Irresistable Cookout Recipes and Ideas
After all of the snow has melted and the temperatures have begun to rise, the first thing on everybody's mind is food! Cooking and eating in the great outdoors is one of the biggest and most simple pleasures of warm weather. Whether you have all of your friends gather at a nearby park, or you simply head to the backyard with your family for an impromptu barbecue, cooking outdoors can be a fun and delicious way to pass the long summer weekends. Fortunately for food lovers, there are plenty of irresistible foods that cook easily on grills or barbecues, as well as tasty and tempting appetizers that can be quickly prepared beforehand. If your love for the outdoors is eclipsed only by your appetite for scrumptious food, read on for some ideas and inspiration.
Grilled Tuna Steaks
When thoughts turn toward outdoor cooking and delicious food, many people instinctively conjure up visions of juicy steaks made with the most prized cuts of beef imaginable. But did you know that steaks don't come in just beef form? For a healthier alternative to beef, consider sizzling up fish steaks. Whether you prefer the taste of tuna, salmon or flounder, fish steaks usually cook much quicker than a typical beef steak, and are often much healthier. In addition, fish steaks offer a unique taste twist not often found at barbecues. One of the best types of fish to grill up in steak form is the tuna. To make a simple tuna steak, simply drizzle some extra virgin olive oil to both sides of a thick cut of tuna steak and throw it on the grill. Add a dash of salt and pepper as you cook. Depending on how you like your tuna cooked, you should only need to grill the steak for a couple of minutes on each side.
Bacon Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a classic staple of cookouts. With a quick preparation time, a batch of deviled eggs can store easily in a cooler or picnic basket and be brought for all to enjoy at a cookout. While the classic deviled egg recipe is always a crowd pleaser, it’s actually quite easy to add your own personal twists and spicy variations to your next batch of deviled eggs. Take the following recipe for bacon deviled eggs, for example. Quick and delicious, you'll come back to this recipe time and time again. To start, boil a dozen jumbo eggs until they are hard, and cut them down the middle. Next, in a large mixing bowl, mix the hardened egg yolks in with a half cup of mayo, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a quarter cup of diced green onions, six slices worth of crumbled or diced bacon strips and a couple of dashes of salt and pepper. When the ingredients are fully mixed, spoon about two tablespoons worth into the halved eggs. For a little extra flourish, add parsley leaves for garnish.
Berry Beer Chillers
What barbecue wouldn't be complete without ice-cold beer? What about fruit juice? Well, now you can make sure your cookout has both beverages representing with the berry beer chiller mix. To make this refreshing concoction, boil three and a half cups of water along with two cups of fresh raspberries. After the water has been brought to boil, lower the heat and let the water simmer for about five minutes. After the mix has cooled, strain it over a bowl, pressing the raspberries through. Then transfer the mix to a regular sized pitcher and add two cups of citrus infused vodka, a quarter cup of lemon juice and four light beers for a delightful mix that will enchant everyone in attendance!
