Think about pleasant weather, summer, and outside activities, and you will soon be thinking about organizing a picnic. There's nothing like sharing food in outdoors to offer you plenty of reasons to grin.
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 preferred ingredient in several grilled main dishes is barbeque sauces and other sorts of glazes and marinades. There are hundreds or perhaps thousands of recipes to add more flavour to whatever you are cooking. If you've been griddling for a number of years, you've potentially made your own sauces or have found a few favorites. However perhaps it's time to rethink those sauces.
Begin by playing with an entire range of ingredients. Don't limit yourself to the ingredients you have been using. We know you automatically pull out the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey, but what else is there to make a sauce for the grill?
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, do not forget the spice rack. There's basically nothing off boundaries "grab it all.
Don't be scared to grate, smash, or cook ingredients together that you could never have employed in the same sauce before. Mix contrasting flavours "tasty with sweet, tangy with smooth, creamy with crunchy "until you have a unique sauce you can call your own.
Now, marinade, glaze, or brush the sauce onto whatever you are barbecuing. Try a fruity white sauce on beef; a tomato-based hot sauce on fish; or a tasty herbed sauce on fruit. Put it on the griddle and see what happens. You could have completely new dishes that may liven up and surprise the taste buds. And, isn't that what grilling is all about?
Main Dish Ideas
If you're used to throwing a steak on the griddle, but wish to try experimenting with other cuts, try griddling full roasts. With the right preparation and set-up, you can put a big beef roast or pork roast on the griddle, either in a rack or on a rotisserie and surprise your family and guests with a tender and tempting roast that didn't come out of the stove.
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 grilling favorite at picnics. Use fish that's firm and solid so it griddles well and doesn't break up or become dry. Oily fish like salmon is perfect on the griddle, but there are numerous other sorts of fish that work equally well. Fish griddles best when you don't have to flip it with a spatula, that's the reason why you need to invest in a grilling 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 actual pattie, think beyond traditional recipes and marinate your ground beef or fish with anything from red wine to a mixture of Worcestershire, soy sauce, or steak sauce, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar. Add to the inside of the burger, or as condiments, a variety of tasty cheeses, hot or mild peppers, nuts, and salsa. Instead of throwing a raw onion on top, caramelize some onions in a solid iron skillet on top of the griddle over low heat. The amazing sweetness will surprise and thrill you and your visitors. These are 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 griddle is right there, all fired up. Isn't there something you can do to put it to work creating delightful puddings? You can commence with the old stand-by and toast marshmallows, but don't 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 variations using toasted marshmallows with things like oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, and flaked coconut as possible ingredients. You'll have lots 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 griddling it before serving? Yes, you can griddle water melon, too. Cut it off the rind, into about one inch thick pieces. Grill quickly on each side till grill marks show. Put it on a plate and drizzle a bit of balsamic vinaigrette over each piece. The saltiness of the vinaigrette compliments the sweetness of the watermelon in an impossible to believe way. Now That could be a grilled picnic pleasure!
Choose dessert classics that may be griddled, like pound cake with fruit compote or straightforward berries tossed together in a griddling basket until just lightly charred. You can make banana boats in foil filled with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, or perhaps your preferences lean toward grilled apple slices crowned with a syrup of brown sugar and raisins. Grilled pineapple rings is another classic.
Serve these simply on a plate as they are or use them to top slices of angel food cake or pound cake with a drip of chocolate. As you can see, you can bbq just about anything you would like to serve at your picnic. Even though you choose to serve sandwiches, why not grill 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 preferred ingredient in several grilled main dishes is barbeque sauces and other sorts of glazes and marinades. There are hundreds or perhaps thousands of recipes to add more flavour to whatever you are cooking. If you've been griddling for a number of years, you've potentially made your own sauces or have found a few favorites. However perhaps it's time to rethink those sauces.
Begin by playing with an entire range of ingredients. Don't limit yourself to the ingredients you have been using. We know you automatically pull out the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey, but what else is there to make a sauce for the grill?
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, do not forget the spice rack. There's basically nothing off boundaries "grab it all.
Don't be scared to grate, smash, or cook ingredients together that you could never have employed in the same sauce before. Mix contrasting flavours "tasty with sweet, tangy with smooth, creamy with crunchy "until you have a unique sauce you can call your own.
Now, marinade, glaze, or brush the sauce onto whatever you are barbecuing. Try a fruity white sauce on beef; a tomato-based hot sauce on fish; or a tasty herbed sauce on fruit. Put it on the griddle and see what happens. You could have completely new dishes that may liven up and surprise the taste buds. And, isn't that what grilling is all about?
Main Dish Ideas
If you're used to throwing a steak on the griddle, but wish to try experimenting with other cuts, try griddling full roasts. With the right preparation and set-up, you can put a big beef roast or pork roast on the griddle, either in a rack or on a rotisserie and surprise your family and guests with a tender and tempting roast that didn't come out of the stove.
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 grilling favorite at picnics. Use fish that's firm and solid so it griddles well and doesn't break up or become dry. Oily fish like salmon is perfect on the griddle, but there are numerous other sorts of fish that work equally well. Fish griddles best when you don't have to flip it with a spatula, that's the reason why you need to invest in a grilling 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 actual pattie, think beyond traditional recipes and marinate your ground beef or fish with anything from red wine to a mixture of Worcestershire, soy sauce, or steak sauce, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar. Add to the inside of the burger, or as condiments, a variety of tasty cheeses, hot or mild peppers, nuts, and salsa. Instead of throwing a raw onion on top, caramelize some onions in a solid iron skillet on top of the griddle over low heat. The amazing sweetness will surprise and thrill you and your visitors. These are 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 griddle is right there, all fired up. Isn't there something you can do to put it to work creating delightful puddings? You can commence with the old stand-by and toast marshmallows, but don't 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 variations using toasted marshmallows with things like oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, and flaked coconut as possible ingredients. You'll have lots 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 griddling it before serving? Yes, you can griddle water melon, too. Cut it off the rind, into about one inch thick pieces. Grill quickly on each side till grill marks show. Put it on a plate and drizzle a bit of balsamic vinaigrette over each piece. The saltiness of the vinaigrette compliments the sweetness of the watermelon in an impossible to believe way. Now That could be a grilled picnic pleasure!
Choose dessert classics that may be griddled, like pound cake with fruit compote or straightforward berries tossed together in a griddling basket until just lightly charred. You can make banana boats in foil filled with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, or perhaps your preferences lean toward grilled apple slices crowned with a syrup of brown sugar and raisins. Grilled pineapple rings is another classic.
Serve these simply on a plate as they are or use them to top slices of angel food cake or pound cake with a drip of chocolate. As you can see, you can bbq just about anything you would like to serve at your picnic. Even though you choose to serve sandwiches, why not grill 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 an avid collector of bbq recipes and is a contributor to the Easy Recipes For Dinner web site.
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