Summer is upon us, and it’s time to enjoy outdoor dining! For holidays, game days, beach days or good ol’ fun, people like barbeque . But plain old burgers and potato salad just don’t cut it for health or hosting. Why not upgrade your grill menu with newer flavors and lighter fare? Here are our top picks for something new and different this grilling season.
Seafood
Pesto shrimp skewers with sliced lemon.
Try lemon pepper marinade for fish fillets, then individually wrap the fillet in foil ‘pouches’ with vegetables – tightly fold in edges to seal in moisture.
Miso ginger glazed salmon fillets.
Meats
Grilled flank steak strips with chimichurri.
Grilled pork tenderloin with lime juice, garlic and chipotle powder to serve thin-sliced for fajitas.
If you must have sausage, cut into chunks and skewer with onion and peppers!
Poultry
Chicken drumsticks brushed with honey mustard.
Serve grilled bone-in, skin on chicken thighs with tangy white (horseradish/mayo) BBQ sauce.
To give turkey burgers a little more flavor, try adding Worcestershire or crushed red pepper flakes to your patties.
Chicken breasts drizzled with balsamic reduction, and sliced zucchini and yellow squash.
Vegetables & Legumes
Be sure to include a bean salad*, baked beans, or Texas caviar side dish.
Soak corn for cooking right on the grill, husks optional. For serving, mix margarine with cumin, paprika or your favorite seasoning.
Upgrade your coleslaw with these combos that dress up shredded cabbage and carrot: mango/cantaloupe; lime/cilantro; red pepper/peanuts with soy ginger dressing.
Fruit & Dessert
Add sliced avocado and grilled pineapple rings to your burger topping line-up.
Upgrade your fruit salad with fresh mint and coconut meat.
Try making your own popsicles with fresh fruit and juice or yogurt.
Additional Tips
- Spray the unheated grill with cooking oil first.
- If you’re going with traditional BBQ sauce, choose one with less than 6 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoons.
- Cut down on sodium by using an herb & spice rub that’s salt-free.
*Tasty Bean, Feta and Dill Salad adapted from Cooking with Wholefoods, Ross Dobson, 2012:
Ingredients
- 3 cups canned broad/fava beans (rinse well, slip off skins & discard)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- handful fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
- handful small fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 oz. feta cheese, roughly crumbled
- ground black pepper
Directions
- Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until just softened. Remove from heat.
- Put the broad/fava beans and herbs in a serving bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice and remaining oil in a small bowl and pour over the salad.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the onion/garlic mixture and feta, stir again, and season well with black pepper before serving.
Serves 4
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