Grilling 101

We are in the midst of the Arizona summer heat.  Last week we even had a few 115 degree days.  Blah.  But, it's something I've become accustom to, and the trade off we make for our beautiful winters.  Whenever possible, I try not to heat up my oven.  I love to grill, especially in the summer.  I thought I would share a few of our favorite recipes and tips I've discovered.

Shrimp:

Presoak the wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes before grilling so they keep your food in place and don't disintegrate.  I always get the peeled and deveined shrimp. Frozen or fresh are both good. Typical cooking time when placing directly on the grill (on a skewer) is around four minutes (on a medium flame).  

Here are two of our favorite shrimp marinade recipes...

Grilled Garlic and Herb Shrimp

Honey Grilled Shrimp

Veggies:

Buy a grill basket. So functional, just don't forget to stir and toss veggies frequently while grilling so they don't burn.  

My favorite recipes for veggies…

Mixed Vegetable Grill Recipe

*I omit the sweet potato…it cooks too slowly and other veggies are done sooner.  If cooking potatoes in a grill basket, cook separately. 

Salmon:

This is our super easy, super tasty cooking method. 

Place Salmon in a shallow, open tinfoil bed.  Drizzle on olive oil and the juice of one fresh lemon.  Then shake on a light sprinkling of Lawry's Garlic Salt (to taste).  I usually cook about a 1 lb. fillet.  It typically takes about 15-25 minutes to cook through, depending on thickness. When it no longer looks translucent, and it's pink and flaky, it's done. 

Chicken:

Since I usually serve one or more of the above with chicken, I keep my chicken grilling simple and use cheats like these…Stubbs' All Natural Spice Rub  or Chef Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic and for easy pre made marinades my family likes all of the McCormick grill mates.

For cooking chicken breasts I always butterfly them (side ways) so they're thinner and cook more evenly and quickly.  Typically I cook each side for about six minutes.

 Bon Apetite!