Think of decent weather, summertime, and out of doors activities, and you'll soon be thinking of planning a picnic. There isn't anything like sharing food in outside to give you masses of reasons to smile.
Firing up the grill for a picnic usually brings on thoughts of burgers, hot dogs, and barbecued chicken. That Is all dandy and actually delectable, but rather than the common old bbq recipes wouldn't you like your grilled food to stand out a little from the rest? Maybe there are paths to present old faves on the grill in new ways,or even try something completely different. Here are a few thoughts about new ways to grill up some summertime dishes:
Sauce Ideas
One well-liked ingredient in many grilled main dishes is barbeque sauces and other kinds of glazes and marinades. There are many hundreds or possibly thousands of recipes to add more flavor to whatever you're cooking. If you have been barbecuing for years, you have probably made your own sauces or have found one or two favourites. But , maybe it is time to rethink those sauces.
Start by experimenting with a whole range of ingredients. Don't restrict yourself to the ingredients you've been using. We all know you immediately pull out the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey, but what else is there to make a sauce for the griddle?
Have a look first in the fruit bin. Consider the lemons, limes, oranges, apples, and yes, even the watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis. Now, pull open the vegetable bin and grab the fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, celery, onion, and even avocados. Turn to your cupboard and take out the apple jelly, orange jam, maple syrup, raisins, dried cranberries, red wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, and all of the dressings, including Ranch, French, Thousand Island, and Green Goddess. And, remember the spice rack. There's fundamentally nothing off boundaries "grab it all.
Don't be afraid to grate, smash, or simmer ingredients together that you may never have utilized in the same sauce before. Blend contrasting tastes "savory with sweet, sour with smooth, creamy with crunchy "till you have got a unique sauce that you can call your own.
Now, marinade, glaze, or brush the sauce onto whatever you are grilling. Try a fruity white sauce on lamb; a tomato-based hot sauce on fish; or a savory herbed sauce on fruit. Put it on the griddle and see what turns out. You may have totally new dishes that will liven up and surprise the taste buds. And, isn't that what griddling is all about?
Main Dish Ideas
If you are used to throwing a steak on the grill, but need to play around with other cuts, try grilling full roasts. With the right preparation and setup, you can put a large meat roast or pork roast on the grill, either in a rack or on a rotisserie and surprise your folks and guests with a tender and mouth-watering roast that did not come out of the oven.
Rather than your common cut up chicken pieces, wings, or legs, try grilling an entire chicken. The juices stay in better when the chicken is entire. Undecided if you have the time for a complete chicken? You can also "butterfly" a chicken by cutting out just the spine and pushing it down flat, keeping the chicken full but providing a flattened version that cooks up in almost no time. Or try these grilled chicken cutlets in a lemon rosemary sauce.
Fish is another barbecuing fave at picnics. Use fish that's firm and solid so it griddles well and doesn't fall apart or become dry. Oily fish like salmon is perfect on the griddle, but there are many other kinds of fish that work equally well. Fish griddles best when you don't have to flip it with a spatula, that's why you would like to invest in a barbecuing basket which encloses the fish and you flip the basket instead of the fish itself.
Other seafood that is perfect picnic food for the griddle is shrimp, scallops, and lobster. Shrimp can be grilled unpeeled to help keep them from overcooking. Lobster can be grilled in the shell, as well. Use a tray made for the grill with smaller slots to keep smaller seafood, like shrimp and scallops, from falling through. Marinade the seafood in a variety of flavors for a different flavor each time you have a grilling picnic.
You are saying your taste for a delicious grilled burger is too powerful to pay no attention to? You've still got a lot of selections for variety at your picnic. You can dress up your burgers inside-and-out with numerous different tastes. Remember; beef isn't the sole burger in the town! Ground turkey, pork, or. Chicken are very good substitutes for those who wish to have a different sort of burger at this year's picnic. But , don't stop there. Salmon and crab beef make great griddled patties, too.
Besides what goes into the particular pattie, think beyond typical recipes and marinate your ground meat or fish with anything from red wine to a mix of Worcestershire, soy sauce, or steak sauce, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar. Add to the interior of the burger, or as seasonings, a selection of flavorsome cheeses, hot or mild peppers, nuts, and salsa. Rather than throwing a raw onion on top, caramelize some onions in an iron pan on top of the grill over low heat. The awesome sweetness will amaze and delight you and your guests. These are now not your grandpa's burgers!
