A picnic is in the planning. You pull your picnic basket out of its hiding place, start washing up your plastic utensils, plates, and cups. You throw the checkered tablecloth and napkins in the wash machine and everything is ready. Well, almost ready.

What about the food? You can make the same sandwiches you’ve always made, or you could give this picnic a whole new flavor. Bringing a good main dish on a picnic, without making it into a sandwich, doesn’t have to be difficult. You just need ideas for new ways to serve food. Let’s explore a few ways to make and bring meat, poultry, and seafood to a picnic.

Kabobs

For easy and tasty eating, consider making small shish-kabobs. For meat eaters, cut lean cuts of beef or pork into small chunks, then marinade in a variety of flavors, herbs, and spices. Grill your kabobs at home, then pack up and you’re ready to go. Each bite is like a miniature grilled steak.

A great thing about kabobs, besides the ease in eating, is you can marinade the pieces of meat in several different bowls using flavorings that suit different people. For instance, if you have guests who enjoy Cajun, mix up bowls of spicy combinations of ingredients like cayenne pepper, cumin, hot sauce, brown sugar, and oil. For the youngsters, a less spicy marinade may be in order. The idea is, you can have more than one choice.

Along with beef and pork, poultry and seafood are a natural choice for kabobs. Pieces of chicken or turkey can be either marinaded or coated with a crunchy topping. Treat them like you would fried chicken. Include a little grated Parmesan cheese for a very kid-friendly taste. If you like the flavor of Buffalo Wings, go ahead and spice them up with hot sauce, then be sure to have bleu cheese dip along for the whole experience.

Whole shrimp is what shish-kabobs were made for. You don’t need to add a lot of seasonings to make people clamor for the skewers with the shrimp attached. If you wish, however, you can marinade the shrimp for a different flavor. Again, grill the shrimp quickly at home and let them cool before wrapping them for your picnic basket.

Hearty Hors d’oeuvres

Consider some of your favorite meaty appetizers for your next picnic. Create beautiful pinwheels out of thinly sliced beef strips covered in cream cheese flavored with shallots, black pepper, cumin, and finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese. Use ham slices to wrap up asparagus tips along with strips of baby Swiss cheese. You can even make a Ruben pinwheel by mixing a little sauerkraut in cream cheese and Thousand Island dressing and roll up with ham or corned beef, thinly sliced. Be creative and mix and match ingredients.

Think about making a nice big stack of beef or pork meatballs, then serving them with toothpicks. Or how about your favorite little potluck weenies? Make them ahead of time in your favorite barbecue sauce, then remove and let cool. Bring in a container with skewers or toothpicks for serving. Another very hearty hors d’oeuvre is large kielbasa or bratwurst chunks, cut on the diagonal, and simmered in sauce or grilled.

Crostini or toast points is another familiar way to serve hearty hors d’oeuvres. Top crostini with slivers of roast beef, arugula, feta cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Smoked salmon is also the perfect topping, along with a little cream cheese and a thin slice of sweet onion. Fresh tuna, diced, then marinaded in olive oil, white wine vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, and cilantro can be served on toast points as another satisfying seafood dish. Of course, don’t forget the shrimp. A simple bowl of peel-and-eat shrimp with a few dipping sauces is perfect for a picnic on a hot summer day.

Salad Mains

No discussion of new ways to serve meats, poultry, and seafood at a picnic would be complete without talking about salads. Big bowls of fresh greens make an excellent base for many meat dishes. A classic combination of meat and salad greens is a taco salad. Flavor up shredded or ground beef and pork and go from there. Choose anything you would typically put in a taco and turn it into a salad. For a picnic, pack the meat and other ingredients separately from the salad, then combine before serving.

Shredded or diced chicken or turkey can be combined in a variety of salads. Poultry goes especially well with fruit. Consider starting with a bed of greens then adding grapes, pineapple, apple, or even grapefruit sections, along with a variety of crunchy vegetables and nuts along with your poultry.

Flaked fish over a bed of cabbage marinated in balsamic vinaigrette is a fun salad for a picnic. Make sure the fish is a good solid texture. You can also use shrimp or crabmeat to create wonderfully satisfying main courses using crunchy salad greens and other vegetables or fruit as a base.

