A Grilled Summer Menu
By Brenda Hyde
Our family grills every chance we get during the summer. We have a
gas grill and a chiminea which we build fires in and grill on the grate
without the lid. Ours is a cast iron type and it's just big enough to
grill a meal on. We build the fires fairly small and let them burn down
slightly before cooking. The menu below can be cooked on any type
of grill. If
it's going to be a scorcher of a day, bake the potatoes
in the morning and warm up in the microwave or on
the grill at the last minute.
Spicy Grilled Chops
Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops, 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup hot salsa of your choice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt or pepper
In small bowl, combine salsa, water, marmalade and seasoned
salt; blend well. Place pork chops in plastic bag or glass dish.
Pour marinade mixture over pork, turning to coat. Seal bag or
cover dish and marinate about 1 hour, turning pork chops several
times. When ready to grill, remove pork chops from marinade,
reserving leftover marinade. Bring marinade just to a boil in a
small saucepan and cool. Place chops on grill 4-6 inches over
medium-high coals. Grill about 4 minutes per side-or until they
reach desired doneness, basting with reserved marinade.
Spicy Potato Wedges
Ingredients:
6 large potatoes
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Scrub and slice unpeeled potatoes into wedges. In a
small bowl, beat egg and milk. In another bowl, combine
flour and seasonings. Dip potato wedges into milk mixture;
dust with flour mixture. Place in a single layer on an
ungreased baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Bake at 450 for
20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup balsamic or herb vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons honey or molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound baby carrots
2 red or yellow bell peppers
2 zucchini squash
2 yellow squash
1 large sweet onion
Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well and
set aside. Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces; add to vinegar
mixture, tossing to coat. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Remove vegetables with a slotted
spoon, reserving vinegar mixture. Place a grilling basket (or
foil that you've folded up sides to form a square, and poked
holes in the bottom) on grill rack, and cover with grill lid. Grill
15 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally. Return
vegetables to reserved vinegar mixture, tossing gently. Cover
and refrigerate overnight. You can substitute other vegetables,
using the same quantities.
Fresh Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
2 crisp, tart-sweet apples, sliced, unpeeled
1 banana, sliced
1 cantaloupe, cut up into one inch cubes
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 can (16 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
Honey-Cream Dressing:
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese, (small curd) creamed
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. lime juice
Combine sour cream, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Mix will.
Blend in honey and lime juice. To make salad: combine first
5 fruits with a little of the dressing; garnish with slices of kiwi.
Serve remaining dressing on the side.
About the Author
Brenda Hyde is a wife and mom to three, living in
the midwest United States. She is also a freelance
writer and editor of Old Fashioned Living. Sign up for
her free newsletters here.
