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| Not again! |
In the summer, it's de rigueur to grill hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or steaks for those backyard barbecues. But in an extended power outage, when
your grill is your only stove, what else can you serve for meals once you've tired of the usual barbecue fare? More than you might think.
Believe it or not, bagels are awesome grilled. I discovered this while camping. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on the grill, rub a stick of butter on it,
and put the bagel halves cut side down on the foil. Yummy by themselves, even better with cream cheese, fabulous with some smoked salmon as well.
Any frozen meats that have thawed you'll want to cook right away and put any leftovers on ice in a cooler; they'll keep longer cooked than raw. But if
you've got ground beef, you don't necessarily have to make hamburgers. Pretty much anything you'd cook on the stove you can cook on your grill with the
right type of pan (making sure not to use pans that have handles that could melt, or taking care not to put the handles directly over the heat). So you
can turn that burger meat into sloppy joes, chili, or a casserole.
Another option is to jazz up your burgers with some Worcestershire or teriyaki sauce and add grilled onions and mushrooms. Top with avocado and melted
Swiss or muenster for a burger supreme. But what if you've run out of burger buns? English muffins or bagels work well as long as they don't have
raisins or other fruits in them.
Corn on the cob is also good on the grill. Leave it in the husks and put it directly on the grill. For added flavor, soak it in milk first. Other
veggies that work well grilled include eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini (slice them thick), and mushrooms, especially portobello mushrooms. Marinate them
in Italian salad dressing first. Or wrap potatoes in foil to "bake" them on the grill.
Shellfish is another grilling option. Bivalves and lobster tails can be placed directly on the grill. Thick, steak-type cuts of fatty fish like salmon,
swordfish, or tuna also work well on the grill, though more delicate fillets should be wrapped in foil first. Use oil or cooking spray on the foil to
keep the fish from sticking. Calamari is also good grilled. Marinate in teriyaki or Worcestershire sauce and place on a baking pan on the grill, either whole or sliced.
Fortunately, we've got some gorgeous weather on tap for the rest of the week. Happy grilling!