A picnic needs a main attraction, but it doesn’t have to be a big sandwich or even a chicken drumstick. Re-think your main dish and serve your meat, chicken, or seafood in new ways that are both fun and tasty.

If your salads are becoming boring, you need to re-think the basics and spruce up those greens. Check out these fanciful salads that boost your enthusiasm for eating these healthy sides and enjoy the crunch of some good greens for the picnic months ahead.

Robust Salads Are Built On Protein

Most salads have the right basic ingredients, they just need a little kick now and then to make them truly scrumptious. One way to add a powerful punch to your salad is to include some protein, namely in the form of seafood, meats, beans, cheese, or other protein sources that make a meal out of your salad plate.

Try fresh cooked shrimp, canned salmon or white albacore tuna on top of your bed of greens. Perhaps your salad would benefit from black or re-fried beans for a Mexican twist. Juicy grilled chicken, thinly sliced into strips, could add a smoky barbecue flavor to a simple salad. If you choose different marinades, you’ll get different flavor influences. Think of marinading beef in Teriyaki before grilling. Then those delicate, thin strips will blend well with ingredients borrowed from Asian cuisine.

Cheese is another good protein source for salads, and there’s no need to settle for standard shredded varieties, either. Toss in some pan-fried goat cheese with pine nuts for a double dose of protein power. Explore a wide range of cheeses, including both the hard cheeses like Asiago, Parmesan, and Gruyere and the soft cheeses like Feta, Bleu, and Ricotta. Use fresh cheese and shave or crumble on top of your salad to add interesting textures, flavors, and protein, as well.

Sweet Salads Are Meant To Surprise

A classic salad that always surprises is the Waldorf salad, made with a variety of fruits, including apples, cherries, dates, grapes, or even fresh pineapple. Ambrosia salad is an explosion of fanciful delights, including bright colors and the sweet flavors of mandarin oranges, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, coconut, and even maraschino cherries, but the name says it all, so don’t limit your choices.

Then there are big fruit salad bowls filled with everything from watermelon to berries, bananas, and grapes, apples, kiwi, mango, pineapple, cantaloupe and a host of other fruits in between. Add crunch with nuts like walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or almonds.

Using a light vinaigrette dressing may sound odd with all that fruit, but the touch of savory brings out the sweet juices and makes the salad taste all the better. You can also toss the fruit salad with a mixture of cream cheese and whipped topping, or vanilla yogurt. The options are as varied as your taste buds.

Gourmet Salads Call For Clever Ingredients

For a truly unique salad creation, you have to go deeper into the range of greens you use in your salads. Look at food in a whole new way and choose combinations of flavors and textures that will light up the eyes of guests as they taste your best efforts.

Try mixing eclectic greens like endive, arugula, and watercress with avocado, crab meat, Greek olives, and grapefruit, along with hard-boiled eggs for a fresh take on a classic salad. Sprinkle a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon with golden raisins and chopped tart apples, and toss with shredded cooked chicken or turkey, and a touch of balsamic vinaigrette for a delightful new salad. Go tropical with mango, papaya, figs, or summer melons, adding the right compliment of spice like ginger, curry, or fresh mint. Top with toasted coconut for a truly fanciful salad.

Seeds and Sprouts Add the Finishing Touch

No matter what you put in your salads, you’ll always want to have an eye-catching topping that completes a gourmet creation you can be proud of. The best choices are often seeds and sprouts, since they add texture and depth to all types of salads for all types of meals. Seeds add color and dimension, almost a solid, formidable look, while sprouts are often heaped on in a big fluffy pile, providing a playful and unruly look to the salad.

For seeds, you could choose sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, milk thistle, or alfalfa seeds, just to name a few. With sprouts, you have mung bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts, and alfalfa sprouts. Then there are the lesser known choices like radish sprouts and clover sprouts. These types of ingredients go very well with most salads but especially with dishes that are made with quinoa, tofu, tempeh, and jicama.

Fanciful salads are perfect for picnics and cookouts. There should be nothing plain or boring when it comes to feasting in the great outdoors. With a little imagination, and time to seek out unique ingredients, we can walk away from conventional thinking and create wonderful, fanciful salads to enjoy.

