Grillin' Time

This month’s theme at The Inspired Plate is Barbecue.  This word is interesting as it means so many different things and especially different depending on where you live.{Just check out the video on Carey Pace's blog}   So for my readers, here is my first entry from Kat’s Food Blogging Dictionary.

bar·be·cue {bahr-bi-kyoo} noun, verb; The act of cooking AND the celebration surrounding really great food prepared outdoors usually on a grill.  And like most occasions that usually happen indoors but are moved out, there is likely a bit of a celebratory feeling about said food preparation and consuming especially in the month of July.

Now that we’ve got that settled…and the fact that I probably won’t be writing for Webster’s anytime soon despite the fact that I think all Moms should have an open opportunity to work for a dictionary and or encyclopedia company because of their answering endless questions at the drop of the hat on every subject from abalone to zippers, we can continue with the good stuff.

I like to grill.  Probably, because it’s pretty simple. You don’t have to have a lot of ingredients and if you work it right you don’t even have to be the one doing the actual cooking. 

So the first thought on grilling is the standard, the normal and maybe the boring.

The Dog

 

The Dog itself is greatly enhanced with the magic of the grill.  The little bit of smoke and char singed sides makes for a tasty summer treat.  You can go traditional with mustard or branch out for a bit of crunch and texture as well as added flavor.

The grill however, is versatile and welcomes many types of food. (You’ll see everything from veggies to desserts as you round the blircle today).

So without further ado…let me introduce you to the Kabob family…First there is Beef Kabob, Veggie Kabob and Chicken Kabob.

All quite tasty, and equally easy to prepare.  Here's a few tips to help along the way.

Tip 1: You can mix veggies and meat..but they cook at different rates so you might try all veggie and all meet kabobs to streamline the  process.

Tip 2: Cut your meat in similar size 'squares' so they cook evenly. Make your veggies chunky so they can hold up to the grill and stay juicy.

Tip 3: Use a nice pair of insulated tongs to easily rotate kabobs from one side to the next.

Tip 4. Olive Oil is your best friend.  All three preparations were created with a douse of olive oil then a pinch of seasoning.  In this case a mixture of peppers, garlic for the beef, seasoning salt for the chicken and Italian dressing seasoning for the veggies.  YUM!

So enjoy your next BBQ and your trip around The Inspired Plate as you try veggies, meats and even dessert.  Your next stop is to a BBQ down under. Sabrina Wong, Perth Food Photographer.  This girl is amazing she is a medical student by day and a superb Food Photographer…by…well I have no idea how she fits that in.  But she rocks it!