Infrequently, you want to rethink the way you prep your main dishes at a barbecuing picnic to make serving easy. Think shish-kabobs and you barely even need to bring plates! These bite-size pieces are a good way to cook, serve, and eat your fave foods easily at a barbecuing picnic. Alternate cut up beef, meat balls, birds, or seafood with grape tomatoes, chunks of sweet onions, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, or mushrooms. Some foods lend themselves very well to a tropical taste, too. Include pineapple bites or citrus with chicken or seafood for a little taste of the islands.
Other Dessert Ideas
Sure, you can serve popsicles and watermelon, but the grill is right there, all fired up. Isn't there something that you can do to put it to work making pleasant desserts? You can start with the old stand-by and toast marshmallows, but do not stop there. Keep going and put together 'S'mores ' using the classic ingredients of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers, and a chocolate bar. Or, you can create unique kinds using toasted marshmallows with stuff like oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, and flaked coconut as feasible ingredients. You may have heaps of fun coming up with your own distinct creations here.
Expanding on the pudding theme is easier than you could think with a griddle. As an example, go ahead and cut up that watermelon you brought... But wait.
How about grilling it before serving? Yes, you can griddle water melon, too. Cut it off the rind, into about one inch thick pieces. Grill quickly on both sides till grill marks show. Put it on a plate and drizzle a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette over each piece. The saltiness of the vinaigrette compliments the sweetness of the watermelon in a unimaginable way. Now That is a grilled picnic pleasure!
Select pudding classics that can be grilled, like pound cake with fruit compote or easy berries tossed together in a grilling basket till just gently burned. You can make banana boats in foil full of mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, or maybe your tastes lean toward griddled apple slices topped with a syrup of brown sugar and raisins. Griddled pineapple rings is another classic.
Serve these simply on a plate as they are or use them to top pieces of angel food cake or pound cake with a drizzle of chocolate. As you can see, you can grill almost anything you want to serve at your picnic. Even if you opt to serve sandwiches, why not griddle them?
When you fire up your grill for your picnic, don't limit the menu to hotdogs and burgers. Use your imagination. If you can cook it, you can grill it!
Firing up the grill for a picnic usually brings on thoughts of burgers, hot dogs, and barbecued chicken. That Is all dandy and actually delectable, but rather than the common old bbq recipes wouldn't you like your grilled food to stand out a little from the rest? Maybe there are paths to present old faves on the grill in new ways,or even try something completely different. Here are a few thoughts about new ways to grill up some summertime dishes:
Sauce Ideas
One well-liked ingredient in many grilled main dishes is barbeque sauces and other kinds of glazes and marinades. There are many hundreds or possibly thousands of recipes to add more flavor to whatever you're cooking. If you have been barbecuing for years, you have probably made your own sauces or have found one or two favourites. But , maybe it is time to rethink those sauces.
Start by experimenting with a whole range of ingredients. Don't restrict yourself to the ingredients you've been using. We all know you immediately pull out the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey, but what else is there to make a sauce for the griddle?
Have a look first in the fruit bin. Consider the lemons, limes, oranges, apples, and yes, even the watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis. Now, pull open the vegetable bin and grab the fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, celery, onion, and even avocados. Turn to your cupboard and take out the apple jelly, orange jam, maple syrup, raisins, dried cranberries, red wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, and all of the dressings, including Ranch, French, Thousand Island, and Green Goddess. And, remember the spice rack. There's fundamentally nothing off boundaries "grab it all.
Don't be afraid to grate, smash, or simmer ingredients together that you may never have utilized in the same sauce before. Blend contrasting tastes "savory with sweet, sour with smooth, creamy with crunchy "till you have got a unique sauce that you can call your own.
Now, marinade, glaze, or brush the sauce onto whatever you are grilling. Try a fruity white sauce on lamb; a tomato-based hot sauce on fish; or a savory herbed sauce on fruit. Put it on the griddle and see what turns out. You may have totally new dishes that will liven up and surprise the taste buds. And, isn't that what griddling is all about?
Main Dish Ideas
If you are used to throwing a steak on the grill, but need to play around with other cuts, try grilling full roasts. With the right preparation and setup, you can put a large meat roast or pork roast on the grill, either in a rack or on a rotisserie and surprise your folks and guests with a tender and mouth-watering roast that did not come out of the oven.
