Grilled Pizza is Great!

Love pizza?  Have you tried pizza on the grill?  It’s time you did!

One of the most misunderstood ideas is that grills are just for summer barbecues.  Not so!  You can convert anything you cook in a kitchen to the grill with outstanding results.  Grilled pizza is one food that is delicious when prepared on a barbecue grill. 

Homemade Pizza or Frozen Pizza?

This one is easy.  They are both great.  If you like pizzas with thin crusts there are many to choose from in your local grocer’s frozen food section.  Try a couple to see which one you like best.  However, if you have your own pizza recipe you can use it to create a one of a kind flavor.

Grilling pizza is an art, but one that’s easy to learn.  Here are a few simple tips that will help you get started making wonderful pies your family and friends will love:

A few tips for pizza on the grill:

1. Choose whichever frozen pizza your family likes best – you can adjust for doneness
2. If you are making your own pizza grill recipe, use a baking stone – they cook evenly and work well on any type of outdoor grill.
3. Place a frozen pizza on indirect heat and cook until the top bubbles and looks done.  It generally takes about the same amount of time as it does in an oven, but the first few times, check to be sure it’s not overdone or burnt.
4. A barbecue grill works much like an oven once the lid is closed.  By turning off the gas on one side or moving charcoal to get a nice white color, you can place the pizza directly on the grate with delicious results.  Use the same method if using a baking stone.  If you try cooking over direct heat it will most definitely burn!
5. Add any toppings you like for added flavor
6. You can purchase a pizza paddle to remove the pizza from the grill or a wide spatula and oven mitt works.  Be careful not to burn yourself.  It’s always good to have help.

Pretty soon you’ll have this procedure down and be the envy of all your friends.  Once you’ve tried pizza this way you’ll love it.  The indirect heat cooks the crust to a golden brown and the top is bubbly and gooey.  Good luck!

Main Dishes on the Grill

Love grilling?  There are many simple recipes for one dish meals that can be prepared on a barbecue grill if you do some research.  Do you have an index full of casserole recipes?  Great!  Tweak them a little and you can cook them just like you would in the oven. 

Quick meals are something we are all in need of these days.  With the busy lifestyles we lead dinner ideas need to be affordable and easy to prepare.  A barbecue grill is not only to use in the summer months, but also in the winter if you have space to cook outside.

Easy meal ideas can come from anywhere.  Ground beef recipes are always a popular choice.  Here’s one that is delicious and the whole family is sure to love.

Grilled Stuffed Peppers

6 green peppers, cored and seeded

1 – 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped,

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large can chopped tomatoes or

1 large can spaghetti sauce or

1 large can tomato sauce

Cheese (either shredded or sliced will do) 1 – 1 ½ C uncooked rice

Parboil green peppers until they just begin to wilt and lose shape.  Remove from water and drain.  Heat olive oil in skillet and sauté garlic and onion.  Add hamburger and cook thoroughly.  Drain any excess grease.  Put hamburger in a bowl and mix with 1 – 1 1/2 cup rice and 1/3 of the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce.  Stuff peppers with hamburger mixture.  Place peppers standing up in an 8 inch disposable aluminum pan.  Pour remaining tomatoes, spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce over all.  Place 8 inch pan in larger disposable pan.  Add about 1 inch of water to larger pan.  Wrap with foil and place on grill on indirect heat for about 1 hour.  Use instant rice to make cooking time shorter.  When the peppers are done, top with cheese, return to heat for a few minutes until it melts, and serve!   

Any main dish recipe can be changed to cook well on the grill.  The trick is in adding a little more liquid than normal and using the top rack for slow cooking, if your grill has one.  

Since you already have it on, how about complementing your meal with grilled side dishes?  Grilled vegetables are wonderful; garlic bread, beans, and the like - the ideas are limitless.  Have fun creating your own easy recipes for dinner on the grill.  Invite your friends over – you’ll be the talk of your neighborhood and everyone will want to know how you did it!

Pork on the Grill

Stumped for what to make for weekend guests?  Need some suggestions for dinner for your family?  There are many ways to prepare and grill pork that can save time and money and be a big hit with family and friends.

A grilled pork loin can be used for many recipes.  If you have a rotisserie, the loin can be cooked slowly on a barbecue grill with a few seasonings.  Use it for one meal with the tender meat as a main dish.  For the next meal, how about pulled pork?  Just break up the meat and add barbecue sauce, put in the crock pot and you’re done.  There are many pork loin recipes online that can be made just as easily on a grill with much less fuss.

