Ok, so baseball is super exciting and all (and I’m super excited both our teams swept opening weekend), but what’s more exciting for me is the beginning of grilling season!!! From now through Labor Day, we will be grilling the majority of our meals … grilling season means casserole season is oh-vah! Which also means my Sunday prep goes from spending all day in the kitchen to only needing to spend an hour or two, mostly oven-free, prepping meals instead of fully cooking them. Today, aside from making my breakfast casserole and some mac n chz, all I did was cut up vegetables and mix spices together for my homemade seasonings to get ready for the week.
Some of why we grill so much in spring/summer is for survival purposes because really, who wants to turn on the oven or stove in 100 degree weather when your a/c is already working overtime?? But MY main reason for grilling (almost) everything, is because I really do just love that grilled flavor on EVERYTHING! There are also some other benefits like it’s much quicker than baking, and most of the fat cooks off the meat vs. almost stewing in its own fat like when you bake or roast. Everything else aside, let’s get down to the flavor. I often use very little marinade or flavoring on my meats. I may lightly spray some olive oil and sprinkle some seasoning on my meat, but it’s rare that I soak my meat in a calorie-laden marinade and there's no need to cover it in any sort of breading.
I think the biggest mistake most people make is forgetting that grilling isn’t just for your burgers and hot dogs, grilled veggies are fantastic too! Do you own a grill basket? If not, please head out to your nearest Wal-Mart or Target and pick one up, most retail for $5-$10. The simplest weeknight dinner, ready in 30 minutes or less, is throwing some chicken or pork chops on the grill with a grill basket full of peppers, onions, asparagus, mushrooms, squash, eggplant, even tomatoes taste great on the grill (and I am not a tomato person). Want some corn on the cob? Grill it! Want some baked potatoes or sweet potatoes? Wrap them in foil and grill them! Aside from bacon and eggs, I’m not sure there is anything out there that can’t be grilled!! Even bacon and eggs, if you have a grill like mine with a side burner, can be made outside to keep from heating up your house unnecessarily.
So here’s our plan for the week:
Monday – pork tenderloin in southwestern seasoning with sweet potatoes, peppers, mushrooms & onions
Tuesday – turkey burgers, green beans and mac n chz
Wednesday – chicken in mango chipotle seasoning with squash, zucchini & asparagus
Thursday – bacon wrapped filet with Yukon gold potatoes, broccoli & cauliflower
Friday – make-your-own pizza night … yes, pizzas on the grill!!!
One thing to note is that it’s perfectly acceptable, easier and more flavorful to rub your meat down with the seasoning the night before you get to grilling and leave it covered in plastic in the fridge overnight. Another thing to note is that Dan is not allowed near my grill. He is the one that lights it (because I hate that fwoom! sound when the propane catches), but once it’s preheated and ready (yes, you should always preheat your grill, takes less time than the oven but equally as important), he is to back away from the grill and let the master (ME!) take over. He is also allowed to place foil-wrapped potatoes and corn on the grill, because you can do that while it’s still preheating, but that’s pretty much the extent to which he is allowed to grill. Sooooooo our plan is for Dan to light the grill when I get home from the gym, it’ll preheat while I shower, then I will grill our dinner. Remember, grilling is way quicker than baking/roasting so unless it’s a thick piece of meat, dinners will be ready in about 15-30min tops!
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