Cooking gourmet can mean as many different things as there are ingredients in the grocery store. So, before you actually begin cooking gourmet meals on your budget, you have to define what it means to you. Take a look at the following general definitions of what gourmet dining means to different people:

Appearance – If you define gourmet as the way a dish appears, you can learn a few techniques for creating new and exciting presentations of your meals without spending a lot of money.

New – If your definition of gourmet means trying something new, there are hundreds of different foods that you can give a try without worrying about your budget.

Exotic – If your definition of gourmet food relates to exotic tastes, you’ll need to find creative ways to find these exciting new flavors without breaking the grocery budget.

Now let’s look at a few helpful tips to find ways to introduce gourmet ingredients and style to your meals, while keeping your budget in mind:

Be Open to New Main Ingredients

Cooking gourmet on a budget isn’t always about adding exotic spices or ingredients. Sometimes by choosing a cut of meat that’s different from your usual choice, you can create a dish that’s fresh and brand new to you ? what you would call gourmet. Whether you’re cooking beef, lamb, chicken, pork, seafood, or vegetarian, there are always new items to try.

Remember, oftentimes what we now consider routine was once considered gourmet or unusual fare. Just think about tilapia, for instance. This run-of-the-mill fish wasn’t always that way. When first introduced, it was quite exotic to many people outside of the fishing world. So, look for main ingredients that you haven’t heard of before. The advantage is often translated into savings on your budget simply because of supply-and-demand. When a food is first introduced to a market it isn’t very popular, which means the price will often be more reasonable. It’s only after a certain product gains popularity that markets feel comfortable raising their prices. Less popular items can be found around the edges of the meat, fish, poultry, and produce counter, so that’s where you may find something new to try.

Mix Up Your Flavors

Along with new main ingredients, you will also bump up the gourmet value of a meal without spending a lot of money by trying new combinations of spices and seasonings. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on spices, just use the ones you have in new ways. Instead of always adding basil and oregano to spaghetti sauce, why not sprinkle in a bit of fennel seed? When you make your family’s favorite chili, imagine what a little espresso stirred in during the last half hour of cooking would do. Intrigued? Don’t forget chili powder in your chocolate frosting and nutmeg in your eggs.

Spices and seasonings are not the only ingredients that could use a shake-up when it comes to gourmet cooking on a budget. Have you added pureed pumpkin to your black bean soup yet? It adds a smooth creaminess that is decidedly gourmet, especially when sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds. How about crushed pineapple to your pasta and shrimp primavera? Just look through your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and see what would happen if you decided to throw out all the rules. I bet you would come up with great new meals that are gourmet-style on a tight budget.

Quality Counts

The whole factor of good, gourmet taste relies on quality. There are items you can skimp on and items where you need to spend a bit more to get the good stuff. It’s hard to know the difference until you actually use both, but one example that comes to mind is balsamic vinaigrette. There is a price range where you reach a good quality, and anything below that doesn’t measure up. The reason is the aging. You want a good, thick, rich vinaigrette for your salads or marinades, otherwise you may as well be using vinegar.

With this in mind, there are choices to be made that will help you cook gourmet and stay within your budget. Yes, spend the money on good quality when it counts, then save money on items that are the same across the price spectrum. For example, after you spend money on a good vinaigrette for your salad, don’t spend money on expensively priced croutons. You’ll find a variety of prices, but all croutons are pretty much created alike. Or, just make them at home for the cheapest, and best tasting, option.

Think Local

Utilizing your local farmer’s market is a great way to go gourmet without spending a lot of money. Reducing the middleman keeps the price low and you might just get to try their new crops. Think about investing in a crop share at a local farm or look into small starter farms.

You are likely to find unusual items, too, because most local farms produce a wide variety of produce simply because they can. They don’t have to worry about satisfying a vast market; just the locals. The local farms are typically very accommodating and love to talk about their crops, and will find new varieties for you to try. They are also interested in finding new ways to cook and serve their crops so more people will buy them. If you see something unusual at your local farmer’s market, talk to the farmer about it, cook it up, and report back. In that way, you’ll get lots of new information for new foods to add to your gourmet-style of dining.

Shop Ethnic Stores

If your definition of gourmet cooking is to try exotic foods, then try shopping at ethnic grocers. Usually their food is cheaper than similar food in the big chain store, and you have a better chance of finding what you were looking for. If you need to find that special fruit used in that Indian dish, then your best bet is shopping at an Indian grocery store. It is surprising how many different ingredients you can find in a real Italian, French, or Asian food store than you can find in the ‘ethnic aisle’ of your grocery store.

