Grilling- Not Just Guy Territory
Get Grillin’
“GRILL MASTER” – it’s printed on hats, aprons and coffee mugs everywhere, especially this time of year. However, the grill doesn’t have to be foreign territory for us ladies. There is so much more to use your grill for besides the usual burgers, hot dogs and steak. I love to use the grill for fish, vegetables, and chicken, too. While using the grill can seem a bit daunting, once you learn how to do it safely, you can really enjoy changing up some of the meals you cook this summer.
The first thing to do is to learn how to operate the grill safely. If yours has a propane tank, it’s really important to light the burners immediately after tuning on the gas to prevent explosions. Gas grills need to be preheated for about 10 minutes before cooking and charcoal ones need about 20 minutes. Another safety measure is to have the tools you need handy. Be sure to have longer handled spatulas and hot mitts to prevent burns. Also, a meat thermometer is a good idea to make sure you have cooked your meats sufficiently and they are not still raw inside.
Marinades are your friend. Marinating chicken breasts or pork chops ahead of time will help to ensure juicy meat after they are cooked. If you don’t have time to make a marinade, cheat by throwing the meat into a ziplock bag with your favorite salad dressing (not the creamy ones) and let it marinate in the fridge for the day. When you get home at night, all you have to do is throw it on the grill!
Another way to make things easy, including the clean-up, is to put everything into a foil pouch (chicken, veggies, seasoning and a little liquid, such as white wine). Make sure all of the pieces are about the same size inside the pouch to ensure even cooking time. Put the entire foil pouch on the grill and let it cook.
If you are afraid to mess up the meal, simply begin using the grill to add some flavor to food you have already cooked. Before I learned how to cook meat through properly, I would simply bake or broil it in my oven, then throw it on the grill for a minute or two at the end to get that delicious grilled flavor. Happy summer!
Meet The Bella Behind the Blog: Kristen Farley is a mother of three and a domestic goddess. She is a former teacher who enjoys spending lots of time with her kids, healthy eating, volunteering at school, and mommy blogging for the masses.
Be on the lookout for more of Kristen’s expert advice and brilliant tips!
