A Grilled Summer Menu

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 freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her
husband and three kids.  She is also editor of StandBesideHer.com and has a family friendly blog, On the Front Porch.
 
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