How about grilling pork chops?  The meat is tender and juicy when cooked over indirect heat.  Be sure it is thoroughly done by using a meat thermometer.  Main dish pork chop recipes can be converted to make on the grill by adding a little more liquid than called for (if it’s a casserole-type).

Another favorite for many people is grilled pork ribs.  Slow cook until tender and add barbecue sauce the last fifteen minutes.  The ribs are juicy and oozing with flavor.

Here are a few tips that can help you when grilling pork:

• Stay away from thin cuts (i.e. pork chops and pork steak), as they tend to dry out faster
• Look for nice pink cuts that are about 1 inch thick for best results
• As stated above, always make sure the pork is thoroughly cooked
• Make more than what you plan for a meal so you can use the meat in another dish later (i.e. stir fry or casseroles)
• Try marinating pork – the flavor is outstanding
• Use poultry seasoning (a little goes a long way) or other things to enhance flavor

Here is a quick and easy marinade for pork loin or pork steaks:

1 1/3 cup cherry wine (or any good red wine)

1/3 c soy sauce

¼ c finely chopped onion

1-2 tsp. parsley, chopped

1-2 tsp. chives, chopped

1 -2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or ¾ t garlic powder)

1/3-cup olive oil

3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar (why not try half sweetener and half sugar?)

Pinch of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients well.  Pour over meat in dish and cover, or use a Ziploc bag.  Marinate for at least four hours or overnight for best flavor.  Transfer to grill and cook until done.

Shish Kabobs Anyone?

What’s better on a balmy summer evening than to grill kabobs?  These favorite recipes on a skewer are easy and fun!  No matter what meat or seafood you prefer (or even just vegetables or fruit combinations) you can make many variations of this yummy dish with a little research and time.

You can make your own barbecue sauce and other marinades for steak recipes, chicken recipes, or anything else you’d like to try.

Check out the food network for many suggestions for kabobs.  The ideas are endless.  All recipes can be converted to cook on a grill with a little tweaking and ingenuity.

Here are some great ideas for kabobs:

1. Chicken chunks, bacon, pineapple, green pepper, onions (marinated in ranch dressing)
2. Shrimp, green pepper, plantain chunks, tomato chunks, mango, onions, mushrooms (marinated in hoisin sauce)
3. Beef chunks, zucchini chunks, onions, red bell pepper  (marinated in garlic sauce)
4. Pork, pineapple, green onion (marinated in ginger sauce)
5. All fruit (marinate in soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and ginger)
6. All vegetables (brush with olive oil and infused lemon juice)

Most ingredients for make-at-home marinades are usually in your cupboard or can be purchased at your local grocer.  The trick is to find one you and your family like.   These combinations are only suggestions, but you can make your own (chunks on a stick) recipes easily. 

Instructions to Make Kabobs:

1. When grilling, skewer the ingredients on a metal or wooden skewer.  
2. Marinate or brush with ingredients before grilling.  
3. Place on indirect heat and cook to desired doneness.  
4. Turn often to get nice grill marks and flavor.  
5. Serve on a bed of rice pilaf, white rice, or with a side dish of your choice. 

Kabobs are a great main dish recipe for the grill.  They are easy to make and since there are endless variations you are sure to find one every single person in your family will like.   Let each person make their own and have bottles of marinade, olive oil, infused lemon juice, and spices available.  Try salad dressings for different taste.   Don’t be afraid to try any vegetable or fruit.  Most lend themselves well to including in shish kabob recipes.  Have fun!

HOW TO GRILL BEEF

There are many opinions on how to grill beef.  Cuts of beef can be very tender and have a delicious flavor.  You may want to purchase a cookbook on how to grill beef.  Such a book will give you tips and recipes for menus and the like, how to prepare less-expensive cuts and how to grill beef like a pro.  Some of the most popular cuts of beef for the grill are:

• Hamburgers (the old standard)
• Steaks (vary in cut and size)
• Tenderloins (often wrapped in bacon)
• Briskets (slow cooked)
• Roasts (varying cuts)
• Kebobs (skewered with fruits and veggies)
• Beef Tips (good prepared in an aluminum disposable pan)
• Beef Ribs

These are only a few choices.  Ask your local butcher how to grill beef and ask him/her to help you select the best cuts that will yield the most flavor.

