Can you grill it? Try these six recipes Food

Grilled season has come like a lion on a gazelle. This means that about 80 million of us will be happy to fry hot dogs, steaks and burgers.

That all is well and well. Who among us doesn’t love a grilled hot dog, steak or hamburger? Or, for vegetarians, a basket of grilled vegetables?

But what if we want something bigger? Something else. And I’m not talking about chicken or fish, or even shrimp (although grilled shrimp – it’s weird, and few people cook them).

What if we want grilled pizza?

What if we want grilled watermelon?

What if we want grilled Caesar salad like restaurants cooked it in the 1990s?

What if we want a grilled cheese sandwich? Not the one cooked on a frying pan or grill, but a real grilled cheese sandwich?

All you need to do is change your way of thinking. You need to start thinking about your grill as a heat source. With it you can cook in a pan, as well as on your stove. If it has a lid, you can use it for baking and roasting, just like in the oven.

I made pizza. While some pizzerias boast of running on wood, while others declare the superiority of coal-fired ovens, grilled pizza is natural.

This is only slightly different from the standard way of preparing it. You grease both sides of the dough with olive oil (I cooked it myself, but you can buy it in some stores) and cook one side on a medium preheated grill for just a couple of minutes. You turn it over, quickly add the sauce and filling and cover the grill. It will take another minute or two to cook and you will get a classic pizza.

I stuck to the unintentional theme of fried carbs with grilled polenta. This time I used store-bought, polenta, the one that comes in a tube, but nothing prevents you from making thick polenta, cooling it in the fridge, and then slicing it on the grill.

On the other hand, it’s a big job. The polenta bought in the store was wonderful, especially with the olive oil, garlic and rosemary. And after grilling sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper. It’s just great.

Next was a grilled cheese sandwich, and this led to a mystery: how do you spread bread? After all, is butter the best part of a grilled cheese sandwich?

This is a problem only if you use cheap shaky bread. But cheap, tender bread (with American cheese) is what makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches. At first I tried smearing it with oil, but it tore only the fragile slices. So I cheated, sort of. I melted the butter in a frying pan and dipped in this sandwich before putting it on the grill.

Grilled cheese is definitely better than grilled cheese.

I went back in time to the next dish – grilled Caesar salad. That was about 20 years ago, and it’s still good; grilling salads gives the salad extra size, which somewhat softens the richness of the dressing.

All you need to do is grease with a little olive oil whole romaine lettuce heads and lay them out on the grill. Serve the heads whole, drizzled with Caesar dressing and Parmesan cheese. If desired, you can even turn grilled bread into crackers.

To be a little different, I finished cooking the grilled watermelon slices. Why not? First I greased a mixture of lime juice, honey and olive oil and then put the slices on the grill.

I don’t know how or why it worked, but the grill seemed to change the nature of the watermelon. When I took it off the grill, the melon was more spicy, less sweet. One taster said it reminded her of a pumpkin and I could only agree.

It’s a pleasant, albeit unusual feeling. It’s definitely worth a try once to see if you like it. Just be sure to salt before eating to add flavor.

PIZZA GRILL

Yield: 2 servings

1 pizza dough, recipe below, or use store-bought dough

1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ Cups of pizza sauce, recipe below, or use store-bought sauce

2 to 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese

Stuffing (of your choice)

Prepare the grill for direct heating. Preheat to medium heat. Lightly cover the back of the tin with a non-stick spray or oil. Prepare and fillings are available.

On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Brush on both sides with olive oil and place on the prepared back of the tin.

To transfer the dough to the grill, hold the baking sheet at an angle. Take the top edge of the dough and quickly turn it over on the grill (don’t worry if it’s not a circle). Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes, making sure the bottom does not burn. Turn the crust over with tongs and quickly add the sauce, cheese and filling. Cover the grill and cook until the dough is cooked, the filling is hot and the cheese has melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Per serving: 310 calories; 10 g of fat; 2 g of saturated fat; 10 mg of cholesterol; 22 g of protein; 33 g of carbohydrates; 1 g of sugar; 3 g of fiber; 713 mg of sodium; 548 mg of calcium

Nutrition analysis does not include fillings.

