Community Corner

Get Grillin'

Sick of burgers and dogs? Here are some recipes for the grill to heat things up

Tomorrow is Labor Day, which is often referred to as the unofficial end of summer. Friends and families will gather - - for one last big barbeque.

However, after countless hamburgers and hot dogs these last few months, it's time to spice the menu up and go big for summer's last hurrah.

Here are some grill recipes to add some flavor to your holiday:

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Grilled Pizza - The Easy Way

The first time I heard about grilled pizza, I thought the chef had lost her mind. Now it is a popular item for our girls' night menu. A lot of recipes online detail how to make the item from scratch (including your own pizza dough). But come on, we're all too busy for that. Here is a much easier way to grill up an Italian-American classic, based on a recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients:

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  • Non-stick pan spray
  • Pita bread
  • Marinara sauce
  • Boneless chicken breast
  • Any other toppings you enjoy on pizza: sliced mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc
  1. Grill the chicken and cut it into small, bite-sized cubes.
  2. Spray one side of a pita with cooking spray and place spray-side down on a plate or baking sheet. This helps prevent the pizza from sticking to the grill.
  3. Layer your favorite sauce and toppings (mozzarella, chicken, etc) onto the pita. Be sure to leave a ½ inch or so border of the pita un-topped so your goodies don’t drip or otherwise find their way onto your grill. Also, don’t pile the pizza too high. Your pita will crisp up long before your cheese melts and your toppings heat through if you are too top-heavy.
  4. Put the pita onto a warm (not flaming hot) grill.
  5. Grill until the pita is crispy and the toppings warm and melted, about 5-6 minutes. Pay attention, your pizza will go from crisp to burned in no time flat.

This technique also works in the oven, so it won't matter whether your summer bash is rained out. Instead of grilling your pizza, pile the toppings on and bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Firecracker Grilled Atlantic Salmon

This tangy recipe, from AllRecipes.com, takes only 20 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook all 8 eight servings:

Ingredients

  • 8 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
  • 1/2 cup peanut oil OR olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons green onions, chopped
  • 3 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Place salmon filets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
  2. Prepare an outdoor grill with coals about 5 inches from the grate, and lightly oil the grate.
  3. Grill the fillets 5 inches from coals for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until fish just flakes with a fork. Turn over halfway through cooking.

Donna's Famous Chicken Sandwich

This recipe, straight from my mother's kitchen, was always a go-to for a quick and easy meal sure to please a group of picky eaters. Sandwich toppings can be added or removed depending on your own taste. Bonus: this meal can also be made inside using a sautee pan, making it perfect for rain or shine.

Ingredients

  • Boneless chicken breast
  • Fresh red peppers
  • Red onions
  • Garlic powder, salt and pepper
  • Fresh mozzarella
  • Sliced zucchini 
  • Romain lettuce
  • Balsamic vinaigrette
  • Artisan bread

Directions

  1. Turn on the grill. Slice chicken in half length wise to make two pieces about a quarter of an inch think. Season chicken to your liking with garlic, salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill.
  2. With a separate knife and cutting board, slice red pepper and zucchini into long strips. Also slice the mozzarella, red onion and romain lettuce. Put these aside until the chicken is done cooking.
  3. When the chicken is almost done, place the sliced bread on the grill and let it warm up and become crispy. 
  4. Take the bread off the grill and put two thin slices of chicken on the bread. Then add the mozzarella, red pepper, zucchini, red onions and lettuce. On the top piece of bread, sprinkle balsamic vinaigrette.

Beef Shish Kabobs 

This dish takes a little more time, but only minimal cooking know-how. According to GrillingCompanion.com, it's best to select shish kabob ingredients based on what cooks at a similar rate. Here is one of their recipes:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound beef sirloin, top sirloin, or filet
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 green pepper
  • 10 large white mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper (optional)
  • 2/3 cup dry red wine, burgundy or pinot noir
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

  1. If you are using bamboo skewers, start by submerging them in water using a dish or a paper towel to hold them underwater.  Let them soak for 30 minutes.  We use double skewers as it makes it easier to turn without having the ingredients spin on the skewer.  You can use two bamboo skewers or buy some double prong skewers.
  2. Make the marinade: In a stainless or glass bowl large enough to hold the meat, add the wine, salt, sugar, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix the marinade.
  3. Cube it: Cut the steak into 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch cubes. Add the cubes to the marinade bowl. Let it rest for 2 hours in the fridge. Then remove it from the refrigerator and let it come back to room temperature like we did in the filet mignon recipe. Let it sit at room temp for about 30 minutes.
  4. Cut the onion in half and then cut each half into quarters. Cut the green pepper open and clean out the seeds. Cut the pepper into 1 inch squares (or close to square as you can). You can leave the mushrooms whole, but for larger mushrooms, we recommend you cut them in half. Optionally you can marinade the veggies in Italian dressing.
  5. Skewer: We like to alternate between onions and peppers, as they add great flavor to the meat while cooking. We also throw the mushrooms in every now and then. The onion, peppers and meat play well with the mushrooms. It’s nice to see the meat and vegetables getting along so well.
  6. After assembling the kabobs, brush some oil on the skewered meat and veggies at this point, to keep them from sticking.
  7. Prep the grill: If using gas, heat the grill on high for 10 minutes prior to cooking.  If cooking on coals, it is best to use natural hardwood charcoal.  Add enough coals to cook over a high heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
  8. Grill ‘em: Place the kabobs on the hot grill directly over the flame or coals.  Keep the lid open since we are cooking on direct heat.  Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating 90 degrees every 4 minutes, until the meat is cooked to desired level of doneness.  Remove the kabobs from the grill and let them rest for 3 or 4 minutes before serving.


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