Fire up the barbecue and break out the beers because this sizzling heat can only mean one thing…HELLO SUMMER! In addition to bikinis and beaches, the arrival of this season necessitates some serious grill lovin. With a new summer comes new changes, so why not put your grill to the test and prepare an eclectic array of innovative, non-traditional summer grilling recipes. I promise this is one test you won’t have to worry about failing, as it will surely yield A+ results. With that being said, what are you waiting for…get grilling pronto!
Although grilling fruit may seem unconventional, it provides the perfect twist to a standard lineup of dinner party desserts (or any dessert for that matter). In fact, grilling works wonders on fruit, caramelizing the sweet flesh and transforming it into a succulent, irresistible juice that serves as the ultimate accompaniment to frozen yogurt, ice cream, or a dollop of mascarpone. On an equally delicious note, let your ambition get the best of you and opt to grill slices of pound cake (with the aim of imprinting subtle, golden grill marks) and serve alongside grilled fruit, frozen yogurt, etc. These fruits hold up best to the grill: plums, peaches, pineapples, and nectarines
Move aside hotdogs and hamburgers—veggies are the new shining star of the grill. Vamp up your daily dose of greens by throwing them on the grill to form a nice char and finish them off with a generous drizzle of grilled walnut dressing. To prepare this robust dressing, simply wrap walnuts in foil before placing them over barbecue coals/grill grate. This dressing would be divine served atop grilled zucchini, squash, peppers, asparagus, and Portobello mushroom caps. Another must-try combo involves grilling avocados and tomatoes in order to make grilled guacamole—sounds like a life changer to me; pretty sure once guacamole is made this way there’s no turning back.
Now to the best (and most important) part…desserts! If it were up to me, I could easily compile an endless list of grilled desserts. However, to spare you the torment, I will simply inform you of my top picks, which include grilled nutella s’mores, chocolate-peanut butter Panini on grilled Challah, and grilled banana boats. Not to toot my own horn, but I’d like to believe I have a calling for desserts and if you haven’t yet caught on, I am a self-diagnosed chocolate addict (and proud of it!)
For those of you still in finals mode, summon up mental images of these creations upon encountering your next writer’s block/study meltdown; I guarantee such tasty treats will help you power through the homestretch. As for those of you joyously entering summer bliss, there is no excuse for failing to recreate these recipes, as they will score stellar results. Happy summer everyone!