Adapted from Bon appetit

Basic pizza dough

Output: 2 pizzas (4 servings)

1 packet of active dry yeast

1 cup warm water, about 110 degrees

Pinch the granulated sugar

1½ teaspoon salt

1½ tablespoons of olive oil of the first shade, plus another to cover the bowl

2 to 3 cups of all-purpose flour separated

In a large bowl, mix the yeast, water and sugar and mix well. Set aside to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt, olive oil and 1¼ cup flour and mix well to mix thoroughly. Add another 1¼ cup of flour and mix well with your hands, gradually turning on the flour. The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour as needed to form a smooth and elastic, non-sticky dough. Transfer to a lightly greased 2- or 3-liter bowl and invert to cover with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and form balls. Use immediately or wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one day.

Per serving: 390 calories; 69 g of carbohydrates; 7 g of fat; 9 g of protein; 872 mg of sodium; without sugar

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, via Food Network

LIGHT PIZZA SAUCE

Output: sauce for 2 pizzas

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cups finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 can of tomato sauce (15 oz).

1 teaspoon oregano

Chopped red pepper

½ cups of shredded parmesan cheese

Add salt and pepper

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, stir onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a clove of garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Mix tomato sauce, oregano, red pepper and cheese. Simmer until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Try and if necessary add salt and pepper.

Per serving (based on 4): 125 calories; 10 g of carbohydrates; 7 g of fat; 5 g of protein; 852 mg of sodium; 5 g of sugar

Daniel Neman’s recipe

PALENT ON THE GRILL

Yield: 8 servings

1 packet (1½ pound) of cooked polenta

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or other herbs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Unroll the polenta and cut it across into slices ½ inches thick. Mix olive oil, garlic and rosemary in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Lightly brush the polenta slices on both sides with flavored oil.

Set the grill for direct frying and preheat to a high level.

Lay slices of polenta on a hot grill and grill until lightly ruddy, 2-4 minutes on each side. Before serving, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper.

Per serving: 390 calories; 8 g of fat; 2 g of saturated fat; 19 mg of cholesterol; 11 g of protein; 67 g of carbohydrates; 1 g of sugar; 5 g of fiber; 170 mg of sodium; 146 mg of calcium

A recipe from “Stephen Reichlen’s Barbecue in the USA” by Stephen Reichlen

REALLY A CHEESE SANDWICH

Yield: 1 serving

2 slices of bread

1 ounce of lightly melted cheese, such as American or cheddar

½ tablespoons butter

Prepare the grill for direct heating and heat to medium. In a small skillet, melt the butter. Put the cheese between the slices of bread and place both sides of the sandwich in the pan to soak up the butter. Place the sandwich on the grill and cook until the bottom is golden brown and browned. Turn and cook until the other side turns golden brown.

Per serving: 301 calories; 29 g of carbohydrates; 17 g of fat; 9 g of protein; 929 mg of sodium; 5 g of sugar

Daniel Neman’s recipe

SALAD ROMAN GRILL

Yield: 1 serving

1 whole head of Romain

1 teaspoon olive oil

Prepare the grill for direct heating and heat to medium. Brush or rub the outside of the salad with olive oil. Place the whole head of lettuce directly over the charcoal or gas and cook until charred traces of the grate appear, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. For Caesar salad, serve by pouring Caesar dressing, sprinkled with lemon juice and, if desired, croutons.

Per serving: 126 calories; 21 g of carbohydrates; 7 g of fat; 8 g of protein; 50 mg of sodium; 7 g of sugar

Daniel Neman’s recipe

WATERMELON GRILL

Yield: 6 servings

Peel and juice of 1 lime

¼ cups of honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small watermelon, sliced ​​1 inch thick

Mint leaves, for decoration

Flaky sea salt, for decoration

Note: do not skip the salt at the end.

Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, honey and olive oil. Brush the mixture on both sides of the melon. Place on the grill and cook until traces of the grill appear and the fruit is slightly softened, about 1 minute on each side. Sprinkle with mint and sea salt and serve.

Per serving: 178 calories; 41 g of carbohydrates; 3 g of fat; 2 g of protein; 505 mg of sodium; 35 g of sugar

Lena Abraham’s recipe through Delish