Have You Ever Grilled Fruit?

I'm sure you are all aware of dietitians always pushing us to eat more fruit and vegetables in our diets.  It really is a good thing but don't you get tired of eating fruit because they always taste the same.  Well I have news for you, grilling fruit changes the taste.

When you put fruit on a grill and cook it, the natural sugars in them change.  This creates a different flavor profile for that particular fruit your grilling.

I'm sure many of you have heard, if not tasted, of grilled fruit.  The most popular are probably pineapple, peaches and apricots.  Nothing wrong with these and if fact 2 of this weeks 3 recipes use the pineapple and peach (Grilled Marinaded Peaches" & "Grilled Pineapple").

But use your imagination and try other fruits.  Ever thought of grilling bananas and strawberries?  Well that is the 3rd recipe (Grilled Bananas & Strawberries") of the week.  You could make banana splits or strawberry shortcake with these grilled fruits.

There are other fruits out there to grill too.  Think of trying apple slices, pears and watermelon.  You  want to keep fruit pieces about 1/2 inch thick so they don't break or fall through the grates.

Another fruit to try is an avocado.  Yes it truly is a fruit.  Here you want to leave them in their skins.  Just cut in half and remove the pit.  Grill them cut side down.  They are great to just scoop out and eat.  But putting the grilled avocado in guacamole gives it a little different result.

The same is true for citrus fruits too.  Lemons, limes and oranges are a real treat to use after grilling.  Cut them in half and grill just the cut side.  Now juice them and you have a different result to your dish.

Please be brave and imaginative and try grilling some fruit this year.  That expensive grill of yours is not just for meat.  By grilling the meat and some vegetables with the fruit, your whole meal can come from the grill. That helps keep the house cooler too.

I'll talk about grilling vegetables next week.  Until then, "Happy Cooking" and let me know how you like grilled fruit.  Also share my blog link to your Facebook friends, co-workers and family. Thank you!