Helpful Hits For Summer Vegetable Grilling
Posted by Christine Szalay-Kudra on June 7, 2010
It is really surprising that when people break out the grill, more of them do not throw on some vegetables. After all, it is remarkably easy to turn a few veggies into a great meal – you just have to know what you are doing. Let us take a look at a few tips for grilling vegetables in general, as well as the best way to grill some specific ones.
The best rule to follow when you are going to grill vegetables is to make sure you cut them into pieces that cook evenly and quickly. Make sure all the pieces are consistently thick – about three fourths of an inch to an inch thick should be the maximum. If you soak the vegetables in cold water for a half hour before you begin cooking, they will not dry out.
It is also a good idea to brush vegetables with your preferred oil before you start to keep them from sticking. The high water content of most vegetables means they will cook fast, so keep an eye on them. A grilling basket will help you cook pieces that are on the small side.
There are lots of vegetables that require a little bit of special treatment on the grill to turn out well. Asparagus, for instance, requires only a little cooking, and grills up well with sesame oil. Soak it before cooking and turn it once every sixty seconds. Serve with soy sauce for a delicious Asian inspired treat.
Colored and green bell peppers, as well as hot chilies should be halved, stemmed and seeded, then brushed with oil and grilled only for two to three minutes. Tomatoes get a similar treatment – cut them in half, brush with oil, and cook just like a pepper. Zucchini and other summer squash should be cut into pieces no more than a half inch thick, then oiled and grilled for two to three minutes as well.
When you are grilling vegetables that are a little harder, you will need to turn the heat lower or place the veggies in an area where the coals are not so dense, then cook longer. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be cooked whole for a half hour to forty minutes, after rubbing with oil and wrapping in foil, or you can grill them in pieces. Oil and wrap them the same way.
Want to make hot grilled corn on the cob? Just strip the husks back without removing them, take out the silk, and soak the whole thing. Pat it dry, brush with oil, then wrap the husks back again and place on the grill. Cook five to seven minutes and serve with butter. Alternatively, cook stripped corn right on the grill until marks appear, turning to get an even heat.
For mushrooms, another popular grilling choice, you will just need to add oil and grill whole. Smaller mushrooms may require a grill basket, since they shrink a lot while cooking. Big mushrooms can stay on the grill six to eight minutes, small ones four to five.
Everyone needs vegetable recipes. Vegetables form an integral part of meals all over the world. A good recipe can mean the difference between nutritious, delicious fresh veggies and bland overcooked mush. You can learn a lot about cooking vegetables and get some great recipes to try at our site.