When you get into an authentic ethnic store, you may feel confused. The packaging may not be clear to you and the items may be completely unknown. That’s great! That’s exactly what gourmet cooking on a budget is all about. Ask for help. Tell the proprietor that you are new and want to try something that isn’t expensive, but has flavors that are different and exciting. It may help to bring in recipes or pictures of dishes you find appealing, then go from there. Shop for one dish at a time to keep your head from exploding! There’s a lot of information to absorb, but just give it time. A few more visits to your local ethnic food store and you’ll be cooking like a pro.

Everything is Exotic to Somebody

If your definition of gourmet cooking on a budget is to perk up your basic dishes with exotic ingredients, do you automatically think of far off places with names you can’t pronounce? You don’t have to travel the globe for something unusual. Oftentimes, our own region offers ingredients that would be considered exotic to others. There may even be foods in your area that you have yet to discover. Your very own region and culture could be hiding quite a few foods that are exotic.

Keep an open mind and try to expand your palate with local cuisine. Explore the heritage of your region to discover the rich abundance of native cuisine. Look at the indigenous ingredients first, then the ways the natives prepared the dishes using what they had. These dishes are often the basis for an entire cuisine. Just consider what we know now of Cajun cooking. This is an example of regional ingredients cooked in the way their ancestors did using what was available to them. It’s time to explore your own backyard. You’ll find when you cook your own region’s gourmet cuisine, the ingredients are fresher and cheaper, and easier to find, of course.

If you want to cook gourmet on a budget, it really just takes a few simple choices. Figure out how you define gourmet cooking, then start exploring all the options. When you put these tips to work, you’ll be surprised how inexpensive cooking gourmet can actually be.

Gourmet cooking is a great way to spice up your life. “Sure, I’d love to cook gourmet,” you say, “but it is too rich for my budget.” This all depends on how you define gourmet. If it is a new taste you are looking for, then a simple combination of spices like rosemary and cracked black pepper on your popcorn might be gourmet. If more wild ingredients are what you’re looking for, then all it takes is a little imagination and a willingness to give new foods a taste. Let’s take a look at a few gourmet ingredients that can perk up any mealtime:

Tahini

Typically an ingredient used in Indian dishes, tahini is also great for most dishes where a spicy peanut flavor is needed. Whisking tahini together with some oil and a little apple cider vinegar makes a fantastic Asian inspired salad dressing. A glass jar of tahini will probably cost about ten dollars, but a little bit goes a long way. Just to give you an idea, a tablespoon is all that is needed in a very large dish of hummus. Keep your tahini in the fridge to ensure freshness and to help your investment stretch out over a longer period of time. To estimate the expense over the lifetime of a bottle of tahini, you’re looking at only a dollar or two a month.

Kudzu

Yes, this is the green vine you see taking over the side of the highway. Believe it or not, this legume, native to China, can be used in a variety of gourmet ways. Its root can be powdered and used to thicken soups and stews, or used as a coating for fried foods. The greens of the kudzu vine can be used in salads or boiled like collards or turnip greens to give your favorite dish a new taste. To make it even more exotic or gourmet, the flowers can be made into a jelly, deep fried, or just used as an edible garnish or in a salad.

Quinoa

Often mistaken for a grain, quinoa is a small, round seed, extremely nutritious, a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids, and a terrific source of dietary fiber. This versatile food, which was not that long ago considered a rare gourmet food, is a great gluten-free substitute for rice or small pasta. Quinoa has a mild nutty flavor and comes in several varieties. It can be used in soups, casseroles, as side dishes and cold salads. You can even germinate quinoa and use it as you would any sprout on a salad or sandwich.

Dragon Fruit

Also known as pitaya or pitahaya, dragon fruit has a similar texture and taste of a kiwi. Packed with enzymes and vitamin C, dragon fruit can be used in fruit salads, to make a cocktail, or even mashed up to help tenderize meat. Not only is dragon fruit a tasty treat, it also makes a great presentation. The skin is inedible, but pretty, so use it as a garnish to make your dish look like a gourmet masterpiece.

