Lemonade, Orange Slices, Meats, Fruits, & Vegetable Skewers

Grilled day is a great time to cook various types of foods. Each grill day cooking outdoors is a unique experience. I enjoy trying and cooking different foods outdoors throughout the year. Fall is a nice time of the year to grill outside. The weather is ideal! 


Why is grilling in the fall the ideal season?

Summer is the number one season when it comes to grilling. It is the most popular season for outdoor grilling, specifically in the United States. Fall is another popular time for cooking outdoors. As the weather begins to transition gradually into cooler temperatures, it makes grilling a nice cooking activity outside since the heat is not as intense as it is in the summertime.

Grilling in the fall is an excellent time to grill one’s favorite foods. The fall season is a really great time to explore cooking outdoors. It is a perfect balance of cool weather. The temperature seems perfect enough to enjoy a grill day during the fall.

  • Fall spices: various spices added to grilled food give much added flavor to smoked foods. This is a great time of the year to try out the fall spices to grill food. Ground cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and allspice are a few tasty spices to try out. 
  • Fall foods: There are many fall fresh fruits and vegetables harvested this time of the year. Pumpkins and apples are by far the most popular in the fall. They are also excellent to add to the grill.
  • The grill: during the summer season, cooking over the grill can feel extremely hot. Not so much in the fall. The heat from the grill may not be so intense, and cooking can be more pleasant outside. 
  • Pests: fewer pests are likely a nuisance during the cooler weather, which makes grilling outdoors much more enjoyable without the pesky bugs.
  • Weather: this is most likely the number one reason to look forward to cooking outside. The weather! The cool breeze makes it absolutely enjoyable to be outdoors and enjoy a delicious grilled dish.

Grilling Equipment: brick/concrete grill, sheet pan, charcoal, matches, grill grate, metal & wood skewers, tongs, cooking brush, and aluminum foil.

Grilling Ingredients: Lemonade: frozen pineapple and lemon; Marinade: cilantro, green onion, red onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, apple cider vinegar, lime juice; Grill skewers: pineapple, bell pepper, corn, mushrooms, beef, chicken, and sausage; Grill: fresh orange


On this grill day, we made fresh pineapple lemonade and a homemade vegetable marinade. We also cut slices of oranges and added meats, fruits, and vegetables to skewers for the grill.

Food & Drink

Pineapple Lemonade

Refreshing, cool drinks are ideal for many grill days. Though more popular in the summer heat, fall time can be a nice time to experiment with a cooler refreshment. The blend of a cold drink and hot grilled food is an excellent combination.

You can opt to buy store-brand pineapple lemonade drinks or make a fresh pitcher at home. I blended fresh pieces of pineapple in a blender, then I added the freshly blended pineapple juice and fresh lemon juice to a pitcher. Pieces of lemon and ice cubes were then added to the pitcher. This was a cool and tasty drink. 


Orange Slices

Oranges are great fruits for grilling. There are several ways to season the oranges prior to adding them to the grill. There are different types of spices and seasoning that can be added to oranges. Coconut sugar, cinnamon, or lemon are great options to add to orange slices.

I used fresh oranges, then cut them into half-slices. I then added honey to the orange slices and fresh lime juice. For seasoning I added paprika. This was a nice sweet and tangy combination. 



Marinade

Vegetable marinades are popular options for meats on grill days. Homemade marinades are great to make at home. You can opt to add as many ingredients as you like. You can also opt to add as much seasoning to the marinade. I almost always like to use some kind of marinade on grill days. It makes the food taste better.

This marinade is a combination of minced vegetables, apple cider vinegar, and lime juice.
Marinade: cilantro, green onion, red onion, red bell pepper, and orange bell pepper, then apple cider vinegar and fresh lime juice. 


Meats, Fruits, & Vegetable Skewers

Meat is commonly added to the grill. It is nice to grill a combination of different meats. The flavor and texture of various meats from the grill make a delicious grilled meat dish.

I used both metal and wood skewers for the meat. I added pieces of beef, chicken, and sausage onto the skewers. For fruits and vegetables, I also added on skewers the whole white mushrooms, pieces of cut corn from the cob, orange bell peppers, and pineapple onto the both wood and metal skewers. All the skewers were ready for the grill.


The Grill

This is a homemade grill made with concrete blocks and bricks. I placed a sheet pan on the table. Then the bricks and the concrete blocks. I used two small grill grates over the grill. For grilling the food, I chose charcoal this time. Charcoal can be better than wood at times for grilling. It can be simpler and quicker compared to wood. I added the charcoal into the concrete block openings. Then I used a match to heat up the grill. This homemade grill did not take long to heat up. In no time, the grill was ready for the food to be cooked. 


Grilling the Food

Meats, Fruits, & Vegetables

I added a few skewers at a time to the grill, as this grill is not very big to add all the skewers at once. Once the meats, fruits, and vegetables began to cook, I turned the skewers, making sure each side would get cooked thoroughly. 

Oranges Slices

The seasoned orange slices were added to the grill. I occasionally turned them over. The orange slices began to brown up as they were cooking.



Grilled Food

Orange Slices

For the oranges, I added the orange slices onto aluminum foil on an oven plate. I then let them cool.


Grilled Meats, Fruits, & Vegetables

The meats, fruits, and vegetable skewers were added to aluminum foil, and then I added my homemade vegetable marinade with a cooking brush. I often add the marinade after grilling the food. This is more of a preference and is optional. I find that the grilled food has a fresh and strong flavor from the marinade.

The combination of meats, fruits, and vegetables is a unique blend of grilled foods that taste amazing once grilled. 


Summary

This was a great grill day! The lemonade and the grilled hot food were an excellent combination. Summer is a marvelous time for outdoor grilling. I really enjoy summer grilling, but fall is a special and unique time to be outdoors. Now that the fall season is here, it is a nice time to explore more grill days outdoors. The weather, the fall spices, and the food make this time of the year ideal for grilling. 


Post a Comment

0 Comments