Grilling Recipes

  in Blog

You know summer is here when it’s time dust off the grill, dig out your long tongs, and buy some charcoal or refill your propane tank. Enjoy the holiday weekend grilling with friends and family and try one of these easy recipes.

BBQ Turkey Burger with Caramelized Onions

1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 lb ground turkey
5 tablespoons BBQ sauce, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

  1. Heat oil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Add sliced onion and cook 15 minutes, stirring often until tender and beginning to brown.  Stir in 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.  Set aside.
  2. Combine ground turkey, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Form into 3 patties.
  3. Grill over medium heat, about 5 – 6 minutes on each side, or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.  Or to cook on the stovetop: heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of canola oil. Cook the burgers until browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully turn and cook until browned and cooked through. Serve, topped with the caramelized BBQ onions. 

Note:  Some ground turkey can be rather loose, making it difficult to form into patties and put on the grill without them falling through the grate.  To overcome this, form the patties as best you can and sear them in a medium-hot pan on the stove – about 45 seconds per side.  Then transfer them to the grill to finish cooking.

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white flaky fish like cod, halibut or flounder
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage or lettuce
1 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Pour over the fish fillets and marinate for 20 minutes.  Remove the fish from the marinade.  Broil or grill at medium high heat until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.  
  2. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, mayonnaise and chipotle pepper.  Quickly heat the tortillas on both sides over a gas flame or grill.  Flake the fish with a fork.  Spread 1 tablespoon of chipotle cream on each tortilla and top with fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.

Grilled Asparagus and Potato with Tarragon Brown Butter

8-10 spears asparagus, trimmed
1 large yellow potato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

  1. Spray the asparagus and potato slices with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a grill to medium and cook asparagus about 2 minutes until tender. Cook potato about 5 minutes until browned on both sides.
  3. While the grill is heating, melt the butter in a small, heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted the butter will turn foamy and then subside. Continue to cook and watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and place on a cool surface to stop the butter from cooking further. Toss in the tarragon and set sauce aside while grilling the veggies.
  4. Serve the asparagus spears and potatoes with the butter sauce drizzled over the top. Serves 2.

Strawberry Salad with Grilled Halloumi Cheese

Mix of fresh romaine lettuce and arugula, chopped, enough for 4 servings
½ a red onion, sliced thin
1 pint strawberries, washed, halved (quartered if very large)
1 package halloumi cheese, sliced ¼ inch thick
olive oil

Dressing:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
sea salt and black pepper to taste

  1. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Heat a grill to medium. Clean grill rack and oil with an olive oil soaked paper towel clasped in tongs. Carefully place cheese slices on grill and cook for 2 minutes or until browned and grill marked. Flip carefully (you will probably lose at least 1 slice to the grill gods!) and cook on other side for another 1 or 2 minutes.
  3. Arrange lettuce, onion slices and strawberries on 4 plates. Drizzle with dressing and top with hot cheese slices. Serve immediately.

Halloumi is made from goat’s milk and comes from Cyprus. It is a sturdy cheese that does not melt. It’s wonderful for frying or grilling.

Greek Burger with Tzaziki Sauce

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ teaspoon oregano
sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns
lettuce
sliced tomato
sliced red onion

Tzaziki sauce
1 6 oz. container plain yogurt
½ cup cucumber, peeled, diced small
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint or ½ teaspoon dried
sea salt to taste

  1. Heat a grill to medium high heat. Mix the ground beef, feta, oregano, salt and pepper well and shape into 3-4 patties. Clean and oil the grill and place burgers on grill. Cook for 3 minutes, flip, and cook 3 more minutes or until desired doneness.
  2. Mix tzaziki ingredients in a small bowl. Serve burgers with sauce, lettuce, tomato, and red onion.

Asian Chicken and Zucchini Kabobs

3 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced thick, about 1/2-3/4 inch
4 chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 green onions, white and light part only, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 metal or bamboo skewers (soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before using)

  1. Stir together the tamari, vinegar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and oil in a medium bowl. Add the cut up chicken and marinate for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat a grill to medium.
  3. While grill is heating, thread the zucchini rounds, chicken, and onion onto the skewers, alternating between ingredients. For the zucchini, thread them the long way through. For the onion pieces, the short way through. Depending on how many skewers you use, you can double up the chicken pieces. Chicken, onion, and zucchini should be snug on the skewer.
  4. Oil the grill with a paper towel soaked in olive oil. Grill skewers on one side until grill marked and cooked, about 6 minutes. Carefully flip using a spatula and grill other side until done, another 4-5 minutes.

Buffalo Blue Cheese Burgers

Dressing:
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 oz blue cheese crumbles
1 stalk celery, minced
1 tablespoon hot sauce

Burger:
1 lb ground beef
2 oz blue cheese crumbles
1 tablespoon hot sauce
½  teaspoon sea salt
¼  teaspoon black pepper

  1. With a fork, mix together the mayo, hot sauce and bleu cheese, mashing the bleu cheese crumbles into almost a paste.  Stir in the minced celery.  Set aside.
  2. Combine the burger ingredients and form into 3 patties. Grill burgers over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.
  3. Serve on a whole wheat bun topped with the dressing.  

BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with Daikon Coleslaw

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
¾ cup tamari
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons water
1 pound tempeh cut into 1/2 –inch slabs, steamed for about 10 minutes and cooled
4 hamburger buns

  1. In a blender, combine vinegar, lime juice, tamari, tomato sauce, chile, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, cumin, and water. Puree until well combined. Place tempeh pieces in a large baking dish in one snug layer. Pour marinade on top and turn to coat pieces. Cover and refrigerate, turning halfway through, for 2 hours or overnight.
  2. Prepare a grill for medium heat cooking. Grill the tempeh, flipping once, until browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Construct sandwiches by adding several tempeh fingers to each bun and topping with coleslaw.

Daikon Coleslaw

½ small green cabbage head, cored, sliced thinly
1 medium daikon radish, grated
¼ small purple cabbage head, cored. sliced thinly
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place cabbage and daikon in a bowl. In a small bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Briskly whisk, making sure to dissolve sugar. While blending, slowly add olive oil. Toss dressing with cabbage and daikon. Let sit at room temperature to let flavors meld. Refrigerate leftovers.