Let’s face it, walking around the same old block every day can get a bit boring. Maybe it’s time to try a different side street, or in this case, a new side dish to serve with your entrée. It’s time to let your BBQ go VGQ, and to that end, here are three grilling options that should spice up your dinner repertoire.

You already know how the grill performs a smoke-and-char magic act on fish and meats, so give the same treatment to vegetables and reap the benefits. The grill’s dry heat concentrates everything that tastes good while adding the unmistakeable smoky essence of summer.

A recent dinner consisted of grilled lamb loin chops, accompanied by the grilled onions and asparagus sides. The lamb benefited from the balsamic vinaigrette and gremolata.

Grilled Onions with Balsamic Vinaigrette

If you’re an allium fan, you’ll adore these onions (recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated). Keep in mind, the size will affect the cooking time, so it’s important to choose onions that weigh between 7 and 8 ounces each and measure about 3 inches in diameter.

In step 3, be sure to err on the side of achieving darker charring, as the steaming step will soften the char’s appearance and flavor. The onions can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature which alleviates some stress when throwing a meal together.

Grilled Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint and Pine Nuts

Here, a fresh vinaigrette lends a bright contrast to the sweetness of summer squash (which gets extra caramelized from the heat of the grill).

Of course Mother Nature can throw you a curve ball as she did the night we made our dinner. Thunderstorms had been raging through the area for days and more was on the way. Luckily, our Plan B was “Grilliam” our cast-iron Staub grill pan. In fact, it was even quicker than a grill because it took less time to heat up, while providing the caramelized char in under 15 minutes—a Win, Win! The downside of course, was having to cook the main entrée in another skillet.

Grilled Asparagus with Cilantro-Lime Gremolata

Not moving the spears during cooking allows them to get a rich sear on one side and remain vibrant green on the other, which helps them retain their freshness and tender snap. This riff on gremolata enhances the stalks’ vibrancy. And you seriously can’t get much easier than this 3-ingredient topping.

As you are aware, there are so many hot sauces on the market that it might be tough to wrap your head around another one, but stay with me here because this classic Korean condiment, gochujang, is having a moment in the sun for good reason. How to describe this fermented chili, garlic, and rice-based sauce that is enormously popular in Korea? Garlicky. Spicy. Fermented. Thick. Savory. Funky. Sweet. Umami. It’ll definitely appeal to those who like Sriracha, like us.

In this recipe found on 177Milkstreet.com, Grilled Gochujang Shrimp with Scallions gets just the right amount of spicy flavor and a healthy dose of umami from gochujang. If you’ve never purchased it, it’s often sold in plastic tubs in Asian grocery stores or in red squeeze bottles in the Asian aisle of many supermarkets.

Simply serve the shrimp with steamed rice (preferably steamed in shellfish stock instead of water) and kimchi, use as a filling for lettuce wraps, or add them to a salad along with a sesame-soy vinaigrette.

This dish, inspired by a recipe in “Season” by Nik Sharma, delivers a flavorful steak plus salad using just a handful of ingredients. A simple spice mix spiked with orange zest seasons both the steak and the vinaigrette that dresses the arugula; while the peppery bite of the baby arugula complements the bold flavors of the meat.

Don’t use extra-virgin olive oil, as its smoke point is too low for searing the steak (which we increased to 1 1/2pounds); regular olive oil is the better choice. Alternatively, use 1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil for cooking the steak and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in the dressing.

With few ingredients, this meal comes together quickly. As a speedy side that is also low-carb, we paired it with a Caprese salad of heirloom tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, fresh-picked green and purple basil chiffonade and a lite balsamic dressing.

Sheet Pan Salmon With Potatoes and Broccolini is another “Easy Dinner” from the Real Simple Magazine (RS), December 2018 issue. In the name of convenience, less dishes to wash, and healthy ingredients, I figured this was a must-try for a weeknight meal. Not only does this simple salmon and veggie dinner come together on one sheet pan, it keeps your shopping list short—a double win!

However, my main concern was with how the broccolini was treated. There was no way it was going to be anywhere near done in only two minutes under our broiler. (Gas ovens tend to have lousy broilers.) By steaming it in the microwave until crisp tender, the broccolini was at least partially cooked before I added it to the sheet pan.

I cut our 1 1/2-pound salmon fillet into three portions as opposed to four, weighing in at 8 ounces a piece. Therefore I reworked the cooking time table so that after the potatoes roasted (which were pretty small) for only 12 minutes, I added the salmon (on top of some sliced shallots), and cooked everything another 7 minutes before adding the broccolini. Then I broiled it all another 5 minutes total, turning the sheet as necessary for even browning.

The key to making this recipe work is the timing—and getting the broccolini just right. Starting the potatoes off first allows them to get a head start, instead of overcooking the salmon or fussy steps. The sauce is tangy and mahvelous, and brings everything together. Two thumbs up!

Chicken Burgers with Lime, Pepper and Pickle—Who knew a lean burger could taste so light and bright? Lime zest and juice as well as fresh cilantro and red bell pepper brighten these babies beautifully. And the addition of dijon mustard with the mayonnaise raises the level of tang just a smidge more.

Every now and again it’s nice to change things up. And even though a grilled beef burger is an all-American favorite, especially during the warm weather months, these chicken patties are sure to make you raise an eyebrow or two. 

Because the meat is so lean, they are best cooked in a cast-iron skillet as opposed to on the grill. You’ll still get a nice crisp char on the outside, but the meat will remain juicy on the interior.

Don’t leave off the pickle; that little bit of tang and crunch makes a big difference.

Adapted from a recipe by Diana Andrews

We love stir-fries with lots of veggies and this one was everything it claimed to be—easy, fast and incredibly good. And is par for the course, we often make a few tweaks based on our own preferences or comments from other reviewers. In this case, we reduced the mirin (by half) which lends a sweet taste; instead we added chili garlic sauce for a more spicy note.

Several other alterations included increasing the amount of sirloin steak to 1.75 pounds (we wanted leftovers), adding a red bell pepper (great way to add a pop of color and more nutrients), increasing the snap peas to 12 ounces, and using a wok instead of a skillet. However, the recipe below is the Bon Appétit original.

You bet this was a keeper, and we totally enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next couple of days.

Adapted from a recipe by Claire Saffitz from Bon Appétit

It’s been six years since our visit to lovely San Sebastian, a coastal town firmly ensconced in the Basque Country of Spain. A relatively new cookbook for Russ, The Basque Book (by Alexandra Raij with Eder Montero) made us fall in love with the cuisine all over again—although we’ve been pretty regular Spanish chefs in the interim.

We were heading to a small house party at the home of friends Paula and Mike and wanted to contribute a couple of appetizers. One of them, Marinated Mushrooms with Vermouth and Garlic, was a simple recipe from The Basque Book. Snappy to make, they can be popped into your mouth right away (or at least once they’ve cooled), but if for some odd reason you have any left over, they are even better a day or two later—so you might want to make an extra batch—just sayin’.

The final step is to thread the ‘shrooms onto little skewers, but we didn’t bother. Simply plating them in a serving dish with a large spoon and a side of crusty baguette to mop up the tasty sauce was party-friendly enough. Vegetarian- and vegan-approved.

Grilled Shrimp with Turmeric Mojo Sauce is like a tropical curry sauce with a kick and it’s a great recipe for a last-minute grilling idea that’s sure to impress guests. If you make the mojo ahead of time it will literally only take 15 minutes to marinate the shrimp and 2 or 3 more to grill. That’s barely enough time to pop open a cold one!

Shrimp, unlike chicken or steak, can take on the flavors of a bright, acidic marinade in minutes, making it a good choice for last-minute grilling. You actually don’t want to let shrimp sit in the marinade for too long because the acid in the citrus will start to firm up and cook the flesh. Even though the original recipe didn’t say how long to marinate, we did for 15 minutes, which I noted below.

Because we had a two-pound bag of extra large shrimp in the freezer, we thawed the entire amount. The supermarket wasn’t carrying habaneros, but I always keep jars of pickled chiles on hand and substituted serranos with their seeds, which added plenty of heat. You can determine how much to include based on your own tolerance for spiciness.

We both concur, turning the shrimp would be much easier if threaded onto metal (or soaked wooden) skewers instead of flipping each crustacean individually… next time. Rice, or couscous steamed with shellfish stock makes a nice base on which to lay the shrimp and soak up some of the extra marinade. And a grilled veggie like asparagus, rounds out the meal without using additional cookware.

Recipe found in the June/July Grilling Issue of Bon Appétit

One of the easiest, most satisfying, quick and pan-less ways to prepare vegetables is grilling them. There’s no question that vegetables are good for you because they’re filled with vitamins and nutrients that we need to stay healthy. But sometimes, even for many adults, they just aren’t appealing enough to eat. Grilling them is another matter. Why?

Because the flavor is enhanced naturally. While marinades are definitely delicious—and some of the recipe links below bare that out—they aren’t a necessity when grilling vegetables. Because of the smoke from the grill, the vegetables are infused with a subtle barbecue flavor that appeals to everyone. But that’s not all.

The heat from the grill caramelizes the natural sugars inside the vegetables, causing them to taste sweeter and more flavorful, as in the spring onions and portobellos that we recently grilled. Simply tossed or brushed with a good extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, then arranged on a hot grill for 3-5 minutes per side, perfection!

Loin lamb chops, spring onions and portobellos were the perfect grilling trio as they all took less than 10 minutes to cook. They were all simply brushed with a good extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper prior to grilling.