Anchovies

Many people are afraid of this gourmet ingredient. The first thought is salty; the next thought is pizza. But, there is so much more to this tiny miracle from the waters. Instead of thinking about a small fish in a can, think of the qualities it holds. Just like soy sauce, anchovies have a salty component to their unique flavor. Coupled with a smokey taste and a kick you can feel in the back of your throat, anchovies can be used to turn a good meal into gourmet. You’d be surprised how many of your favorite restaurant dishes can attribute that wonderful piquant burst of flavor to anchovies.

First, define gourmet for yourself. Then, pick some creative ingredients, preferably ones you have yet to try, and give it a whirl. Don’t think about the food you are eating, but instead, research the ingredients and figure out their flavor profiles. Then work from there. Happy gourmet dining!

There aren’t a lot of foods that can hold more than one place on the food pyramid. But, long before we started talking about super foods, ancient peoples knew the benefits this humble food had to offer; as a vegetable, a protein, and a healer.

In traditional Indian medicine, there exists an ages-old system of living and healing that includes a vegetarian diet using legumes like lentils, beans, and peas to keep the body healthy. Now, beyond the Middle-Eastern cultures, many people recognize the power of the bean to support whole nutrition and well-being. Here, we discuss some of the benefits of beans, and why they are leading a double life as a well respected super food.

Perfect Nutrition On Many Levels

Legumes are edible seeds contained in pods, and beans are part of that family. By their very nature, beans have a convenience factor that makes them a favorite food in many parts of the world. They are generally inexpensive and store well with the potential for a long shelf life, particularly when they are dried. Beans offer sustained nutrition and energy due to the fact they have a low glycemic index, meaning they provide energy to the body over a long period of time.

You won’t get bored quickly eating beans, either. There is virtually an endless variety of beans and legumes to choose from, as well as a mountain of recipes to try when adding beans to your healthy diet. A short list of beans would include navy beans, black beans, lentils, soybeans, great northern beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, and kidney beans.

Beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, and are naturally low in fat, calories, and sodium. You can serve beans in nutritious main dishes or side dishes that will satisfy your appetite with less-costly consequences to your body, or budget. These reasons alone would easily earn beans their super food status, but there’s more!

Eating several servings of beans each day not only helps you reach your daily vegetable requirement, but those same beans also add up as your protein intake. Yes, those inexpensive, versatile beans are a protein. That’s why we consider them a double-duty super food. Beans can easily be combined in recipes with other protein sources, vegetables, and starches like corn, whole wheat, or brown rice to create ‘complete proteins’ containing all the necessary amino acids our bodies require to function well.

Good Health Contributions

Beans have numerous healthy qualities that make them excellent additions to any diet. As we mentioned, not only are beans a nutritious vegetable source, but a perfect choice as a meat substitute. By reducing high-fat protein sources like red meats in your diet, and substituting low fat beans as your source of protein, you are fighting high cholesterol, high blood pressure, as well as a host of other ailments that can occur from a diet high in fat.

Antioxidants battle those nasty free radicals, the cell damaging agents in your body, and beans have some of the highest antioxidant content of any food on the planet. Although the benefits vary between different types of beans, all beans help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and improve digestion. The dietary fiber and enzymes in beans have the added benefit of helping to block cancer-causing cells and compounds in the intestines and colon.

The humble little kidney bean contains a healthy dose of thiamin, which regulates memory and brain function. Many beans also contain isoflavones, which can ease menopause symptoms and improve bone and prostate health, just to name a few benefits. Choose any bean and you’ve chosen a super food well worth the title.

Unlimited Possibilities

Beans can be cooked in countless dishes like chili, stew, soup, stir fry, tacos, salads, casseroles, and omelets. Try your hand at several main dishes or side dishes and explore your options. Don’t limit yourself to just the classic beans and rice dish. Choose a new salad or a tasty dip for chips. Hot, cold, mashed, or whole, the bean will constantly surprise you with its versatility.

As opposed to canned beans, dried beans are the cheapest way to have this super food on hand. In general, cooking dried beans is easy. Rinse your dried beans, cover in water and soak overnight. Then, set the beans in a big pot, cover them with fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour or so until they are soft. You can skip soaking them overnight, just increase the cooking time to about two hours. You will also find many recipes for cooking dried beans in a crockpot or pressure cooker. Do a bit of research or follow the directions on the package of beans for best results.

