Grill the Unexpected!
Anybody can grill a burger or brat. But it takes a foodie with a taste for the unexpected to try things like chocolate sandwiches, fruit and avocados! Practically anything can be grilled over an open flame, so here are a few surprisingly delicious ideas!
Main Dishes
The key to grilled pizza is to keep the toppings light and make sure the crust doesn’t burn! Martha Stewart, who knows her way around a grill as well as a Viking range, offers up this mélange of flavors to spread on pizza dough: Canadian Bacon and Pineapple; Leeks, Asparagus, and Mushrooms; Clams; Margherita; and Quattro Formaggi. Delish has 15 more grilled pizza recipes, like a more traditional Italian sausage or pesto, bacon, corn and mozzarella/ricotta.
We forget about kebabs, do you? And there are so many ways you can skewer a good meal! Like Lemony Salmon Kebabs from Delish, Grilled Chipotle Orange Turkey from A Farm Girl Dabbles, and Martha Stewart strikes again with Swordfish, Okra and Tofu Kebabs with Cilantro.
You might argue that these aren’t kebabs, but lamb meatballs with salsa verde only take six to eight minutes to cook on the grill and they taste, zesty-good with a spicy sauce.
And then there are easy-peasy foil packs like these: Honey Lime Tilapia with Corn and Sausage and Peppers from Delish.
Grill Some Sides
Minimally Invasive has a surprising recipe for grilled avocado halves with lemon, chopped herbs, olive oil, salt, toasted pine nuts and sliced cherry tomatoes. We’re not sure what it tastes like, but it’s making our mouths water.
Something else to skewer are these mini-peppers with a minty tzatziki sauce from Kristen at The Endless Meal (does that mean she cooks all the time?!). You’ll need Greek yogurt, fresh mint and cucumber for the sauce, with a little garlic and lemon.
Food 52’s Grilled Romaine with Anchovy Vinaigrette is a salad fit for Caesar thanks to the crème fraîche and, of course, the anchovy fillets. You can easily turn this into a meal, says recipe author Phyllis Grant, with avocado and lime, pickled chilies, roasted carrots, or flank steak.
These Grilled Artichokes from Bev Cooks have a nice smoky flavor and take about 10 minutes to prepare and grill. With a little salt and lemon juice (and so little prep time), you’ll wonder why you ever ate a canned artichoke!
For more unexpected sides, check out BuzzFeed’s list of 10 sides to skewer and grill including buttered cornbread, edamame, sweet potatoes with a cilantro chipotle cream sauce and spicy grilled cauliflower.
Desserts, Sort of
Who wants to sample Grilled Watermelon with Tequila from Food 52? Our hands are in the air! It’s an oldie but a goodie with chili powder, lemon, crème fraîche and cilantro. The recipe was in contention for a Best Watermelon Recipe contest recently (and if you’re curious about the winner, Watermelon with Goat Cheese took top honors).
Also from Food 52, Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches. They’re crusty hot bits of unexpected confection and with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, they make a dynamite dessert!
Grilling in Crystal Valley
The weather’s holding for backyard barbecues and grilling get-togethers in the master-planned community of Crystal Valley, just minutes from downtown Castle Rock. If you are a home buyer in search of a neighborhood, check out the beautiful new home designs from Richmond American Homes and D.R. Horton available in ranch or two-story models and priced from the high $300s. And – coming soon – new homes by Kauffman Homes!
