|
 Now
that summer is in full swing, I’m sure you have already
brushed off the grill, dug out your tongs and stocked up on
either propane or coals. If your family is anything like mine,
once summer hits, the oven and stove-top are rarely used since
most of our cooking is done outdoors on the grill or barbecue.
Grilling is a terrific way to cook all kinds
of foods, not just meats. So much more can be done on a grill
than just grilled steaks or burgers (now don’t get me
wrong — there is nothing better than a grilled steak),
but don’t allow yourself to get caught in a rut. Get
creative this summer by exploring grilled vegetables, grilled
shellfish and even grilled fruit. Grilling is a wonderful
way to add great flavors to your food while still keeping
your food low-fat and healthy.
Over the years we have discovered a couple
favorite tips that have improved our grilling and barbecuing
results:
Tip #1: Oil your food not your grill.
For many years, we have advised to oil the
grill rack to prevent the food from sticking. What we’ve
found to work better is to coat the food itself lightly with
oil (we usually use olive oil) prior to grilling. If the food
has a light coating of oil, it will release from the grill
rack with ease.
 Tip
#2: Make sure your grill is hot before you start grilling.
Always preheat the grill (with the cover
down) before placing your food on the grill rack. If the grill
is not hot, you will have difficulty searing in the juices
of the food and getting the optimal "grill" flavor.
Tip #3: Always let your meats rest
after grilling.
When cooking meat and poultry, always let
it rest for 5 minutes or so after grilling. After removing
the meat from the grill, place it on a platter and tent loosely
with foil. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.
This will let the muscle fibers
relax and the end result will be more tender
and juicy.
Tip #4: If using a charcoal grill,
invest in a chimney.
If you are a fan of charcoal grills (we
love them — they add wonderful flavor!), we suggest investing
in a chimney. You can purchase a chimney at most large hardware
stores. Chimney’s are shaped like a large coffee can
with a handle. Inside there is a wire rack about a third way
down. The way it works is you stuff newspaper up and under
the bottom side of the chimney and fill the top with coals.
Light the paper on the bottom and the fire will quickly heat
up the coals — no more need for lighter fluid! When ready,
pour the coals into the barbecue, let heat up briefly and
begin grilling.
This month at Glutenfreeda.com we have an
immense assortment of grilled recipes. For starters try Grilled
Shrimp with Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce or Grilled
Chicken & Mushroom Quesadillas. Fish has never been
better than Tuna
Kebabs, Grilled
Salmon w/Citrus & Fresh Herbs or Grilled
Fish with Roasted Red Pepper Salsa. Nothing goes better
with grilling than pork. Try our Apple
Pork Kebabs, Barbecued
Pork Chops or Korean
Pork Kebabs. And for beef; Grilled
Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Feta or Burgers
with Grilled Pineapple. And don’t forget dessert!
You can’t miss with our amazing Grilled
Fruit Kebabs.
July is the time to grill and barbecue,
so strap on that apron, fire up those coals and let’s
get grilling!
- Glutenfreeda
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