Chillin' and Grillin'!

It was only 35 degrees (F) this afternoon, but I'd waited long enough for Spring to get here, and I wasn't about to wait another day longer! True, we still have an ice pack in the middle of the cul de sac that hasn't quite completely melted away yet, but so what? I had gotten a great deal on boneless, skinless chicken breasts at the market this weekend, along with seasonal veggies and some great steaks--so why not crank out the barbeque and have at it?

Anyone who has ever cooked outdoors will testify that the flavor achieved by grilling cannot be matched by any indoor kitchen appliance. I should know, I have an arsonal of them! I have the rotisary, an indoor grill, grill pans, and a wide assortment of tools and spices, none of which give me the same results as open air cooking. And while I know that, in many households, the grill becomes the cooking domain of the men, the case is not true in my house, where both the kitchen and the outdoor cooking appliances are all part of my inventory. I am very possessive of my cooking equipment, and the grill is no exception!

Of course, when you decide to cook outdoors in this weather, one can never be quite certain if you will be able to continue the practice long term. It is not unusual for us to see snow as late as mid-April around these parts, so I make the most of my time on the grill by cooking in bulk. I marinated some beautiful salmon fillets in a wonderful citrus based marinade, the chicken in garlic and herbs and the steaks in a home-made dry steak seasoning. I also tossed some asparagus, onions, peppers and potatoes in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper and grilled them in a basket along with the proteins.

What this bulk cooking has done, is it has set me up to have an easier time of getting dinner on the table for the rest of the week. I usually arrive home at nearly the same minute everyone else is walking through the door, shouting a chorus of "what's for dinner?" With all of these ingredients already fully cooked, I can easily transform them into healthy and flavorful meals in no time. I can toss the chicken with some pasta and garlic, fold the steak into quesidillas, or reheat the salmon and serve with a green salad and rice pilaf for a more upscale night.

The truly warm weather may still be weeks away, but grilling season has already begun!