Get Grilling!

Summer made a brief appearance here in New England and I was able to go out and grill. I love this time of year because it is so easy for us low sodium, low cholesterol, low-fat eaters to have such delicious meals without a whole lot of fuss. I thought I would share my ideas of why summer eating is so great for us CHDers.

First, let me start by saying that grilling by its very nature can be a healthy way to eat since fat from your food melts and is consumed by the fire instead of pooling in the pan and being consumed by your body. I grill everything in the summer. It also cuts down on heat buildup in the house from running the stove and oven and saves on the number of dishes that have to be cleaned.

Vegetables are delicious when grilled. Broccoli, cauliflower and summer squash are my favorite. I take some aluminum foil and lay it out flat and spray it with some no-stick spray. I lay my veggies out flat on the foil and season them, then fold the foil lengthways and crimp the top. I roll one end up and pour a tablespoon of water in the open end to create steam. Finally, I roll the other end to create a little foil pouch and put it on the grill on the top rack for 20-30 minutes. They come out so good.

Of course, corn is the easiest to cook. I like butter and sugar but it is so sweet and buttery that it doesn't need anything added to it. I simply leave it in the husk and put the corn right on the grill. I turn it a quarter turn every five minutes, and once it’s done, I pull it off the grill and let it cool enough so that I can handle the outside of the husk (the corn inside will still be steaming hot). Cut off the fat end of the corn where it joins the stalk and grab the skinny end and silk and give it a shake. The corn will drop out completely free of any silk.

Potatoes and rice are easy to do as well; you simply make them the same as you would on the stove top. If you’re using a propane grill you’re good to go. If you are cooking on charcoal briquettes then simply use a paper towel and dishwashing liquid and coat the outside of the pan. Then when it is time to wash it the creosote will simply rinse away with the detergent. Also, try cooking the potatoes the same way as your veggies in a foil wrap. For the seasoning use a homemade ranch dry rub and drop in a dollop of butter. Cook these for about 40 minutes over medium heat.

Hope I gave you some ideas for how to make your own healthy, grilled summer dinners.