|
Veggies on the grill may seem like a geeky way to grill. Why waste your
time grilling squash when a sizzling steak is beckoning? Well don't be
so quick to judge! Any backyard chef would be proud of flame-roasted
bell peppers, mouthwatering mushrooms, or the sweet taste of sliced
potatoes with onions and herbs. How about a cool summer salad with
charred bits of vegetables tossed into the mix!
Besides offering variety on the grill, vegetables add nutrition, color,
taste and texture. Fewer nutrients are lost from simply grilling than
from other methods of cooking. And if you can leave the skin on, all the
better. Because vegetables can highlight dishes, choose the best
quality. Grilling draws out their flavor and adds a slight edge, so
vegetables full of flavor simply taste better.
Here are some tricks to grilling great veggies:
- Keep a good oil, such as a favorite olive oil, handy
for both the grill and vegetables to prevent sticking.
- Soft vegetables, such as eggplant, demand care and attention.
- Pre-cook potatoes about 12 minutes, onions four to five minutes,
mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli, about one to two minutes.
- Mushrooms burn on the outside before the inside's done -- blanche them
first before grilling for best results.
- To make veggie kebabs, put the harder vegetables, such as onions,
together. They take longer to cook but grouping allows for even cooking. |
Since man, or was it a woman, discovered fire, we humans have been cooking
over open flames and burning embers. No doubt, it's a proud and enduring
tradition, one that has survived assaults from fancy stove tops and ovens,
even air conditioning and that admirable substitute - the indoor grill.
And while we now call it barbecuing or grilling, there's just something
about the call of the grill that can't be overcome.
 SO...
DO YOU GRILL OR BARBECUE?
We use the terms "grilling" and
"barbecuing" interchangeably because this cooking device is
called both a "grill" and a "barbecue". Technically,
however, "grilling" is a quick and hot technique and
"barbecuing" is a slow and low technique. When grilling, you
often put the meat directly on the heat and when barbecuing, indirect heat
is used with the coals on one side and the food on the other.
NOW YOU KNOW!
|
