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Getting Started With Simple, Healthy and Delicious BBQ Recipes

 This post has been contributed.   All opinions are mine alone 

You might not be a master of the grill yet, but after reading through this article you’ll have plenty of information and knowledge that will help you fall in love with this simple and social way of cooking.  Barbecue is often associated with burgers, fatty meats and lots of calories, but these simple recipes will show you that grilling can be easy to learn and create some delicious yet healthy recipes for a calorie-controlled diet or the health conscious friends that you may have.

Grilled Romaine Hearts

Some people find vegetables to be boring on a barbecue grill.  They’re usually tasteless, boring and don’t add much to the entire grilling experience.  However, they’re simply just doing it wrong.  When done correctly and paired with the right protein, vegetables like romaine can be a cheap, delicious and fun way to add color to your barbecue. It’s important to look for fresh romaine hearts suppliers [1] so you can get the best taste and flavor for your money, and here’s a simple recipe to help you achieve that.

Ingredients

Method

Prepare the romaine hearts by chopping off any old leaves that you don’t want.  Ensure that the root stays in once piece, but shave off any old and discolored ends.  Next, prepare your dressing (you can make your own dressing or using something pre-made [2]) then paint the romaine hearts and sprinkle salt and pepper over the romaine hearts.  Place them on the grill and lightly brown on all sides.  Take care not to burn them because they cook fairly quickly.

Serving

Serve with some meats, eat on its own or stuff them with chopped vegetables and minced meats or cheese to create a delicious no-carb sandwich.

 

DIY Skewers With Protein and Vegetables

Skewers are the perfect way to create a simple yet delicious snack-on-a-stick which is popular with children.  A great way to add a bit of fun to this classic recipe is to use a DIY method so that your dining guests can create their own skewers and add a bit of personalization.

Ingredients

Method

Soak wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes before using them to cook.  Set out the cubed protein and vegetables into trays and then set the skewers aside.  Tell your guests to mix and match whatever they like.  If you’re worried about germs spreading, wear a pair of gloves and take their orders.  Once the skewer is complete, place it on the grill and paint it using a brush with whatever sauce of choice they desire.  Depending on the meat, it should only take a couple of minutes with regular turning to cook the meats. If you want to impart more flavor, then consider soaking the meats in a marinade [3].

Serving

Serve with an ice cold beverage for the ultimate healthy barbecue skewer. The DIY aspect adds a bit of fun and makes it easy for your guests to choose their favorite meats and vegetables instead of eating pre-made selections.

 

Carb-Free Wraps

Most people think of barbecue wraps and they imagine bread, tortillas or some kind of carb to keep all of the ingredients together.  Using the previous two recipes, we can create a delicious carb-free alternative by using fresh romaine hearts and a medley of vegetable and meat.  This is a delicious summer barbecue recipe [4] that you have to try!

Ingredients

Method

Instead of grilling the entire romaine heart, take off the strong and large leaves to create a bowl-like shape.   Once the skewers have been cooked, dress the romaine in your sauce of choice and then grill it lightly until it has a nice char.  Remove the meats and vegetables from the skewers and wrap in the romaine.  Be careful not to stuff it too much.  It can overflow and you’ll be left with a messy and hard-to-eat carb-free wrap.

Serving

Eat once the romaine and the meats are cool enough to handle.  Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper or squeeze a bit of lemon juice to give it a nice tangy kick.  It helps to pick fresh romaine for this recipe that has large enough leaves to wrap around meat and vegetables. If your guests prefer typical bread, then you can replace the romaine in favor of a bread roll.  However, this is a great way to combine the two previous recipes to create something special and delicious.

Happy Grilling!