic way to get some old fashioned good food on the grill. Many would-be grill masters know a lot about the standard burger or hot dog, but it’s time to venture off from that and look into the vast food empire you can cook on the grill.
Grilling Main Dishes
One of the first things on our menu is a unique one at that. It’s a combination of grilled asparagus and Ricotta pizza. You wouldn’t think a usual oven food would do well on the grill, but it’s simply delicious. Some of the first steps are to put olive oil on pre-made pizza dough and then place it on the grill. Using ricotta and asparagus is what get’s it the flavor.
Another great food item we often put on the grill is chicken. Layer that barbecue over the meal or find a new unique way to go about it. Grilled lemon pepper chicken kebab is one delicacy that comes to mind on the grill. Adding lemon quarters to the skewers is what sets this apart. The main ingredients for this are of course chicken, lemon, onion, and asparagus. That’s just the base. You can get more creative with adding any variety of vegetables you can think of.
Grilling will soften the vegetables and get the inner flavor to spread to other parts of the dishes. Included in the kebab for example, will be a nice full flavored citrus variety. You can even grill clams and add this into the mix. Seafood is a great underused meal on the grill; shellfish mixed with a proper butter can produce some seriously tasty grilled meals.
Getting the Right Tools
There are a variety of different grills. On one end is the usual charcoal powered grill that can create it’s own flavor all by itself. There is another spectrum of grills that are gas powered. These are some of the best and most efficient for cooking full-length meals with that grill taste. If you’re in the market for a grill, it can be a hard time to decide between all of the different features.
Some gas grills come with a lot of different bells and whistles. For some really looking to get into grilling you’ll want to get a model such as this or just stick to the basics at the start. Luckily there are resources out there that review the best performance gas grill. You’ll be able to grill all year round on one of these. No need to just reserve it for the warm months now!
Grills are powerful cooking tools that can take an ordinary meal and put a unique spin on it. Meats are cooked differently and taste better as well. This goes for all different kinds of food.
Grilled Delicacies
As you can tell, many of your main dishes can be made even differently through thinking outside the usual confines of a grill. There is really no limit to the amount of food you can put on a grill. That goes to show with this Oyster recipe that is grilled with garlic butter and romano. Make some garlic butter or purchase some and slip it onto the grill or wait for the oysters to cook all the way through. Once the inside is hot, it’s time to dig in.
If you’re real quick on your grilling feet then think about making some quesadillas on the grill. Forget the pan and go straight onto the grill. Get a base of pesto and some grilled vegetables and put it all together.
Make it like a normal quesadilla, but one that uses the grill to get a good char and proper mix of vegetables and whatever type of pesto you want.
Side Dishes
If you’re looking for some appetizers or sides to go along with a good dish, the grill has got you covered. Grilling some avocado with a mix of tomatoes and different spices is a delicious side. Cut some avocados in half and take out the seed. Coat it with a mix of oil olive and spices then proceed to grill. This can be done with a multitude of different vegetables for sides.
These main courses and sides are only charring the surface of what’s possible on the grill. Get creative and bring the kitchen outside.
Jeremy Lords is king of the barbecue but also a pretty good cook in the kitchen. He enjoys experimenting, which means his family is often subjected to some ‘interesting’ dishes, but he’s also created a number of family favorites. Read his food posts around the web.
