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Asparagus hot off the grill is especially good. Lightly coat the washed, trimmed spears with olive or canola oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper (optional). You can lay the spears directly on the grill (crosswise) for about 5 minutes or until they reach your preferred tenderness. If you're nervous about the spears falling into the flames below, you can make foil pockets for your asparagus (see below) or buy an asparagus basket. Tomatoes and peppers take on a great smoky flavor when grilled. Leave them whole and place them over the hottest part of the grill. When the skin is black and blistered, the vegetables are ready. Allow them to cool, then remove the charred skin and the stem and seeds (only for peppers). Do not rinse the vegetables after grilling or you will lose flavor. Chop them and combine with other vegetables for a salsa with a smoky kick, throw them on salads or place slices of roasted peppers on sandwiches. Roasted tomatoes are especially tasty when smashed on a good piece of bread. Any sweet or hot pepper can be roasted, and Roma or plum tomatoes are sturdy enough to endure grilling. Foil pockets are a great way to grill a variety of veggies that might be too small to place directly on the grill surface. Veggies that work well in a pocket include white potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, onion slices, zucchini, squash, green beans, asparagus, artichokes, garlic cloves, mushrooms, and all types of peppers—sweet or hot. When preparing your veggies for grilling, cut or slice into pieces of uniform size and thickness so they cook evenly. Root veggies (like potatoes and carrots) may need a splash of water in the pocket to help create some steam. To make a foil pocket, use heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lay out a large single sheet, spray one side with cooking spray, and fold foil in half. Crimp or fold over two of the open sides, leaving one side open to insert your vegetables. Once you tuck the veggies inside, add seasonings, then crimp the opening so the pocket is completely closed. (Be sure to fold this side loosely to make checking in on your masterpiece a cinch.) Now you’re now ready to hit the grill! Grill the pocket on the top rack of your grill where temperatures are a bit lower. Flip the pocket once halfway through cooking using oven mitts—not tongs or a fork, which might pierce the pocket. Cooking time will vary depending on size, type and amount of veggies you grill, but most veggies will cook in a foil pocket within 25-30 minutes. With so many dishes to choose, you’ll be itching to fire up your grill nightly to show off your newfound grill skills to your family, friends and neighbors. Don't worry—we won't tell them it's good for them if you don't!  Need more great grilling ideas? Check out our e-book, ''SparkPeople's Ultimate Grilling Guide: 75 Hearty, Healthy Recipes You Can Really Sink Your Teeth Into.'' Get it on Amazon.com and get grilling! |
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Sarah Haan
Sarah is a registered dietitian with a bachelor's degree in dietetics. She helps individuals adopt healthy lifestyles and manage their weight. An avid exerciser and cook, Sarah likes to run, lift weights and eat good food. See all of Sarah's articles. |
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fish-cigars this blogger/ chef has other great grilling recipes as well! - 8/28/2012 2:03:21 PM
I bought a BBQ grill tray from Pampered Chef that I’ve used with vegetables. They also have one for holding burgers or hotdogs I’ve thought about getting. Now they have a BBQ Pizza Pan that would make cooking pizza outside a lot easier. There is a deeper basket and a roasting pan & can holder. I guess that is for a bird and you put a can of liquid seasoning or something in it. A friend of mine has the BBQ vegetable rack and really likes it for grilling potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Pampered Chef is good, but expensive. I’ve seen some of the items I mentioned at Wal~Mart and at Dollar General.
We went camping once and my dad and step-brother made a “pizza oven” over the camp fire. Dad had a piece of metal for the bottom part and put it on the rock ring around the fire pit. Then they put some rocks around the edge of the metal to hold the other metal piece on top. The pizzas were really good and had a wood smoke flavor to it too. - 6/15/2012 11:28:03 AM
They went bananas over the asparagus!!!! The greatest gratification came when we heard the tinkling bells and songs of the ice cream truck. I asked, "Who wants ice cream?". Usually, they would have run to the front yard to stop the truck. Instead, this time, they hesitated. After a second or two, little Jay, the youngest, said, "I'd rather have more of that asparagus!!!".
Apparently, they all told their parents about it when they returned home, because for weeks, whenever I ran into one of their parents, the parents asked about what the hell did I do to asparagus to make their kids ask for it every day. Never underestimate the power of fresh vegetables lightly caramelized over a charcoal grill!!!!! - 3/25/2012 12:07:42 AM
I cut them in half lengthwise, score the cut side, put a little butter OR olive oil on the cut side, then sprinkle with your favorite seasonings. I often use an Italian salt-free blend, or onion/garlic powder & paprika.
Wrap each 1/2 potato in aluminum foil and grill on both sides. 1/2 potato is 1 serving. - 3/24/2012 2:03:52 PM
Afraid of grilling? just do it! It is so worth it!
Thanks for the article
- 3/24/2012 11:01:46 AM