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As grilling season heats up, try these tried and tested recipes

Each year ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the Tribune staff have a tradition to grill new foods and share our recipes with you, our readers.

Huli Huli Chicken Kabobs

I like to try new things on the grill, and I stumbled upon this recipe on the internet. I was questioning the choice when making the marinade, but I think it turned out pretty good. — Tyler Julson

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken breast cut into kabob-sized pieces

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 teaspoons grated garlic

1 tablespoons Sriracha

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, combine

pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, mustard, ketchup, sugar, sesame oil, sriracha and pepper. Whisk together well until sugar dissolves.

Reserve about a cup of the marinade in a separate container, then add the diced chicken to the large bowl and toss to coat each piece with marinade.

Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for an hour or more.

Skewer the chicken onto kabob sticks and preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Place the kabobs on the grill and baste them with the reserved marinade then close the grill. After two minutes rotate the kabobs and baste again. Repeat this process every 2 minutes for 10 to 12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.

 

Grilled Parsnips

They are delicious — sweet and crunchy — and simple and a nice deviation when you are tired of all the other basic veggies! — Michelle Rasmussen

Ingredients

Parsnips

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Directions

Peel the parsnips and slice lengthwise.

Put parsnips in a bowl with the other ingredients, cover and shake so that parsnips are completely coated.

Heat the grill to medium high (375 to 400 degrees)

Grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Zucchini Sliders

I’m always looking for something easy and healthy that I can make on the grill, and this did just the trick! I will be using this for years to come. — Sarah Stultz

Ingredients

1 extra-large zucchini (or 2 medium/large), cut into 16 1/2inch-slices

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

4 slices cheddar cheese, cut into quarters to get 4 small squares

Directions

Thoroughly rinse zucchini and pat the excess moisture with a towel. Carefully cut off the ends. Now simply cut across the zucchini to slice into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Sprinkle rounds with a tiny bit of salt and pepper, then set aside on paper towels.

In a medium bowl, combine ground beef and all seasonings; stir until well combined. Shape your ground beef into 8 equal sized mini-patties, about 1-inch thick.

Gently pat zucchini rounds dry with paper towels.

Grill zucchini for a few minutes, and at the same time grill patties until desired. Add cheese to top of burgers to allow the cheese to melt, and then assemble into sliders.

Cookout Potatoes

Potatoes are my favorite food, so I was looking for another option to put on the grill and I definitely think this was a winner! — Michelle Rasmussen

Ingredients

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 potatoes), very thinly sliced

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1/3 cup real bacon bits

1/3 cup bell pepper, chopped

Garlic powder

Salt

Black Pepper

Cooking spray

Directions

Spray the foil pan (a 9-inch-by-9-inch-by-2-inch pan) liberally with non-stick cooking spray.

Slice 2 potatoes very thinly and cover the bottom of the foil pan with them.

Layer with 1/2 of the onion, pepper, cheese and bacon bits.

Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Repeat layers.

Cover tightly with foil and grill over medium heat for 1 hour, rotating the pan occasionally to avoid hot spots.

Note: I put the foil pan in a grilling basket so that it wasn’t directly on the grates.

Thai Chicken Pizza

I’ve grilled pizza before, but wanted to try something new this time around. I had to leave out or get creative with some of my ingredients due to the store being out of a few items, but I think it still came out pretty well. — Colleen Harrison

Ingredients

1 large flatbread or 4 small, individual ones

3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

1 cup Thai peanut sauce

4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 cups pepper jack cheese, grated

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Red pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat grill to medium high heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, toss together chicken and peanut sauce until chicken is completely coated.

Divide and spread equal amounts of hoisin sauce on each flatbread (or across the one). Repeat with chicken, pepper jack cheese and red onions.

Place the prepared pizza or pizzas directly on the grill. Close the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and edges are crispy.

Remove from the grill and top with bean sprouts, cilantro and peanuts.