There’s no denying that summer = BBQ season in Canada. And with 78% of Canadians owning a BBQ, it might just be Canada’s favourite summer pastime! With that in mind, you might find yourself grilling the same thing week after week. To keep your barbeque game on point, here are a few grilling suggestions.
Produce
Romaine: Halve a head of romaine lettuce and peel off the outer couple layers (or just buy romaine hearts). Baste them in cooking oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Char each side and serve as is; or chop it up and make a Caesar salad with it. Should take about 8 minutes to grill.
Pineapple: Mix equal parts melted butter and brown sugar; add cinnamon to taste. Spear pineapple cubes onto kabob sticks and douse them in your butter mixture. Grill for about 8 minutes.
Avocado: Halve avocados and remove the pits. Squeeze a lime over the insides then brush them with olive oil and salt. Put them on skin side up and barbeque for about 5 minutes.
Seafood
Lobster tails: Mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt, paprika and garlic powder. Score and coat your lobster tails, then grill for about 5 minutes per side. Baste throughout grilling for more flavour.
Shrimp: Marinate your shrimp in a combo of olive oil, cilantro, lime, garlic, tequila, salt and cayenne pepper for 30-90 minutes. Skewer the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes per side or until pink.
Dessert
Banana splits: Slice a banana lengthwise and stuff with chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and cinnamon toast crunch cereal. Wrap in foil and put on the grill for about 5 minutes.
Brie: Put your wheel of brie into a cast iron skillet and score the top. Top with honey, olive oil, and either fruit or wine and place the skillet on the grill for about 10 minutes. Serve with crackers or grilled bread slices.
Grapes: Prepare a marinade of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes and crushed garlic and soak the grapes for 10 minutes. Skewer and grill for 1 minute, turning halfway through. Let the grapes sit in the same marinade for 10 more minutes while they cool. Serve as is, with ice cream, or even burrata.
DYK there’s more to grilling than just the food?! The grill itself matters, so give your BBQ a cleaning every few uses. And barbequing should be fun, so don your wildest apron and keep your camera handy to take pictures of those perfect char marks. Post it on social and tag me so I can keep up with your barbeque greatness all month long.
And that’s it for August! Enjoy the rest of the summer, and I look forward to catching up with you when the kids are back in school next month.