Much of the country will experience above-average temperatures this summer and while for some the hotter it is the more you want to stay in, for others it’s quite the opposite. For more than a year now, we’ve faced mandated closures, travel restrictions and every unexpected turn of events we couldn’t have seen coming. So, come June people will be looking for extra ways to enjoy the outdoors and soak in the sun – which leads me to the topic of backyard grilling.
Have you grilled before? Are you looking for new recipes to try out? I’ve got you! Take a look at the grilling guide below I’ve compiled, with the help of some online research.
Where to start: If you’ve never grilled before, it’s probably time you get your basic utensils together. That includes a grill brush, spatula with a long handle to avoid burning yourself and thermometer.
Basic do’s and don’ts: Keep your grill as clean as possible, preheat the grill and don’t walk away while it’s in use. Also, be sure to add sauces to your food once it’s off the grill, as otherwise the sauce will drip down and cause a flare up.
New recipes to try this summer: While I’m sure many of us have our “go-to” grilling recipe, it’s nice to change it up a bit. Here are a few of my favorites Purewow.com highlighted in their latest roundup story:
- Grilled peach salad with lemon pesto dressing: You don’t typically think of the grill and a salad going together, but they can! Prepare your salad dressing by mixing together lemon juice, garlic, basil olive oil and rice vinegar. Season it with salt and pepper. Next, preheat the grill and brush olive oil over peaches and halloumi cheese. Grill this batch for about three minutes on each side until you get nice markings. Once done, turn off the grill and prepare your salad with your favorite mixed greens, dressing and top it off with the cheese and peaches.
- Shrimp boil skewers: This instantly makes me think of New Orleans and for good reason. Put together skewers to grill with bite-sized corn, cooked potatoes, shrimp, and sausages. Brush these with Cajun butter and toss them on the grill. Five minutes on each side should be enough to get that charred look you’ll want. Enjoy with some lemon wedges on the side and rice.
- Strawberry shortcake skewers: For dessert, this recipe by PureWow seems like a winner that adults and kids will love. Start by baking biscuits in the oven and brushing them with honey. Once those are done, bring sugar and water to boil to create your very own simply syrup. Then, break the biscuits up into bite-sized pieces and put the skewers together using the biscuits and strawberries. Grill the skewers 1-3 minutes per side and you’re all done! This isn’t in the recipe but I also recommend having a small bowl with Nutella where you can dunk your strawberries and biscuits. Yum!