No matter how you choose to eat this super food, your body will thank you. You can eat enough beans to satisfy even the heartiest appetite without worrying about fat or calories. Beans are economical, a great source of dietary fiber, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Besides all that good news, a bag of beans in your pantry means you’ve always got protein in your house, too. As far as super foods go, beans easily make it to the top of the list.

Spaghetti and meatballs is always a great way to cook Italian style meals, but as-is, it is not exactly considered gourmet. Cooking gourmet Italian on a budget means doing things a little differently around your house at dinner time. There are a few things you need to do to switch up basic Italian cooking for gourmet Italian cooking. Let’s take a look at some ideas for cooking Italian gourmet within a tight budget:

Take the Time to Cook

Believe it or not, you will not find a little lady in Italy cooking an entire meal in under thirty minutes. And no, you won’t hear a “ding” coming from a microwave before a gourmet Italian meal is served. You would be surprised at the difference it makes in the taste of the meal when you actually take the time to cook a meal from scratch ? just like authentic Italian cooking is done in Italy.

Flavors develop over time and if you are just reheating something previously flash-cooked, you will not get the true gourmet flavors you are trying to achieve. In a tomato sauce, for instance, the spices you use are fully developed in the acidity of the tomato. Once broken down or developed, the oils in the sauce become enhanced with the flavor of the spices and infuse throughout the dish. Because you take the time to actually cook the dish correctly, you get an entirely new flavor than you would if you rushed the process.

Several techniques, like toasting seasonings and nuts, as well as crushing herbs and spices, take time, and are done for a reason. Infusing oils with seasonings and herbs is another technique you’ll find in Italian cooking that takes planning and time. Again, there is a reason for these steps, and the proof is in the flavor. Time taken for these methods can make the difference between basic dishes and gourmet meals.

Learn About the Culture

Okay, so you are asking what the culture has to do with cooking gourmet Italian. That is a great question. And the answer might surprise you a bit.

Technically, learning about the culture makes absolutely no physical difference to the dish itself. Nope, none. If you tried the dish before learning about the culture and after, the results would be the same. Except, studies have shown that people who throw themselves into another culture begin to pick up on the slight variations and derivations in cuisine. By learning about the culture, you are effectively changing the taste of the dish in your mind, and raising your expectations.

By immersing yourself in the culture, you will begin to gain a better understanding of why certain ingredients are used in the region. You will begin to look for these ingredients more prominently in your own cooking. The reasons ingredients became prevalent in a culture or region usually has a story, and that story adds to the flavor of the dish, both physically and emotionally.

Learn Which Ingredients You Can Skimp On

There are some ingredients that take a regular dish to an outstanding level. These are the ingredients where quality matters most. When you learn what ingredients are most important to the gourmet appeal of a cultural dish, you will pay a little extra for that, while skimping on other, less dramatic ingredients. Not only will your dishes be superb, but you will also pay less than trying to go all out on all of the products.

In Italian cooking, there are some basic ingredients you can usually skimp on in price. These items often include dried spices and most grains. Depending on your area, many times frozen or canned produce are a wise choice rather than buying fresh produce, which may not be that fresh in your area.

On the other hand, the ingredients most Italians seek quality in is olive oil, pasta, and breads or doughs. There is a definite benefit to choosing the best available quality in these foods. Not all olive oils are created alike, and there are varieties to consider for different dishes. Pasta, when made properly, takes a special touch, and these gourmet pasta products make all the difference in a proper Italian pasta dish. So, spend your money wisely, where it matters most, and save on the less fussy ingredients.

When you attempt to take your Italian dishes from ordinary to gourmet, your meals will turn out more like the ones made in the Italian bistros and less like the ones in the freezer section when you use these basic suggestions. Gourmet Italian cooking doesn’t require a cooking class in Tuscany, but it does require some smart choices in technique and ingredients.

Even though you may have your favorite sandwiches, you’re bound to get tired of them once in a while. A picnic is the perfect time to put a creative twist on some classic sandwiches that will taste refreshingly different by your design.