The key to cooking the juiciest cuts of beef lies in the grill temperature, marinades, and cooking time.  For succulent steaks heat the grill to high.  Sear on one side for three to five minutes (do not turn the meat over repeatedly as it will dry out) and then the other side.  Steak is best enjoyed when it is still pink in the middle.  Overcooking causes a dryer, less tender flavor.

Try soaking chunks of beef in burgundy, skewering with cherry tomatoes, chunks of onion, green or red pepper, pineapple and mushrooms.  Baste with more of the marinade while grilling.

Wrap an inexpensive chuck roast with bacon.  Use toothpicks to secure the bacon.  Put the roast on a rotisserie and grill over low heat for one to three hours, depending on your preference for doneness.  The bacon gives the roast a smoky flavor that penetrates the entire cut of meat and makes it tender.

To make the best hamburgers on the grill follow these simple rules:

• Purchase hamburger or ground chuck –not ground round, as it dries out quickly.  Place meat in a large bowl.  Add chopped onion and green pepper.  Crush salad croutons (we like cheese garlic) add and mix well.  These burgers hold up well, cook to perfection, and are wonderful with your favorite toppings.

Individual taste dictates how to grill beef.  Dream up something new – marinate brisket for twenty-four hours and cook slowly over low heat in an aluminum disposable pan.  It will be the hit of your next outdoor party!

HEALTHY GRILLED CHICKEN RECIPES

Many healthy grilled chicken recipes can be made on the grill.  Old family favorites from your kitchen can be adapted and prepared as healthy grilled chicken recipes.  A few of our favorite healthy grilled chicken recipes include:

• Chicken wings (minus the skin)
• Marinated Chicken
• Chicken Kebobs (skewered with alternate fruit and veggies)
• Rotisserie Chicken
• Beer Can Chicken
• Chicken and Braised Vegetables (in foil or disposable aluminum pan)
• Chicken and Rice (in disposable aluminum pan)
• Grilled Chicken Patties
• Chicken Livers in Wine

The first step to making healthy grilled chicken recipes is to de-skin all chicken before cooking (or buy skinless chicken in your grocery store).  This step omits the fat and a lot of extra calories.  However, once you have de-skinned the chicken remember to keep it moist, as chicken dries out quickly when grilled.

 

Turn grill on high to pre heat.  Turn heat down to medium and place chicken on grill.  A marinade or sauce helps keep the meat moist.  Keep a small spray bottle handy in case the grill flames up so you can extinguish the flames quickly.

You may parboil chicken, if you choose, and finish cooking on the grill.  Foil disposable pans are ideal to use for chicken dishes that include rice or vegetables.  These are best when cooked on the top rack with the grill cover closed on low-medium heat.  Slow cook the dish, just as you would in a crock-pot or in the oven.  

There are many healthy grilled chicken recipes available for you to try.  Don’t be afraid to experiment!

GRILLING VEGGIES

Grilling veggies can be rewarding and fun.  A healthy diet includes vegetables, and grilling veggies is a good way to add flavorful food to your meals.  Grilling veggies include almost any type of vegetable you like.  Most lend themselves well to the grill and are easy to prepare and easy to cook.  A list of popular grilling veggies includes:

• *Mushrooms*
• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Squash (both summer and winter)
• Onions
• **Beets**
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Peppers (all colors)
• Whole tomatoes
• ***Sweet Corn***

Grilling veggies is a simple and easy addition to any meal.  Simply wash or scrub the veggies well and pour a small amount of extra light virgin olive oil over them; toss lightly.  The veggies will cook evenly and yield a flavor that is tantalizing.  We have tried all of our favorite grilling veggies this way and have even found some new favorites.

*Mushrooms are great grilled alone or added to other sliced veggies and steamed in a disposable aluminum pan on the top rack of the grill while other things are being cooked on the bottom rack.  For best flavor grill them whole or sliced in half.

**Beets are so good on the grill!  Buy medium-sized beets, wash thoroughly, toss in a small amount of extra virgin light olive oil and grill approximately thirty minutes or so.  Peel and eat.  Yes, that’s right – you cook them whole in their skin.  Try it – I guarantee you’ll love it!

***Corn is best left in the husk and soaked in cold water for 2-6 hours.  Lay soaked corn on the grill (still in the husk) and cook approximately twenty to thirty minutes on each side on medium to low heat.  Top rack cooking is ideal for corn.  This corn is the best I’ve ever had – succulent and sweet; it’s a real treat on a balmy summer evening!