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Lean meat
or fish
Choose foods that you like and that
are healthy for you. Poultry, fish
and lean meats are ideal for grilling.
Rub grates with oil or coat with
a nonstick cooking spray before
adding meat to the grill to prevent
the food from sticking. If you rub
the grates with oil, peanut oil
is a good choice because it doesn't
burn as easily as other oils. It's
also high in monounsaturated fat,
the better kind of fat.
Choose white-meat poultry without
the skin and lean cuts of meat,
such as sirloin, flank or tenderloin.
Turn often to avoid overcooking
or burning.
Trim visible fat off meat and remove
poultry skin before grilling.
Choose smaller portions of meat
— about 3 ounces — to
further control the fat.
Marinate meat before grilling to
add flavor and to keep it tender.
Try fat-free salad dressings, low-salt
soy sauce, lemon juice or even wine.
Use fresh marinade — or boil
it for at least three minutes to
kill bacteria — if you want
to use the marinade to baste the
meat while grilling.
Place thick flanks of fish directly
onto the grilling grates. Place
thin fish fillets on foil, or in
foil packets along with lemons,
vegetables and your favorite herbs.
Grill fish until it flakes easily
with a fork. It's done when it appears
opaque — not glossy or partially
translucent.
Baste chicken with barbecue sauce,
orange juice or a little olive oil
to keep it moist.
To grill a turkey, place a drip
pan in the grill and surround the
pan with coals if using a charcoal
grill. Heat the coals until they
have uniform white ash on them before
placing the turkey on the grill.
Main entree
alternative
Grilled, cheeseless pizzas are a
super way to cut fat but not flavor.
Cut up an assortment of favorite
vegetables as topping. Coat the
vegetables lightly with olive oil.
Roast the vegetables on the grill
using a special grill pan or a metal
colander, or grill them directly
on the grates if they're large enough.
Set the vegetables aside.
Use ready-made pizza crusts or make
your own. Lightly brush one side
of the crust with olive oil. Then
place the crusts onto the grill,
oiled side down. Oil keeps the dough
from sticking to the grate.
Over medium-hot coals, grill the
pizza crust for one to two minutes,
watching it carefully so that it
doesn't burn. Lift the crust off
the grill with tongs and place it
on a cookie sheet, grilled side
up.
Place toppings on the grilled side
of pizza crust and move it from
the cookie sheet back onto the grill
to allow the other side to cook
for three to four minutes. If you
just can't resist, sprinkle on a
small amount of part-skim mozzarella
or low-fat cheese.
Keep checking the pizza to prevent
burning.
Fruits and vegetables
Try something out of the ordinary
and make your next grilled meal
meatless. Eggplant, summer squash,
bell peppers, sweet onions, small
tomatoes, mushrooms, mangoes, pineapples
and peaches all cook well on the
grill. Be sure to put fruits and
vegetables on a liberally oiled
grate to avoid sticking.
Slice fruit in half and remove pits.
Grill with pulp side down. Sprinkle
a small amount of brown sugar after
grilling if you want a little extra
sweetness. Cut vegetables into 1/2-inch
slices or large chunks. Grill until
tender. Turn only once. You can
baste vegetables with a fat-free
dressing, or brush them with canola
or olive oil.
Grill the fruits or vegetables until
they're lightly browned. You want
them to be tender but not mushy
when gently pierced with a sharp
knife. The key for grilling fruits
and vegetables is to use low heat.
Coals are ready when you can hold
your hand safely about 5 inches
above the heat for about five seconds.
Fruits and vegetables don't take
long to cook on the grill. Here
are some guidelines:
Fast-grilling vegetables (about
three to five minutes). These include
asparagus, broccoli, baby carrots,
eggplant, okra, onion slices, pepper
chunks, strips of summer squash
and tomato wedges.
Longer-cooking root vegetables (about
30 to 45 minutes). These include
beets, winter squash, potatoes and
sweet potatoes. Wrap these types
of vegetables in foil with a drizzle
of oil and a sprinkling of spices
and herbs
Fruits (about three to five minutes).
Thicker pieces of fruit, such as
halved peaches or pears, may require
a little more time. Thinly sliced
fruit requires less time. Fruit
can burn easily because of its sugar
content, so watch it closely. Also,
keep cooking times short for ripe
fruit to prevent it from getting
mushy.
Try these
ideas for including grilled fruits
and vegetables in your meals:
Marinate a large portobello mushroom
and grill it like a burger. Serve
on a bun or alone instead of a steak.
Soak ears of corn in water for 30
minutes then grill in the husk for
15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to remove
the silk before grilling.
Cut vegetables such as squash, peppers,
onions and mushrooms into equal-sized
pieces. Place on a skewer with shrimp
or chunks of turkey breast. Brush
with fresh fruit juice or broth
and wrap in aluminum foil to grill.
Cut tomatoes in half crosswise,
brush with canola or olive oil,
and add salt, pepper and your favorite
spices. Wrap in foil and grill sliced
side up for six to eight minutes.
Cut fruit, such as apples, pears,
mangoes, pineapples, and peaches,
into chunks, brush lightly with
canola oil, and place on skewers
or wrap in foil before grilling.
A sprinkle of cinnamon before grilling
adds a flavorful touch.
Put pineapple slices or bananas
sliced lengthwise directly on the
grill.
Don't forget
dessert
Try grilled fruit for dessert -
the dry heat of grilling intensifies
and caramelizes the natural sugars
in fruit. Favorite desserts include
halves or slices of apricots, peaches,
pineapples and nectarines. For something
different, try sliced apples, figs
and pears. A banana cooked slowly
in its peel results in a custard-like
delicacy — perfect for the
end of a meal.
Here are some other ideas for grilled
desserts:
Grill slices of angel food cake
for one to three minutes or until
golden brown on both sides. Top
with chilled strawberries, blueberries
or raspberries.
Make cantaloupe kebabs. Brush with
a mixture of honey, butter and chopped
mint. Cook four to six minutes,
turning the fruit to grill each
side.
Fill peach halves with blueberries
and sprinkle with brown sugar and
lemon juice. Wrap in aluminum foil
and grill for 18 to 20 minutes,
turning once.
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