Create a Whole New Club

The club sandwich is certainly one of the all-time favorite choices in restaurants and at home as well. This double-decker sensation usually contains turkey or chicken, mayo, tomato, romaine or bibb lettuce, and of course, bacon, all stuffed between layers of toasted bread.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a little creativity with your Club. Substitute fresh cabbage for the lettuce for a healthy crunch, or try some prosciutto or ham as an alternative to bacon. Add a little sun-dried pesto or Dijon mustard for a little spicier flavor. You could even veg-out the classic Club with meatless vegetable patties from your grocer’s produce section.

Pamper Your Pastrami

How about those old-fashioned deli stand-bys, the Pastrami on Rye, or the Reuben? These days, you have endless options as substitutes for standard ingredients. If you’re up for a change, you might forgo the spicy brown mustard for thin slices of red onion and spicy Pepper Jack cheese.

Speaking of cheese, there’s always a little variety in a hearty brie or havarti over the standard Swiss cheese. Also, think about your choice of bread. Bagels, hoagie rolls, and tortilla wraps also make good substitutes for rye bread, especially when you choose the onion toasted or flavored varieties.

Build Your Own BLT

What sandwich shop would be complete without the classic Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich? Yet, with a little creativity, you can make your own classic favorite with a few exotic ingredients. Guacamole or hummus, for instance, make great substitutes for mayonnaise. Maybe a little arugula, watercress, or bitter greens could stand in for your everyday variety iceberg or romaine lettuce.

Make it a ‘BLC’ with a number of different cheeses like Muenster, Gouda, or a super sharp Cheddar. Again, for those health conscious folks trying to avoid traditional bacon, you could go with grilled strips of tempeh, turkey bacon, or vegan substitutes.

Heck, shred the bacon, lettuce, and tomato into a hot dog bun, add a little relish, and think of Coney Island. We’ve even seen gourmet chefs incorporate smoked salmon, BBQ shrimp, and lobster into fancier versions of BLTs. These may come with uncommon price tags in the fancy restaurants, but you can make them at home for your next picnic at a fraction of the cost.

As you can see, your imagination is all you need to create different takes on the old classic sandwiches. Choose a variety of ingredients to create a unique twist on old favorites. The choices you make could become healthier choices for your family that create more excitement at lunchtime… or anytime!

Think of warm weather, summertime, and outdoor activities, and you’ll soon be thinking of planning a picnic. There’s nothing like sharing food in the great outdoors to give you plenty of reasons to smile.

Firing up the grill for a picnic usually brings on thoughts of hamburgers, hot dogs, and barbecued chicken. That’s all dandy and certainly delicious, but wouldn’t you like your grilled food to stand out a little from the rest? Perhaps there are ways to present old favorites on the grill in new ways, or even try something completely different. Here are a few thoughts about new ways to grill up some summertime dishes:

Rethink the Sauce

One popular ingredient in many grilled main dishes is barbeque sauces and other types of glazes and marinades. There are hundreds if not thousands of recipes to add more flavor to whatever you’re cooking. If you have been grilling for many years, you’ve probably made your own sauces or have found a few favorites. But, maybe it’s time to rethink those sauces.

Begin by experimenting with a whole range of ingredients. Don’t limit yourself to the ingredients you’ve been using. We know you automatically pull out the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey, but what else is there to make a sauce for the grill?

Take a look first in the fruit bin. Consider the lemons, limes, oranges, apples, and yes, even the watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis. Now, pull open the vegetable bin and grab the fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, celery, onion, and even avocados. Turn to your pantry and take out the apple jelly, orange marmalade, maple syrup, raisins, dried cranberries, red wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, and all the dressings, including Ranch, French, Thousand Island, and Green Goddess. And, don’t forget the spice rack. There is basically nothing off limits ? grab it all.

Don’t be afraid to grate, smash, or simmer ingredients together that you might never have used in the same sauce before. Combine contrasting flavors ? savory with sweet, tangy with smooth, creamy with crunchy ? until you have a unique sauce that you can call your own.

Now, marinade, glaze, or brush the sauce onto whatever you are grilling. Try a fruity white sauce on meat; a tomato-based hot sauce on fish; or a savory herbed sauce on fruit. Put it on the grill and see what happens. You’ll have completely new dishes that will perk up and surprise the taste buds. And, isn’t that what grilling is all about?

