Creative grilling for the BBQ season

Hot dogs, burgers and steaks, oh my! If you haven’t already, the weather is right for you to roll out the barbeque for the season.

The grill is no doubt a great way to cook - but can also a great way to spend time outside with your family, friends and the community. Nothing brings people together like food, and BBQ is the epitome of social cooking. It centres around what’s on the grill, but is complemented by the side dishes brought over by your guests.

Being the grillmaster, you want to impress! This season, try something new to spice up your barbecue nights.

1. Grilled pineapple rings - if you add pineapple to the grill and lightly sear it on both sides it adds a slight crisp to the outside while maintaining the juicy inside. This works well as a snack, an accompaniment for steak or chicken and especially well as a topping for a burger or veggie burger. It adds a layer of sweet flavour to complement the barbecue’s well-charred patties. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, add a fried egg to your pineapple burger, too.

2. Tofu and vegetable skewers - Tofu isn’t just for vegetarians. (However, this is a great vegetarian option.) The best thing about the protein is that it absorbs the flavour of whatever it’s cooked with. Either marinate the tofu before grilling, or add a layer of sauce. It will absorb the flavour along with the vegetable juices and taste delicious. Sriracha is a good option for a spicy snack.

3. Portobello mushrooms - this is another thing that can either be marinated or just thrown on the grill. It can also be used as a replacement for a burger patty OR in addition. The large mushroom is rich with flavour and when grilled becomes very juicy. A garlic butter spread would make this mushroom burger melt in your mouth.

4. Pizza on the grill- This is something that’s especially fun for families. Let the kids put the sauce, cheese and toppings on the pizza and then throw it on the barbecue. Cooking pizzas with thin crust like this will sear the bottom without making the dough too crispy. Doing this on the barbecue is an easy and fun way to have a gourmet-style pizza at home.

5. Meatballs - Make them big, or put them on a skewer - either way these things taste great coming off a grill. The smokey taste that’s added to the juicy meatball adds a distinct flavour which will balance great with a spaghetti and sauce - or solo with a barbecue sauce-based gravy. Make sure not to grill these directly above a flame - they could burn fast.


Photo credit: slgckcg 
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Hopefully you’re looking forward to trying some of these out.
Share some of your favourite barbecue recipes in the comments!