Summer's here and that means patios, cold drinks, gelato and many, many barbeques.
Why grill? Apart from the joy of being outside in fabulous weather, barbequing gives you an option for healthy, flavourful food. Excess fat drips off meat and the high heat sears the outside, sealing in flavour and moisture, keeping the meat tender.
If you're going to grill meat, remember to store your meat and marinate it in the refrigerator, and then cook it to a safe internal temperature. When cooking, keep raw meat away from other foods and always use separate utensils.
But if you think the barbecue is just about meat, you're missing out on the full potential of your barbecue and your outdoor meals. Fish, tofu, vegetables, and even cheese taste great when cooked on the grill.
The rule of thumb is to use firm fruits, vegetables, and meats. They hold up to the heat and don't fall apart. So, what can you grill? For starters:
Chicken
The trick is to sear them but don't let them get charred. Charring creates potentially cancer-causing compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Burgers
Beef burgers are delicious but why not mix in some veggies like lentils or sweet peppers into your meat mix? Also try different seasonings instead of the regular salt and pepper.
Asparagus
Asparagus: the perfect summer food. Toss a few of these stalks on your grill with a little lemon juice, and pair them with your meat.
Mango
The sweetness combined with the smokiness from the grill makes a great dessert. Use a ripe, but not too ripe, mango. You want it to be firm.
Pineapple
Where mango goes, pineapple follows. Put it on the grill, and add some cinnamon for a kick of flavour.
Bell peppers
Green, red, yellow, orange, purple; throw them all on the barbeque. The heat of the grill will make them sweeter. You can also try stuffed peppers for a complete meal in a pepper.
Zucchini
Cut them thick so they don't get too mushy and fall apart. Brush with your vegetable oil of choice.
Onions
Large or small, onions are great on the barbeque. If you want, you can make kebabs (vegetarian and meat) and use small onions as spacers between the meat, the fruit and the vegetables.
Apples and Pears
You might have picked pears or a few bushels of apples; why not grill some? Serve with sorbet for a delicious, cool, and healthy dessert.
Watermelon
New York Times food writer Mark Bittman likes to brush slices of watermelon with olive oil, minced onion, and salt and pepper. He grills them for five minutes on each side. He says it turns the sweetness into a savoury, smoky dish.
Sweet potatoes
If you can grill potatoes, you can grill sweet potatoes. You can go savoury with garlic and parsley with a hint of butter -- or go sweet with brown sugar.
Avocado
Again, a firm fruit or vegetable can stand up to a grill. You're going to make guacamole anyway, why not add some smokiness to it?
Fish
Salmon and other firm fish do well on a barbecue. Again, season to suit your taste. We like lemon and a splash of white wine.
Also on HuffPost
