have to contend with cold, wet or snowy winters. Californians and Sub-Belt-ers take it for granted - like, "What's that, Honey? You want to cook the Christmas roast on the grill? Sounds good to me."
Now don't get me wrong; these quick and easy grilling recipes are not about turkeys, roasts or other bulky items that would take a long time to cook on a grill. You'll start and finish these in about half-an-hour or less, like all our recipes.
By the same token, (boy, that's certainly an "old-fart-term", isn't it?)...How about, "On the other hand",...mmm, not much better. Anyway,(always one of my favorite openers) no whole turkeys or roasts, but stuff like Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken or Inside-Out Cheeseburgers.
All right, I've said my piece; now get out there and grill, grill, grill! And, if it's winter, you guys in the North, don't forget your parkas.
So when winter zeroes in on you in New York, Chicago or Boise, you might just want to roll the barbecue grill into the garage and forget bbq-ing until Spring. Do it and then go and get yourself a counter-top grill.
All the reasons you love to grill in the Summer apply to indoor grilling: the quick searing of the food to keep it juicy, the ability to enhance - Okay, Emeril -"kick up" - the flavors with sauces, marinades and rubs, the speed with which you create great dishes – all of that without waiting for coals to burn down, wondering if there’s enough propane left to finish your entree (those fuel indicators never seem to work) or putting on your earmuffs.
What type to buy? There are three basic indoor grill types on the market. Freestanding tabletop grills with heating units under an open-face grate, contact grills (like George Foreman’s) with close-able lids like a waffle iron or grill pans, or heavy-duty skillets with ridged bottoms for creating those appetizing grill marks.
No, you probably can’t cook a whole turkey or a ham but you can find many dishes here that will do just as well inside as out. So go ahead and park that monster grill in storage for a few months and enjoy grilling whenever the mood strikes.
So you're not “Under the Tuscan Sun”, a former best-seller, ("Hey! If I had time to read would I be here?") but you can make and eat this Italian favorite in your own back yard, and just use your imagination. Like, that big supermarket across the street isn't really a supermarket, it's a charming little Italian bakery, and that's not rock music coming from next door; it's Andrea Bocelli singing a love song - in Italian, of course..
Heat grill to medium-high.
In a large bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients until the honey is dissolved.
Add the bell pepper and onion and let it rest while you cook the sausage and polenta, occasionally tossing to combine the flavors.
Meanwhile, grill the sausages, turning occasionally, until charred and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
During the last 6 minutes of cooking, spray the polenta with oil and carefully place on the grill with the sausages; grill until charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the sausages and vegetables.
Herbed Chicken Breasts with Grilled Zucchini
Serves 4The small containers of fresh herbs might cost more than the chicken; if that bothers you – like it would me – go ahead and use dried oregano (1 tsp) and mint (1 Tbsp). I think it’ll still be delicious.
3 medium zucchini
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each salt & coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped (loosely packed)
4 medium (6 oz each) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
3 lemons
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
Prepare outdoor grill for covered, direct grilling on medium
With a sharp knife, slice zucchini thinly lengthwise, about 1/2-inch, then, in a large bowl, toss with 1 Tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and half of the mint.
Pound chicken breasts to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, really thin.
From 2 lemons, grate 1 Tbsp of peel into a small bowl and squeeze in their juice. Cut the other lemon into 4 wedges; set aside.
In another bowl, combine the lemon peel and juice with oregano, the other Tbsp of oil, the salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and toss until evenly coated.
Place zucchini slices, in batches, on the heated grill grate, and cook 2 to 4 minutes or until grill marks appear and zucchini is tender, flipping once. Remove zucchini to a large platter and sprinkle with remaining mint.
Now grill the chicken 3 or 4 minutes, until juices run clear, flipping once. Transfer chicken to the platter with the zucchini and serve with the lemon wedges. Beautiful!
Click here for many, many exciting chicken dishes
Grilled Rosemary-Cod Skewers
Serves 4I suggest cod because it's a nice "tight" fish that won't fall apart as easily as, say, tilapia or salmon. Besides, don't we need a break from those two fishies now and then?
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each freshly grated lemon zest & lemon juice
1/2 tsp each kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
1 & 1/2 lb cod fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Combine all but the fish and tomatoes in a medium bowl. Add salmon; smoosh ‘em around to coat and, alternating the salmon and tomatoes, place them on eight12-inch skewers.
With a paper towel, wipe the oil over the grill rack, lay on the skewers and, carefully turning once, cook until the salmon is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total.
Serve immediately while they’re nice and hot.
Click here for seafood dishes galore (where'd that word come from?)
Click here for wonderful things to do with that cheap tilapia you just bought
