Gold Tips

Being able to grill vegetables and fruits gives you a whole new set of dishes and tastes to try. You can have different side dishes than the same tired boiled vegetables.

That’s important since vegetables and fruit are such an important part of our diet, and most people don’t eat near enough servings of these every day. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention):

“Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.”

When it’s hot out you can use an outdoor girll, and in cold weather you can use an indoor grill such as George Foreman’s Next Grilleration Grill.

There’s More Than One Way To Grill Fruits And Vegetables

If you’re using the outdoor grill, you can put a bunch of vegetables in a foil packet, and place it on the grill with whatever meat you are also grilling. Of course, nothing says you can’t just grill the veggies by themselves!)

Kabobs work for both fruit and vegetables. The pieces have to be big enough to be skewered without falling apart, but not so big the outside chars to a crisp before the inside is done.

Vegetables and fruit can be placed directly on the surface of a clean grill. Cook food whole, such as corn on the cob, or cut it into thick slices. Slices and pieces need to be big enough that they don’t fall through the grill on an outside grill. There are advantages with an indoor grill, since you don’t have to worry about losing the food, and it can be grilled on both sides at once.

Keep close to the cooking fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables cook much faster than meats, so don’t forget them and let them char to a crisp.

More Flavor Is Optional, Fat Is Required

To keep the vegetables and fruits from sticking, brush them with oil, butter or something like salad dressing.

To make a different flavor, try marinating the food before cooking it. The flavor becomes more intense the longer the food is marinated, but 30 minutes is usually sufficient.

Different flavored oils also brushed on the food’s surface add a different taste. A mixture of herbs will accomplish the same thing. Salad dressings brushed on the surface add both fat and flavor. An Italian salad dressing works well on vegetables, and poppyseed is a nice flavor addition to fruit.

Just What Can I Grill?

Some vegetables and fruits hold up better than others, although just about any kind can be grilled. Food with a high water content, such as cucumbers or watermelon, don’t work so well. However, they can be grilled easier on an indoor grill. Just be sure to have the drip container in place to prevent a messy countertop!

Give yourself over to creative combinations, however, since most fruits and vegetables can be grilled. Get creative and try some different combinations. Pineapples and apples are especially good fruits to grill. Eggplant is a standard on grills, and green peppers are especially yummy.

A Recipe To Try

Here’s a recipe to give you a start on grilling fruits and vegetables.

Grilled Fruit And Vegetable Kabobs

Ingredients:

• Mushrooms
• Pineapple chunks
• Pearl Onions
• Large Olives

Alternate the different types of fruit and vegetables on skewers.

Brush the fruit and veggies with barbeque sauce.

Now put the skewers of food on the grill.

Let brown, then turn kabobs and cook longer until all sides are browned.

Please Note: You can use any combination of fruits and vegetables. Just adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes.

Grilling vegetables and fruits on an outdoor or indoor grill makes a tasty and healthy addition to your menus, so enjoy!