Grilled Asparagus: Simple is good

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










See that wasted space on your grill, next to the burgers? That's where your asparagus goes. Put these babies on when the burgers are half done, and everything will be ready at the same time.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time: 5-8 minutes
Serves:  2-4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 1 1/2 lbs), rinsed, woody section of the stem snapped off.
3 TB Olive Oil
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your grill.  Place your asparagus spears in a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil, and turn to coat.   Arrange the asparagus in a single layer across the grill (so no precious spears are lost into the flame). Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. (Grill heat varies widely so watch your asparagus closely).  Place spears on a serving platter and drizzle with any remaining oil from the baking dish.  Season  to taste with salt.

Yum.

Grilled Pizza with Caramelized Onions

This happy collision of ingredients and method results in a super crisp thin crust pizza topped with savory-sweet caramelized onion.

I recommend dividing your dough to make several small pizzas. These are much easier to turn on the grill than larger doughs. Stay right by the grill because these cook FAST.

Prep time: Almost instant IF (!) you prepare the dough, tomatoes, and onions ahead of time. If you're preparing all the ingredients, you'll need to start with the tomatoes the night before, or at least that morning, and 60 for the dough and 30 for the onions. (all of this is with minimal attention).
Cook time: 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill
Serves: 4 - 6 with the possibility of delicious leftovers

INGREDIENTS
1 batch Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
about 4 cups Oven Dried Tomatoes
2-3 cups Caramelized Onions
about 2 cups shredded Mozzarella, or the equivalent fresh

Preheat the grill. Set the dough out and divide into 4 equal balls. Roll one ball out on a floured work surface into a circle about 9" in diameter. Repeat with the other balls of dough. Bring all ingredients out by the grill, and be ready to work fast. Place the dough on the grill and watch carefully. The dough will quickly bubble and rise. Check after 30 seconds to see if the dough is beginning to crisp on the bottom. When browned and crisp on the bottom, flip the dough with a large spatula or pizza peel. Spread 1/4 of the tomatoes, 1/4 of the cheese, then 1/4 of the onions on each crust, close the grill, and give it a minute. The pizza may be done at this point, or might require a little more time. When dough is crisp and cheese is melted, remove pizzas to cutting boards, slice and serve.

Serve with a dry red wine (Chianti is perfect) out on your flagstone terrace.

Fancy touch: Use fresh mozzarella instead of shredded mozzarella - lay slices on the dough, grill as above, and add chopped herbs just before removing from the grill.

Variation: Can easily be done in a hot oven (400 to 500)

Tip: A pizza paddle serves as a handy "spatula" for turning the dough. And be VERY careful spreading ingredients on the dough on the grill - it's hot in there!

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Grilled Kohlrabi

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










Tender kohlrabi on the inside, grill flavor on the outside. This is a good use of large summer kohlrabi.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-6

2 large kohlrabi, peeled, cut into 1/2" slices, and steamed until tender crisp
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

While kohlrabi is steaming preheat the grill. Mix the garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. When kohlrabi is steamed, remove slices to a shallow dish and coat with the olive oil mixture, turning. Grill for 2 minutes per side.

Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and topping with Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Basil

Eggplant might be considered a vegetable, but its texture and mouthfeel is more substantial, more rich, than your average green bean. No wonder it's often treated as a main course.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves: 4 as a side dish

1 large eggplant, washed, ends cut off, and sliced into pieces into pieces 1/2 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Lay the eggplant slices in a baking pan. Mix the garlic, oil, and vinegar, pour over, and turn the slices to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Ideally marinate for an hour or more.

Preheat the grill. Grill the slices for 4 minutes per side or until eggplant is tender.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Grilled Everything

Grill vegetables along with any grilled main course. This recipe suggests broccoli, eggplant, squash, and peppers, but don't stop there. One surface for everything, minimum cleaning. Guys like that. Er, everyone likes that.

(This particular method appeared in my Cooking For Guys, reprinted with permission.)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 head broccoli, broken into florets about 1 1/2 inches wide
2 large bell peppers, seeds and stems removed, quartered lengthwise
2 small (10-inch) fresh zucchini, washed, ends cut off, and quartered lengthwise
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into lengthwise strips about 3/4 inch wide
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Hot pepper sauce (optional)

Start the grill. In a small cup, mix the olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning. Place the veggies in a large bowl. Pour the oil mixture over the vegetables and turn to thoroughly coat. Lay the vegetables on the grill in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until softened. Distribute to serving plates, and season to taste with salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and hot sauce (if using).

Serve on the porch on a late summer evening, and keep those warm days in mind.

Grilled Fresh Herb Pizza

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










Fast, crisp, and irresistible. Whole wheat dough offers the best flavor. Stay right by the grill because these cook FAST.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill
Serves: 4

4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups chopped arugula or spinach
1/2 cup diced sweet onion (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 package (1 lb.) pizza dough, or the equivalent homemade.
3-4 TB extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the grill.

Mix the mozzarella, greens, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl, and set aside. Set the dough out and divide into 4 equal balls. Roll one ball out on a floured work surface into a circle about 9" in diameter. (*The small size of these pizzas make them easier to work with on the grill). Repeat with the other balls of dough. Bring all ingredients out by the grill, and be ready to work fast. Place the dough on the grill and watch carefully. The dough will quickly bubble and rise. Check after 30 seconds to see if the dough is beginning to crisp on the bottom. When browned and crisp on the bottom, flip the dough with a large spatula or pizza peel. Spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture on each crust, close the grill, and give it a minute. The pizza may be done at this point, or might require a little more time. When dough is crisp and cheese is melted, remove pizzas to cutting boards, drizzle with olive oil, slice and serve.

Serve with a dry rose as you look out over the Umbrian countryside.

Fancy touch: Use fresh mozzarella instead of shredded mozzarella - lay slices on the dough, grill as above, and spread chopped herbs just before removing from the grill.

Variation: Can easily be done in a hot oven (400 to 500)

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Early Summer Herbs

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










Mahi Mahi is perfect grilled and served with fresh herbs.

Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 8-10 Minutes
Serves: 2 (Easy to scale)

1 lb Mahi Mahi filets, skin on
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 TB olive oil
1 tsp (a small clove) crushed garlic
Pepper to taste

1/4 cup seasonal fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, and sage, minced

Preheat your grill. Wash and dry the filets, and place in a bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice, add the olive oil and garlic, and turn to coat. Season gently with pepper. Salt may not be necessary.

Grill the fish, skin side down, for 8 minutes or until almost done (fish will continue to cook for a minute after you remove it from the grill). After 4 minutes drizzle with any remaining marinade from the bowl.

Serve with a fairly rich white wine, like a California Chardonnay. Yum.

Variations: Use any firm fish, such as halibut or salmon steaks, tuna or shark.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes