A New Twist on Summer Grilling

You'll be surprised what your kids will eat on a stick. Have the butcher help you out for easy meal prep. Poultry can be cubed for easy threading. If you aren't that creative w/ the entrée and just want to stick to low-fat turkey burgers, go for it but change up the menu by grilling different veggies and fruit. Get the kids involved; they'll love to place the food on the stick.

Many fruits and veggies peak during summer. This means cost savings for the consumer but also great taste. Summer squash taste great sautéed or served raw in a salad. You probably have seen blueberries and raspberries at the store or farmer's market. Stone fruit, such as cherries, apricots and peaches, are perfect this time of year. Did you know that a nectarine is basically a bare naked peach? The smooth skin is actually due to a recessive gene.

Usually when we think of grilling, we think of BBQ'd ribs and chicken. Try something new this August - focus on fruits and vegetables. Vegetables actually taste a little sweeter when grilled because the sugar is more concentrated. Adding a little bit of salt to them also intensifies the flavor (draws water out, if you recall your high school chemistry). Just brush them with a little vegetable oil prior to grilling and add salt or other seasoning. Asparagus will grill quite quickly while thicker vegetables need to be grilled longer (35+ minutes). Try slicing up potatoes in thin, long pieces for a healthier way to serve chips. Corn on the cob is an easy one, just remove the husks and rotate during grilling (about 10 minutes).