Think of warm weather, summertime, and outdoor activities, and you'll soon be thinking of arranging a picnic. There's nothing like sharing food in the great outdoors to give you lots of reasons to smile.
Setting fire to the griddle for a picnic generally brings on thoughts of hamburgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken. That's all dandy and certainly toothsome, but, rather than the usual old barbecue recipes do you want your grilled food to stand out a little from the rest? Perhaps there are ways to present well-known favorites on the griddle in new ways,or even try something totally different. Here are one or two thoughts about new methods to griddle up some summer dishes:
Sauce Ideas
One popular ingredient in numerous grilled main dishes is barbeque sauces and other types of glazes and marinades. There are countless hundreds if not thousands of recipes to add more flavor to whatever you're cooking. If you have been grilling for many years, you have likely made your own sauces or have found 1 or 2 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?
Take a look 1st in the fruit bin. Consider the lemons, limes, oranges, apples, and yes, even the water melon, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis. Now, pull open the plant bin and grab the fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, celery, onion, and even avocados. Turn to your pantry and take out the apple jelly, orange marmalade, maple syrup, raisins, dried cranberries, red wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, and all the dressings, including Ranch, French, Thousand Island, and Green Goddess. And, don't forget the spice rack. There is essentially nothing off limits "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 are used to throwing a steak on the grill, but want to experiment with other cuts, try barbecuing full roasts. With the right preparation and set up, you can put a giant 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 juicy roast that did not come out of the cooker.
Instead of your usual cut up chicken pieces, wings, or legs, try barbecuing a complete chicken. The juices stay in slightly better when the chicken is whole. Unsure you have time for a whole chicken? You can "butterfly" a chicken by eliminating just the backbone and pushing it down flat, keeping the chicken entire but providing a flattened version that cooks up in no time. Or try these grilled chicken cutlets in a lemon rosemary sauce.
Fish is another griddling favourite at picnics. Use fish that is firm and solid so it grills well and does not fall to pieces or become dry. Oily fish like salmon is ideal on the grill, but there are several other types of fish that work just as well. Fish grills best when you do not have to flip it with a spatula, that is the reason why you want to invest in a griddling basket which encloses the fish and you flip the basket rather than 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 say your taste for a tempting grilled burger is too dynamic to ignore? You Have still got lots of decisions for variety at your picnic. You can dress up your burgers inside-and-out with lots of different flavors. Remember; meat isn't the only burger in town! Ground turkey, pork, or. Chicken are good substitutes for people that want a different kind of burger at the years picnic. However never stop there. Salmon and crab meat make great grilled 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 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 begin 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 varieties using toasted marshmallows with stuff like oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, and flaked coconut as practical ingredients. You'll have tons of fun coming up with your own distinct creations here.
Expanding on the pudding theme is simpler than you might think with a griddle. For example, go on 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 simple berries tossed together in a barbecuing basket until just lightly charred. You can make banana boats in foil stuffed 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 bits of angel food cake or pound cake with a drizzle of chocolate. As you can see, you can cook on a grill pretty much anything you wish to serve at your picnic. Whether or not you decide to serve sandwiches, why not griddle them?
When you fire up your grill for your picnic, don't limit the menu to hotdogs and hamburgers. Use your mind. If you can cook it, you can grill it!
Setting fire to the griddle for a picnic generally brings on thoughts of hamburgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken. That's all dandy and certainly toothsome, but, rather than the usual old barbecue recipes do you want your grilled food to stand out a little from the rest? Perhaps there are ways to present well-known favorites on the griddle in new ways,or even try something totally different. Here are one or two thoughts about new methods to griddle up some summer dishes:
Sauce Ideas
One popular ingredient in numerous grilled main dishes is barbeque sauces and other types of glazes and marinades. There are countless hundreds if not thousands of recipes to add more flavor to whatever you're cooking. If you have been grilling for many years, you have likely made your own sauces or have found 1 or 2 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?
Take a look 1st in the fruit bin. Consider the lemons, limes, oranges, apples, and yes, even the water melon, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis. Now, pull open the plant bin and grab the fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, celery, onion, and even avocados. Turn to your pantry and take out the apple jelly, orange marmalade, maple syrup, raisins, dried cranberries, red wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, and all the dressings, including Ranch, French, Thousand Island, and Green Goddess. And, don't forget the spice rack. There is essentially nothing off limits "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 are used to throwing a steak on the grill, but want to experiment with other cuts, try barbecuing full roasts. With the right preparation and set up, you can put a giant 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 juicy roast that did not come out of the cooker.
Instead of your usual cut up chicken pieces, wings, or legs, try barbecuing a complete chicken. The juices stay in slightly better when the chicken is whole. Unsure you have time for a whole chicken? You can "butterfly" a chicken by eliminating just the backbone and pushing it down flat, keeping the chicken entire but providing a flattened version that cooks up in no time. Or try these grilled chicken cutlets in a lemon rosemary sauce.
Fish is another griddling favourite at picnics. Use fish that is firm and solid so it grills well and does not fall to pieces or become dry. Oily fish like salmon is ideal on the grill, but there are several other types of fish that work just as well. Fish grills best when you do not have to flip it with a spatula, that is the reason why you want to invest in a griddling basket which encloses the fish and you flip the basket rather than 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 say your taste for a tempting grilled burger is too dynamic to ignore? You Have still got lots of decisions for variety at your picnic. You can dress up your burgers inside-and-out with lots of different flavors. Remember; meat isn't the only burger in town! Ground turkey, pork, or. Chicken are good substitutes for people that want a different kind of burger at the years picnic. However never stop there. Salmon and crab meat make great grilled 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 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 begin 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 varieties using toasted marshmallows with stuff like oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, and flaked coconut as practical ingredients. You'll have tons of fun coming up with your own distinct creations here.
Expanding on the pudding theme is simpler than you might think with a griddle. For example, go on 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 simple berries tossed together in a barbecuing basket until just lightly charred. You can make banana boats in foil stuffed 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 bits of angel food cake or pound cake with a drizzle of chocolate. As you can see, you can cook on a grill pretty much anything you wish to serve at your picnic. Whether or not you decide to serve sandwiches, why not griddle them?
When you fire up your grill for your picnic, don't limit the menu to hotdogs and hamburgers. Use your mind. If you can cook it, you can grill it!
About the Author:
Glenda Bule is an ardent collector of bbq recipes and is a contributor to the Easy Recipes For Dinner website.
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