A Look At Grilling Vegetables This Summer

Did you know that vegetables are great on the grill? It is amazing, given how easy they are to cook, and how delicious they can be, that more of us do not decide to put vegetables on the grill in the summer. Let us take a look at some of the best ways to grill veggies of any kind.

Rule one is making sure you are going to be quickly and evenly cooking your veggies. You will want consistent size and thickness in your pieces. Try cutting them no more than an inch thick to keep them from being tough and undercooked, or burnt. Soak veggies in water for thirty minutes or so before grilling to keep them from becoming dry.

Brush all veggies lightly with your favorite oil to keep them from sticking, and be sure you do not overcook them. Some of these foods can cook amazingly quickly! For pieces that would fall through the grill grate on their own, look for a grilling basket. That will allow them to cook up nicely, and it will keep them from falling into the fire.

There are lots of vegetables that require a little bit of special treatment on the grill to turn out well. Asparagus, for instance, requires only a little cooking, and grills up well with sesame oil. Soak it before cooking and turn it once every sixty seconds. Serve with soy sauce for a delicious Asian inspired treat.

Bell peppers, whether colored or green, as well as hot peppers, do well when halved. Cut out the seeds and stems and brush them with oil. They take just two to three minutes on the grill, so watch them carefully. Tomatoes can also be cut in half, oiled, and cooked for a short time. Summer squash and zucchini are done in a similar way, but should be cut into half inch thick pieces.

When you are grilling vegetables that are a little harder, you will need to turn the heat lower or place the veggies in an area where the coals are not so dense, then cook longer. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be cooked whole for a half hour to forty minutes, after rubbing with oil and wrapping in foil, or you can grill them in pieces. Oil and wrap them the same way.

If grilled corn on the cob is a favorite, you are in luck. Just strip back the husks, take off the silk, and soak your corn. Pay dry and coat lightly in oil. Pull the husks back over the corn and place them on the grill, then cook five to seven minutes and serve with oil or butter. You can also strip corn entirely and cook it directly on the grill, but turn often and do not overcook.

Mushrooms should be rinsed or brushed clean, oiled, and grilled whole. Remember that smaller pieces will have a tendency to fall through the grate. There is a lot of shrinkage in mushrooms, so they will be trickier to cook as they get closer to done. Four to five minutes works well for small mushrooms, while six to eight is better for large ones.

By: Christine Szalay-Kudra

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you are interested in knowing a little bit more about the best ways to grill vegetable recipes, you should check out the information available at our site. We have lots of hints and tips to help you have a great summer cookout that is not just about the meat. Be sure to check it out and see how easy it is to make grilled vegetables part of your cookout! www.GrilledVegetableRecipe.com - The Veggie Side of Grilling