Rather than your common cut up chicken pieces, wings, or legs, try grilling an entire chicken. The juices stay in better when the chicken is entire. Undecided if you have the time for a complete chicken? You can also "butterfly" a chicken by cutting out just the spine and pushing it down flat, keeping the chicken full but providing a flattened version that cooks up in almost no time. Or try these grilled chicken cutlets in a lemon rosemary sauce.
Fish is another barbecuing fave at picnics. Use fish that's firm and solid so it griddles well and doesn't fall apart or become dry. Oily fish like salmon is perfect on the griddle, but there are many other kinds of fish that work equally well. Fish griddles best when you don't have to flip it with a spatula, that's why you would like to invest in a barbecuing basket which encloses the fish and you flip the basket instead of the fish itself.
Other seafood that is perfect picnic food for the griddle is shrimp, scallops, and lobster. Shrimp can be grilled unpeeled to help keep them from overcooking. Lobster can be grilled in the shell, as well. Use a tray made for the grill with smaller slots to keep smaller seafood, like shrimp and scallops, from falling through. Marinade the seafood in a variety of flavors for a different flavor each time you have a grilling picnic.
You are saying your taste for a delicious grilled burger is too powerful to pay no attention to? You've still got a lot of selections for variety at your picnic. You can dress up your burgers inside-and-out with numerous different tastes. Remember; beef isn't the sole burger in the town! Ground turkey, pork, or. Chicken are very good substitutes for those who wish to have a different sort of burger at this year's picnic. But , don't stop there. Salmon and crab beef make great griddled patties, too.
Besides what goes into the particular pattie, think beyond typical recipes and marinate your ground meat or fish with anything from red wine to a mix of Worcestershire, soy sauce, or steak sauce, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar. Add to the interior of the burger, or as seasonings, a selection of flavorsome cheeses, hot or mild peppers, nuts, and salsa. Rather than throwing a raw onion on top, caramelize some onions in an iron pan on top of the grill over low heat. The awesome sweetness will amaze and delight you and your guests. These are now not your grandpa's burgers!
Infrequently, you want to rethink the way you prep your main dishes at a barbecuing picnic to make serving easy. Think shish-kabobs and you barely even need to bring plates! These bite-size pieces are a good way to cook, serve, and eat your fave foods easily at a barbecuing picnic. Alternate cut up beef, meat balls, birds, or seafood with grape tomatoes, chunks of sweet onions, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, or mushrooms. Some foods lend themselves very well to a tropical taste, too. Include pineapple bites or citrus with chicken or seafood for a little taste of the islands.
Other Dessert Ideas
Sure, you can serve popsicles and watermelon, but the grill is right there, all fired up. Isn't there something that you can do to put it to work making pleasant desserts? You can start with the old stand-by and toast marshmallows, but do not stop there. Keep going and put together 'S'mores ' using the classic ingredients of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers, and a chocolate bar. Or, you can create unique kinds using toasted marshmallows with stuff like oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, and flaked coconut as feasible ingredients. You may have heaps of fun coming up with your own distinct creations here.
Expanding on the pudding theme is easier than you could think with a griddle. As an example, go ahead and cut up that watermelon you brought... But wait.
How about grilling it before serving? Yes, you can griddle water melon, too. Cut it off the rind, into about one inch thick pieces. Grill quickly on both sides till grill marks show. Put it on a plate and drizzle a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette over each piece. The saltiness of the vinaigrette compliments the sweetness of the watermelon in a unimaginable way. Now That is a grilled picnic pleasure!
Select pudding classics that can be grilled, like pound cake with fruit compote or easy berries tossed together in a grilling basket till just gently burned. You can make banana boats in foil full of mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, or maybe your tastes lean toward griddled apple slices topped with a syrup of brown sugar and raisins. Griddled pineapple rings is another classic.
Serve these simply on a plate as they are or use them to top pieces of angel food cake or pound cake with a drizzle of chocolate. As you can see, you can grill almost anything you want to serve at your picnic. Even if you opt to serve sandwiches, why not griddle them?
When you fire up your grill for your picnic, don't limit the menu to hotdogs and burgers. Use your imagination. If you can cook it, you can grill it!
About the Author:
Glenda Bule is a zealous collector of bbq recipes and is a contributor to the Easy Recipes For Dinner internet site.
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