Tag Archives: grilling

How to Grill Simple Summer Seafood

With a summer heat wave affecting most of the country, home cooks are more enthusiastic than ever about recipes that don’t involve turning on the oven or stove. If you’re already tiring of salads, sandwiches and simple grilled chicken, it’s time to look to the sea for some grilling inspiration.

Lauren Salkeld , Senior Editor, Epicurious, likes to keep things simple when she’s preparing or cooking seafood on the grill.

Use healthy oils. Sometimes people perceive fish to be difficult to grill because it falls apart during the cooking process. “Fish often falls apart because it sticks to the grill,” said Salkeld. “Be sure to gently rub or brush fish with oil and you shouldn’t have too much trouble.” To keep your favorite fish figure-friendly, opt for a heart-healthy oil, like canola or olive.

(more…)

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Maris

6 Foods You Aren’t Grilling but Should

By Melissa Breyer for Care2.com

Meat, meat, meat, occasionally corn, and more meat. That’s the dedicated job of many a grill, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The surprising items listed here can become the components of a vegetarian barbecue dinner, or can be grilled alongside meat as accompaniments.

 

1. Salad

Grilled salad, yum, the antithesis of a big slab of meat on the grill. You can grill many kinds of lettuce, but the heartier varieties hold up better to the char. Use romaine, endive or cabbage–you can separate leaves, use clusters of leaves, or cut the head in two and grill the halves face down. Brush them lightly with oil and grill over medium heat until just charred and not yet wilting into smithereens. There are many recipes online for caesar salad using grilled romaine, but you can make just about any salad you like. (more…)

Posted on July 30, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Six Vegetarian Main Dishes Fit for the Grill

When you’re planning a picnic or cookout, creating a perfect menu can be challenging when you have vegetarians coming to dinner.

Though most vegetarians eat a varied, balanced diet, carnivores might have a difficult time coming up with inventive main dish options for guests with dietary restrictions.

Rainbow Sandwich: If cold cuts are on the menu for your next picnic, don’t relegate the vegetarians to cheese sandwiches or peanut butter and jelly. Tomatoes, avocado and pesto make for such a delicious sandwich that even your meat eaters in the group will want one.

(more…)

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Maris

How to Grill Perfect Vegetables

Either as a side dish or the main event, grilled vegetables are a fresh, healthy way to celebrate the summer season.

Not only is it important to eat more vegetables as part of a healthy diet, but if you’re eating more vegetables, chances are you’re eliminating higher-fat foods in favor of colorful, plant-based foods.

Opt for Veggies that Grill Well

Just like meats, different types of vegetables stand up to heat differently. Eggplant, summer squash, button mushrooms, peppers, corn on the cob and onions are all excellent on the grill. To serve them in a more creative way, opt for kabobs or a grilled vegetable salad.

(more…)

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Maris

How to Grill the Perfect Steak

When you envision a grilled steak, you typically imagine a huge, marbled cut of meat full of saturated fat and cholesterol. With the summer grilling season in full swing, it’s important to be able to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation.

Kari Underly of Range Partners is a third generation meat cutter and offered us some of her top tips on choosing and preparing the proper cuts of steak for your summer cookouts.

“It’s so important for grocery stores and chefs to know how to sell various cuts of steak,” said Underly. “The proper portion of steak is 3-4 ounces and a lot of cuts have multiple portions in one steak.  The average consumer has know way of knowing any better.”

High in zinc, iron and protein, a moderately sized steak is nutritionally dense and can be very good for you if you choose the right cut and cook it well.

(more…)

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Maris

How to Safely Handle and Grill Chicken

Whether you’re a grill aficionado or you only pull out your miniature Weber for special occasions, it’s important to eat plenty of protein as part of a balanced diet.  While most nutrition experts recommend eating lean meats, tofu, beans and quinoa, we often neglect those during the summertime in favor of grilled steaks, hot dogs and hamburgers.

Chicken is an easy alternative to red meat, which often has a lot of artery-clogging saturated fat. Chicken is versatile, grill-friendly and inexpensive, but when not handled or cooked properly, poultry can be a source of dangerous food borne illness.

Here are some important poultry-handling principles to follow this summer to ensure that all of your meals are safe and delicious.

(more…)

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Maris

Five Healthy Burger Recipes for Barbecues

With the Fourth of July on the horizon, most Americans are planning to dust off their grills and get cooking outdoors. For many, that means things like steaks, hot dogs and hamburgers will be on the menu.

While it’s certainly possible to work moderate portions of red meat into your healthy diet, there are also a lot of alternatives to the good old fashioned hamburgers for anyone who wants to lose a few pounds or commit to eating leaner protein like chicken and fish.

If you’re really craving a burger and red meat just won’t do, we have plenty of healthier alternatives to burgers that are sure to be crowd pleasers, even for the most dedicated carnivore.

Veggie Burgers: Some meatless burgers have a reputation for being bland, boring and dry. These veggie-based burgers will be a hit among vegetarians and meat eaters with a great flavor, texture and only 125 calories per serving. (more…)

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Maris

25 Healthy Recipes for Graduation Parties

This month is a popular one for graduation celebrations, with high schools and colleges throughout the country concluding their academic years.

Whether you’re planning a graduation celebration for your favorite recent graduate or attending a potluck party, we have the perfect recipe for you – from finger foods to decadent desserts.

Finger Foods: Simple to prepare and easy to eat, finger foods are a fun and portable way for your guests to nosh while they mingle. These recipes don’t require forks or knives, but they might call for extra napkins.

Boneless Buffalo Strips

Low-Calorie Pigs in a Blanket

Rosemary Skewered Chicken with Orange Glaze

Antipasto Skewers from Mele Cotte

Cucumber Cups with Caramelized Onions & Bacon from Lemons & Anchovies

(more…)

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Maris

Empty Calories Comic: Memorial Day Cookouts

See more Empty Calories right here in the blog each week, or receive one each month when you subscribe to our free newsletter. (more…)

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Health Buzz

Staying Healthy At The Race Track

It’s May in Indy, otherwise known as race season, which culminates Memorial Day weekend with The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. General lawn seating, where they allow grilling and camping, is only $20, so it’s a popular event to attend. Whether you prefer IRL, Formula 1, Nascar, or another type of racing, staying healthy at the track can seem like a challenge, but it does not have to be.

What to Drink
Alcohol is often a big part of attending a race. Although it is not necessary to enjoy the experience, many do want to drink since it is a day before a holiday. Beer is by far the most popular drink at any race; keep it light with our list of the Top Ten Lowest Calorie Beers. Drinking liquor can keep the calories low, but be careful what you mix with it. Water, club soda, diet tonic water, and diet sodas have no calories, but beware of the damage to your health diet sodas have been known to cause, such as heart attack or kidney problems.

(more…)

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Celebrate Grilling Season with Healthy Substitutions

It’s that time of year – time to break out the barbecue and invite your friends and neighbors over for a cookout. Spring and summer are prime time for great food, good friends – and great food to celebrate the warm weather.

Of course, we all know that with summer on the horizon, bathing suit season is just around the corner. Don’t undo all of the hard work you’ve done at the gym this year.  To keep your diet balanced, celebrity nutritionist Carl Germano, RD, CDN, shared five simple swaps to keep you eating great tasting foods – and looking and feeling great.

Instead of: Beef Burger or Sliders with Cheese

Try: Turkey Sliders with sliced tomato

Ground turkey breast is leaner than most types of ground beef and sliced tomato will offer a powerful punch of lycopene – without the saturated fat in most cheeses. If you must have cheese, try a sprinkling of feta, which is lower in fat and calories than most varieties.

(more…)

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Maris