Grilled Summer Fruit

I've tried grilled pineapple before, but I’ve always been curious how other fruits would turn out on the grill.  I’ll take grilled meat or fish over roasted or fried any day, so I was curious if I would feel the same way about fruit. While I don’t think I’ll be grilling my fruit for breakfast any time soon, these recipes that I tested are a great way to incorporate fruit into your dinner menu and add a sweet, natural flavor to your meal.

Enjoy the last days of summer with this grilled fruit and chicken menu:

·        Grilled Peach and Green Bean Salad

·        Grilled Watermelon with Arugula and Goat Cheese

·        Spicy Blackened Chicken

Grilled Peach & Green Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, stems trimmed
1 teaspoon salt Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
2 ounces goat cheese, coarsely grated

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the beans until just slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in cold water, pat dry and place into a medium sized bowl.

2.     Next, make the peach vinaigrette in a blender. Blend till liquid 4 peach quarters, the mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a separate, small bowl and slowly whisk in 1/3 cup of the olive oil.

3.     Preheat an outdoor grill to high and skewer the remaining 8 peach quarters, placing them side by side to keep them from spinning. Brush the skewered fruit with the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then grill on both sides, about 1 – 2 minutes per side.

4.     To create the salad, slide the peaches off the skewers into the medium size bowl. Mix with the green beans and then gently toss with the vinaigrette. Transfer to a large serving platter or bowl, sprinkle with hazelnuts and goat cheese, and serve.

Grilled Watermelon with Arugula & Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

1 small (5 pound) seedless watermelon, cut into 8 (1-inch-thick) slices
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 bunches watercress or arugula, trimmed
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Preheat grill to medium or high heat

2.      Brush watermelon slices with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill the watermelon 1-2 minutes on each side.

3.       In a medium bowl, toss the greens with vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

4.      To assemble, sprinkle each grilled watermelon slice with goat cheese, top with the greens and then serve.

Spicy Blackened Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.     First, make the rub to blacken the chicken. In small bowl, mix together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry.

2.     Brush the chicken slices lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with the spice mixture. Flip the chicken over and repeat. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to grill.

3.     Heat grill to medium heat and place each chicken strip on grill. Grill on each side for approximately 3 – 4 minutes or till completely cooked through depending on thickness.

4.     Remove from the grill and serve!

Posted in: Clean Food