Tag: grill

Picnic/Cookout Foods

Happy 4th, even if you don’t celebrate! I’ve been working on this list for a couple days, but as gatherings are being allowed again where I am, and as the summer continues to roll in, I figured it be a good opportunity to get you a list of some summer cookout or picnic foods. I’ve made four categories: main courses, sides, snacks, and desserts. The pictures are also in order as they are listed below!

Main Course

Sides

Snacks

Desserts

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Grilled Lemon Pepper Tilapia

A healthy option for your cookout is grilled tilapia. Tilapia is a fragile fish, so it should be cooked in a foil packet. Thicker fillets of fish can be cooked on the grill, but they usually require skin and very thick cuts, such as tuna or salmon. I used lemon pepper as my seasoning for this dish. I’ve used it with tilapia in the past and it is very good. If you use an acid in your foil packet, I do recommend adding something to cancel some of the acidity, such as a little sugar or baking soda.

  1. Heat a grill on high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce half the grill to low, close the lid and heat grill to 400 F.
  2. Get a 12 x 12 inch piece of aluminum foil. Place thawed tilapia on the foil and cover with pepper. Seal up and roll the ends. Leave the center open, add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of sugar. Roll the center closed.
  3. Place the packet over a mild heat area, between the high heat and the low area. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
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Grilled Chicken Breast

Grilled chicken has such a unique flavor. It reminds me of Memorial day, because every year there would be a chicken BBQ in our town to support the little league teams. Tough this chicken isn’t bone in with skin, the flavor of this chicken reminds me so much of that small town tradition. I didn’t do much to flavor this chicken, I just cracked fresh pepper over the top. I cleaned my grill, but I didn’t spray or use any non-stick on my grill. The chicken did stick a bit, but for the most part it was fine. I also cooked the chicken on my grill for about 40 minutes, and my grill was between 375 – 400 F. If i could have controlled it a bit more, I would have liked the 400 – 425 F range better. This chicken was very good, juicy with lots of flavor, but it would have been nice to have a bit more char to the chicken.

  1. Heat your grill with all burners on high for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat on half the grill to low. Heat until grill reads about 400 F with the lid closed.
  2. Prep your chicken by transferring it onto a small plate. Coat the top with pepper. Transfer onto heated grill and cook on first side for 25 minutes.
  3. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 10-20 minutes until internal temperature of 165 F is reached. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
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Potato and Mushroom Packet

My post yesterday explained some of my background with grilling, which was a love hate relationship. I’ve since researched and watched some videos about grilling, and I’ve learned the basics for cooking on a grill. These foil packets are one of the easiest ways to cook a side on your grill or over your fire. The packet makes it so your food steams/bakes safe from the flame until your ready to serve. As if you were baking this in a 400 F oven, this will also take 45-50 minutes to cook.

  1. Take an 18 inch long piece of aluminum foil. Rinse, scrub, and dice 4 medium potatoes (2 cups). Place on foil. Open and strain 1 can (4 oz) of sliced mushrooms, add to foil.
  2. Begin to fold up sides, add 2 Tbsp of oil, 1 Tbsp of salt, and 1/4 cup of Speedie Sauce. Carefully mix, seal, and add an additional 2-3 layers of foil to seal packet fully.
  3. Preheat grill to 400 F. Once in the 400 – 425 F range, place the packet over low/ indirect heat. Cook for 50 minutes before serving.
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Grilled Steak

Grilling is a science that I have very little experience with. Grilling has always been one of those things that work good in concept, but bad in execution, at least for me. I used to grill with the top open and without a working thermometer, and since learning the way a grill works, it has been remarkably easier to grill. Temperatures are just as important as they are for ovens. They tell you if you are hot enough to cook your food. The lid also helps maintain the oven aspect of the grill, maintaining a temperature for reliable cooking time. The lid is also a quick and easy way to drop the temperature if it’s getting too hot. If you want to smoke on your grill, which I will be doing this summer, you’ll want the temperature to be low, the low 200 F range. One way to keep it that low is to prop the door open slightly. I wasn’t able to get my grill as hot as I wanted because of wind and outdoor temperature, so I had to cook them a bit longer. I also had to rotate them when I flipped them on the grill, since the back of my grill was hotter than the front. If you aren’t sure about if it is done, use a thermometer and take into account the temperature will continue to climb another 5-10 degrees after you remove it from the flame.

  1. Heat your grill and get it to stay around 430 – 450 F. Prepare your steaks, thaw, and place each on it’s own piece of foil.
  2. Once the grill is heated, place the steaks and foil onto the hottest part of the grill. Cook the steaks with the lid closed. Once it gets back up to temperature, cook for 6 minutes.
  3. Flip your steaks. Add 1/2 Tbsp of butter to each. Close the lid, let it get back up to temperature, cook for an additional 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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