I really enjoy cooking, especially when I can do it outdoors. Summer temperatures can reach triple digits in our area, and we do not have central air conditioning. We *have* a deluxe grill, complete with side burners, refrigerator, and an infrared option. The only two things it doesn’t have are a sink and a grill. The latter will be resolved soon, I hope.
This means I can now try a lot of new recipes without wasting a couple of gallons of liquid, and I’d like to share some of the things we’ve played with. (As you might guess, this is a relatively new acquisition…)
One of the most common meats on our grill is boneless/skinless chicken breast. I have to admit we’ve eaten so much of this bird that we both feel like we’re going to start clucking. However, it inspires creativity when looking for a change of flavor.
One method we like is the use of a smoke box. These are fairly inexpensive, usually around ten dollars. Put wood chips in it and place it under the grill plates of any gas or charcoal grill. The box heats up, the fries begin to smoke, and the flavor is added to your food. It’s a strong flavor, so be careful with the sauces you choose, as lighter ones can clog.
Rex Stout’s description of Nero Wolfe’s love of corn is wonderful. Grilled corn is a delicious and quite healthy side dish. You can cook it both in the shells and take them out. I prefer to remove them since the silks respond better to a vegetable brush when they are still raw. Then re-wrap in silk-free shells if desired.
With a lot of research, mostly done by our daughter, I might add, we’ve found that burgers don’t have to go away from our lives. We just have to choose it very carefully. Look for the American Heart Association label when shopping for beef. This means that it has seven or less percent fat instead of the fifteen or twenty-five percent of other burgers.
When making a healthier burger, pay attention to the details, as they can make a big difference in calories and nutrition. Fat-free or mustard mayonnaise is better than the real thing when it comes to condiments. Lettuce, tomato, and onion give you a helping of veggies, and a whole-grain bagel is much better for you than renditions of refined flour.
Grilled portobello mushrooms are another option for a protein between muffin halves. Clean the black spores before grilling and brush with a little extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking. You can load it up the same way as a burger or enjoy it as a side dish.
Onions and bell peppers…both varieties…taste great on the grill too. You may want to use a special cage or grill for the onions, as they may try to separate into rings during the cooking process.
If you’re tired of chicken and don’t feel like beef, consider grilling a pork loin chop. Like lean beef, it can be lower than boneless/skinless chicken breast in both fat and cholesterol. You can smoke it or use various marinades. I like to bring them first; put them in a plastic bag with salt, water or other liquids and various seasonings. This helps make the result tender and infuses the seasonings throughout the meat.
Salmon is the last one I will talk about in this article. We like it both smoked and grilled without a smoker. The latter is made after marinating the fish in olive oil and garlic. It’s very good both ways.
No matter what type of grill you have, we spent many years using a 1970-era Weber grill and it brought back many memories. What matters are those memories and the healthy meals you can prepare outdoors.
