It’s that time of the year when the scent of grilled dinners waft through the neighborhoods. Summer isn’t just about the incredible salads (but are they great or what?!). It’s about meats! (And even a little grilled dessert….)

Grilled Lamb Chops

Thoroughly mix together marinade of ¾ cup beef broth, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, 1 ½ Tbsp. chopped garlic, 1 ½ Tbsp. thyme, 1 Tbsp. rosemary, 1 ½ Tbsp. oregano. Allow chops to sit in marinade for 1 hour.

Place chops on high medium-high heat grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with heaping Greek salad.

BBQ Chicken Thighs

Mix marinade of 3/4 cup chicken stock, ½ cup lime juice, 1 ½ Tbsp. cumin, ½ Tbsp. garlic, 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro. Allow thighs to rest in marinade for 1 hour.

Place on medium-hot grill, 5-6 minutes a side. Remove from heat and let rest under tented foil for 10 minutes.

Serve with salad made of fresh greens, tomato, avocado, bacon bits, and other veggies of choice. Drizzle with citrus-cumin vinaigrette.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Mix 1 cup chicken stock, 2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce, 1 1/2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, 1 ½ Tbsp. honey, 4 chopped scallions, 1 ½ tsp. minced garlic, and 1 ½ tsp. ginger in pan and place 4-lb. tenderloin in marinade for 1-2 hours (turning over half way through).

Add black pepper after removing from marinade and sear lightly on high heat grill. Then move to upper grill for remaining cook time (approximately 35-40 minutes).

Season with salt when finished and wrap in loosely tented (and vented foil). Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with Asian-inspired vegetables.

Still have room? How about this as an encore?

Grilled Peaches

Slice just-ripe peaches in half and remove pit. Make a simple marinade of selected extract(s), alcohol(s), and spices. (Suggestions – some low carb, some indulgences – to choose from: almond, vanilla, Amaretto, bourbon, white/blush dessert wines, cinnamon, clove, ginger.) Allow peaches to soak skin-side up for 15 minutes.

Run skewers through peach halves and add to medium heat grill. Allow to cook 1-2 minutes per side or just until heated through and fully tender.

Serve with whipped heavy cream, mascarpone, or Greek style yogurt and handful of warm pecans or blueberries.

Comments? Additions? What are your favorite grill-inspired recipes for the summer season?

cchen ^[3], VirtualEM ^[4], joshbousel ^[5], g[wiz] ^[6] Flickr Photos (CC)

Further Reading:

The 7 Rules of Summer Safety ^[7]

Top 10 Ingredients That Will Make Your Meals Pop ^[8]

Safe Cooking Temperatures: How to Reduce the Danger of High Temperature Cooking ^[9]

I Want More Recipes! ^[10]

Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple feeds ^[11]