Found a veggie you’ve never tried? Give it a ride on the ole barby. You’ll find that when you’re unsure about how to cook a vegetable, grilling is the simplest answer. It’s also the easiest—no prep time involved if you’re too lazy to do any slicing or chopping, and we’ve all been there, right? You will get the best results using vegetables with a low water content. Examples include mushrooms, onions, cabbage, asparagus, and bell peppers; although we’ve been known to grill eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and bok choy too.

An added bonus for when you host both plant-based diet followers and die-hard meat eaters. Grilled vegetables can be the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal or an accompaniment to a main dish.

So go for it! Heat up your grill. When it is medium hot, either place your vegetables on the grill, in a foil pouch or on skewers. If you are using dense vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, these take longer to cook, so add them first. Turn the vegetables when they need it and brush on more marinade or oil when required. If you can pierce the vegetables easily with a sharp knife, they are ready to eat.

Some past postings of vegetables we grilled:

Mixed Medley in a Basket:

Eggplant and Tomato Skewers:

Baby Bok Choy:

Lime-Miso Marinated Asparagus:

Deconstructed Veggie Kebabs:

Just as there are umpteen versions of Italian Spaghetti Sauce and Mexican Salsa Roja, you can also find a plethora of recipes for Filipino Adobo Chicken. To clarify, “adobo” refers to a method of marinating and stewing for any cut of meat or fish in a briny mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and spices. However, don’t confuse Filipino adobo with the spicy Spanish adobo sauce. Although they both share the Spanish name, they are vastly different in flavor and ingredients.

There are basic adobo ingredients, yet often a variety of others are included. Vinegar and soy sauce are the heart of adobo, but over the centuries, other liquids have occasionally been added to the brine. Some combos include coconut milk, which mellows the strong flavors of the vinegar and soy sauce. Others include sugar or honey to add a touch of sweetness and an almost teriyaki-like characteristic. The flavor of adobo can also be varied depending on the type of vinegar used. In the Philippines, coconut vinegar, rice vinegar, or cane vinegar are the most common.

Over the past Winter holiday season, Hubby attended a work function where one of his coworkers contributed a crockpot full of her mother’s version of this dish. He was so impressed, he asked the officemate to email him the recipe, which she did—but we didn’t get around to making it until late Spring. Anyway, the recipe below reflects my changes, which Mr. Hubs also loved.

If using bone-in chicken breasts, cut the split breasts into quarters so that they are a more uniform in size to the dark pieces to ensure even cooking, plus the marinade will penetrate more of the meat. BTW, for additional flavor, swap out unsweetened pineapple juice for the 1 cup of water. If you serve it over rice (best steamed with homemade chicken stock instead of water), spoon the extra sauce over.

Trust me, you’re gonna hope there are leftovers!

Anchovies and cauliflower are a classic Italian pairing; the anchovies instill a deep, savory (not fishy) flavor that’s made even better here with the addition of garlic, fresh rosemary, and red pepper flakes. All that, plus a little cured pork, guarantees excitement in every bite.

Often in recipes such as this, we reduce the pasta by 50%, so here we used only 8 ounces as opposed to 12. In addition, we increased the prosciutto by 50%, incorporated orange cauliflower for a pop of color, and added extra red pepper flakes. Then for an extra boost of flavor we used homemade chicken stock instead of boxed or canned, and threw in some extra grated cheese.

The end result was really good. The only other change we’d make is next time we’ll crisp the prosciutto before adding the cauliflower to lessen the chance of it clumping and infuse some of the taste into the veggie. I noted this step into the directions below.

Recipe adapted from one by Arlene Jacobs of Fine Cooking

Belly up to the bar—the ice cream bar, that is. Häagen-Dazs  has risen to fill a void of boozy frozen desserts with the release of its new Spirits Collection. Each pint features a different variety of popular liquor, paired alongside indulgent mix-ins, and Häagen-Dazs’ famously rich ice cream. After eyeballing a full-page ad in a recent cooking magazine, something compelled me to purchase the Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle variety, and I almost never eat ice cream or dessert, but the Husbster wasn’t about to dissuade me…

Although the bourbon one may not sound too exciting compared to the line’s other offerings, this flavor goes to show that ice cream doesn’t have to be complicated to win you over. With a dense, sweet, vanilla bean-flecked base, we found it a pleasure to appreciate this variety’s superb consistency and creamy mouthfeel, and the tiny truffles speckled throughout provided just enough intermittent bursts of crunch and texture.

To up the decadent ante, serve with a Dark Chocolate Godiva heart…

Rather than finding recognizable streams of bourbon swirled throughout, we tasted hints of booze in each spoonful and found the alcohol’s slight edge helped to make this flavor seem like an “adult’s only” version of vanilla bean ice cream (which as a kid was one of my faves). And don’t worry about getting schnockered over dessert, it only contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.

Rounding out the collection are three more flavors: Rum Tres Leche, Irish Cream Brownie and Stout Chocolate Pretzel Crunch. Apparently you can also find nondairy amaretto black cherry almond toffee and Irish cream cookie squares in your freezer aisle. The summer just started, so you have all season to indulge…