Instead of using a brush with bristles that can break off into the grill and possibly end up in your food, cut an onion in half to clean your grill. After the grill is heated, take the onion half and stab a fork into the large circular end of it. Using protective hand mitts, hold the fork in the onion and scrub the grill with it to get old/dried food off of it. Bonus, it leaves a yummy taste for your food.
When you are cooking something like fish or vegetables that have a tendency to stick to the grill, use the starch of a potato to keep the food from sticking. Here’s how: After the grill is heated, cut a potato in half and stab the potato with a fork on the skin side. Using protective hand mitts, hold the fork in the potato and scrub the grill in order to prevent food from sticking to the grill when cooking.
If you are grilling in the evening and mosquitoes start to ruin the party, before turning off your grill, take a few sage leaves and grill them. The scent from the smoke will minimize the unwanted mosquitoes.Â
Grilling your citrus (lemons, limes, oranges) that you want to drizzle on your fish or vegetables will maximize their tanginess. You can use the same technique for your drinks as well; it’s a sure way to add extra tanginess to your homemade lemonade or margaritas.
Marinade for Your Proteins
- ÂĽ cup apple cider vinegar
- ÂĽ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp oil (avocado or olive oil preferred)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Marinate protein: grass-fed beef, organic poultry, or vegan option of Tofu in a glass container. My go-to choice of meat for this recipe is a flank steak.Â
- Place marinated meat covered in a container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes, and up to 24 hours.Â
- Pull out and cook when ready.Â
Marinade for Your Veggies
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ÂĽ cup of olive oil or avocado oil
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2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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2 tsp garlic powder
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1 tsp dried basil
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½ tsp onion powder
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1 tbsp of lemonÂ
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½ tsp saltÂ
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½ tsp pepper
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Choose vegetables and slice. My favorites are zucchini, squash, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, eggplant, or bell peppers.
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Turn on the grill to medium heat. Preheat for a minimum of 15 minutes.Â
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Combine all marinade ingredients and mix well in a glass container or jar, set aside.Â
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Grilling vegetables can be tricky due to size, so if you have a grill pan or grill mat, grab it for ease. Place vegetables on the grill in the grill pan or grill mat for about 8 minutes on each side. The key is to not overcook them; you don’t want them to be mushy.Â
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Remove vegetables from the grill and place in a glass bowl.
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Toss vegetables with the marinade, and let it soak in for about 10 minutes.
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