Nothing goes together like summertime and grilling. Take a break from the hamburgers, brats and hot dogs to focus on meals with fruits, vegetables and lean meats. You can start by trying out these tasty, healthy recipes that your family will love.
Protein
Focus on fish, ground turkey, chicken and other lean meats. A tip with seafood is to wrap it in foil before grilling to help it keep its shape.
Zesty Sweet Chicken Kabobs
In a medium bowl, combine:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Add 1 pound of chicken breasts cut into cubes. Let these marinate for 20 minutes. Soak eight wooden skewers in water. Alternate threading chicken cubes with grapes on each skewer.
Grill for four minutes on each side over medium-high heat.
Servings: 4
Vegetable
There are so many grilling options when it comes to vegetables. Potatoes, corn, mushrooms and asparagus are a few favorites. Before grilling, make sure to lightly coat veggies in oil to avoid sticking.
Summer Squash on the Barbie
Cut four summer squash or zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Cut one medium red onion into eight wedges.
Place the squash and onion onto a baking sheet and coat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill both sides of the squash and onion until they’re tender and grill marks appear. Transfer the veggies to a baking sheet and coat with a marinade of 1/2 cup olive oil, a grated garlic clove and 1/4 cup white wine vinegar.
Let them sit for 15 minutes before serving. Top with feta cheese, thinly sliced banana peppers and crushed red pepper.
Servings: 4
Dessert
Grilling is a great way to bring out the juiciness and sweetness in fruits by caramelizing their sugars. Pineapples, bananas and apples are all fruits that can be cooked directly on the grill. If a fruit isn’t as firm, you can place it in foil and steam it.
Sweet mango with spicy jalapeños
Peel three mangoes and cut them into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Season both sides of the slices with black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper. Drizzle with oil.
Grill the mango slices for 3 minutes on each side. Move the mangoes to a platter and drizzle them with lime juice, thinly sliced jalapeño peppers and fresh cilantro.
For a creamy topping, serve with coconut milk.
Servings: 6 to 8
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