Sunnier days and warmer nights mean it’s time to start grilling! Here are some easy grilling recipes that will make dinnertime delicious and fun. We’ve got something for everyone: meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. And, who doesn’t love a good how-to video to further simplify the process?
Grilled Salmon with a Lemon Sesame Sauce
Salmon is a classic summer meal in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to our abundance of fresh seafood. This Bon Appetit recipe from Andy Baraghani is easy to make and very flavorful. The sauce can be made ahead of time and is pretty versatile. You can alter it by only including the lemon juice and peel and/or adding chile pepper if you want it to be spicy. To avoid having part of the salmon fall into the grates, Andy says to oil both the fillets and the grates. You also want to keep the salmon skin on. This fish dish would go well with roasted potatoes, grilled corn, and a fruit salad.
Time: Approx. 25 minutes
Grilled Lamb Chops with Pink Peppercorn Sauce
This delicious recipe is perfect for the meat lovers in your life. The Food Network’s Kardea Brown is known for her mouth-watering Southern recipes, and this one is a winner. It’s easy, and the marinade is yummy on pork chops or chicken, too.
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Juicy jumbo shrimp grilled in just a few minutes makes a delightful dish. It can be served as an appetizer or paired with rice and salad as a complete meal. These garlic shrimp skewers are easy to make, and they’re definite crowd-pleasers for fans of seafood. Check out the recipe and note that it makes 5 servings. You may want to double it because they tend to go fast.
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant With Whipped Feta
A great vegetarian option, this grilled eggplant dish comes from Suzy Karadsheh, author of the New York Times Bestselling book The Mediterranean Dish Cookbook. The recipe is easy to follow, and you can make it a meal by including pita bread, this 10-minute sauteed asparagus dish, and this 20-minute basmati rice.
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Honey Chicken Kebabs
Sweet and savory, these chicken kebabs are simple to prepare and satisfying. They’re kid-friendly, and they can be made veggie-only for vegetarians and/or with tamari instead of soy sauce to accommodate gluten-free individuals. Be sure to check out the tips included with the recipe, such as soaking your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before putting your kebabs on the grill. This will prevent your skewers from burning or becoming too brittle to support the ingredients.
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Grilling Recipes are Best with the Freshest Ingredients
Whichever grilling recipe you decide to try, we highly recommend using the freshest ingredients, which you can find right here in Kitsap County. Check out our local farmer’s markets like the Silverdale Farmer’s Market, Bremerton Community Farmer’s Market, and the Port Orchard Farmer’s Market. They are filled with fresh produce and all kinds of wonderful, locally sourced ingredients. For excellent local seafood, check out Suquamish Seafoods or Valhalla Seafood.
Get creative and modify one of the recipes above by using a tasty, local spice blend from Spiva Cooking. A few tantalizing examples include the spicy chili rub and the smokey maple blueberry rub. For incredible olive oil and other high-quality ingredients, visit Vulca’s Mediterranean Market in Bremerton. They sell imported foods and local Mediterranean-style artisan foods, with a focus on natural and sustainable production.
We hope this inspires you to try a new grilling recipe and to shop locally. Bon appétit!