Summer and BBQ. You can’t have one without the other. Sometimes there is no better feeling than cooking with natural gas and grilling delicious food outside. They’re a great excuse to get outdoors and soak up the summer sunshine while enjoying a delicious meal. The one downside is that these meals are often unhealthy, leaving you feeling lethargic. So you end up full-on, not only BBQ, but the guilt you feel about what you’ve eaten. But fear not. You don’t have to miss out on the joys of summer barbecues. Here are two healthy BBQ recipes to kick-start the season that will leave you feeling good about eating all summer long.
BBQ Salmon
The Northwest is heaven for salmon lovers. The fish is delicious and there’s lots of it. It’s also a healthy alternative to red meat. Like meat, fish is high in protein. It also has the added health benefit of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are good for heart health.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
- 4 salmon filets
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped shallots
- 1/4 cup of drained capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 2 lemons
- Sprinkling of salt & pepper
- 4 pieces of aluminum foil
Directions:
- Preheat grill to 400 F
- Cover fish with fresh dill
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Place each filet on a piece of aluminum foil
- Squeeze juice from 1 lemon on filets
- Sprinkle capers and chopped shallots over the fish
- With other lemon, cut thin slices and put on top of fish
- Close the foil so is the fish filet is completely sealed
- Place filets on the grill for 12-15 minutes, or until fish is cooked (about 8 minutes per inch of thickness)
Skewered Asparagus
Asparagus grows all over the Pacific Northwest. So you’re guaranteed to find a local crop at a local farmers market. This is especially true during the early months of summer.
There are a lot of advantages to buying local produce. On a large scale there’s the environmental benefit of creating a smaller carbon footprint. Additionally, local produce is actually better for you. The fact it was harvested more recently means it contains more nutrients. So it’s a win-win to eat locally.
Making grilling recipes can be tricky, especially when it comes to grilling asparagus – the spears are the perfect size to fall through the grates on a BBQ. However, there’s an easy solution: skewer it!
Recipe Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 2 bunches of asparagus (approximately 20 spears)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (note: melted, it equates to 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large skewers
Recipe Directions:
- If you have time, marinate the asparagus in the mixture below for a few hours before placing it on the grill
- Melt coconut oil in sauce pan
- Mix coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl
- Toss the asparagus with the mixture
- Preheat grill to 350 F
- Poke asparagus onto skewers (you can fit one bunch of asparagus on each skewer)
- Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side
Have a few of our own favorite, healthy BBQ recipes? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
Tags: recipes, summer foods