Rethink the Main Dish

If you’re used to throwing a steak on the grill, but want to experiment with other cuts, try grilling full roasts. With the right preparation and setup, you can put a big beef roast or pork roast on the grill, either in a rack or on a rotisserie and surprise your family and guests with a tender and juicy roast that did not come out of the oven.

Instead of your usual cut up chicken pieces, wings, or legs, try grilling a whole chicken. The juices stay in a little better when the chicken is whole. Not sure you have time for a whole chicken? You can also “butterfly” a chicken by cutting out just the backbone and pushing it down flat, keeping the chicken whole but providing a flattened version that cooks up in no time.

Fish is another grilling favorite at picnics. Use fish that is firm and solid so it grills well and doesn’t fall apart or become dry. Oily fish like salmon is perfect on the grill, but there are many other types of fish that work equally well. Fish grills best when you don’t have to flip it with a spatula, that’s why you want to invest in a grilling basket which encloses the fish and you flip the basket instead of the fish itself.

Other seafood that’s perfect picnic food for the grill is shrimp, scallops, and lobster. Shrimp can be grilled unpeeled to help keep them from overcooking. Lobster can be grilled in the shell, as well. Use a tray made for the grill with smaller slots to keep smaller seafood, like shrimp and scallops, from falling through. Marinade the seafood in a variety of flavors for a different flavor each time you have a grilling picnic.

You say your taste for a juicy grilled burger is too powerful to ignore? You’ve still got lots of choices for variety at your picnic. You can dress up your burgers inside-and-out with many different flavors. Remember; beef isn’t the only burger in town! Ground turkey, pork, or chicken are great substitutes for those who want a different kind of burger at this year’s picnic. But, don’t stop there. Salmon and crab meat make great grilled patties, too.

Besides what goes into the actual pattie, think beyond conventional recipes and marinate your ground meat or fish with anything from red wine to a mixture of Worcestershire, soy sauce, or steak sauce, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar. Add to the inside of the burger, or as condiments, a variety of flavorful cheeses, hot or mild peppers, nuts, and salsa. Instead of throwing a raw onion on top, caramelize some onions in a cast iron skillet on top of the grill over low heat. The incredible sweetness will surprise and delight you and your guests. These are no longer your grandpa’s burgers!

Sometimes, you need to rethink the way you prepare your main dishes at a grilling picnic to make serving simple. Think shish-kabobs and you hardly even need to bring plates! These bite-size pieces are a great way to cook, serve, and eat your favorite foods easily at a grilling picnic. Alternate cut up meat, meat balls, poultry, or seafood with grape tomatoes, chunks of sweet onions, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, or mushrooms. Some foods lend themselves very well to a tropical taste, too. Include pineapple chunks or citrus with chicken or seafood for a taste of the islands.

Rethink the Dessert

Sure, you can serve popsicles and watermelon, but the grill is right there, all fired up. Isn’t there something you can do to put it to work creating delightful desserts? You can start with the old stand-by and toast marshmallows, but don’t stop there. Keep going and put together ‘S’mores’ using the classic ingredients of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers, and a chocolate bar. Or, you can create unique varieties using toasted marshmallows with things like oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, and flaked coconut as possible ingredients. You’ll have lots of fun coming up with your own distinct creations here.

Expanding on the dessert theme is easier than you might think with a grill. For instance, go ahead and cut up that watermelon you brought… but wait. How about grilling it before serving? Yes, you can grill watermelon, too. Cut it off the rind, into about one inch thick pieces. Grill quickly on both sides until grill marks show. Put it on a plate and drizzle a tiny bit of balsamic vinaigrette over each piece. The saltiness of the vinaigrette compliments the sweetness of the watermelon in an unbelievable way. Now THAT’S a grilled picnic delight!

Choose dessert classics that can be grilled, like pound cake with fruit compote or simple berries tossed together in a grilling basket until just lightly charred. You can make banana boats in foil filled with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, or perhaps your tastes lean toward grilled apple slices topped with a syrup of brown sugar and raisins. Grilled pineapple rings is another classic. Serve these simply on a plate as they are or use them to top slices of angel food cake or pound cake with a drizzle of chocolate.

As you can see, you can grill just about anything you want to serve at your picnic. Even if you choose to serve sandwiches, why not grill them? When you fire up your grill for your picnic, don’t limit the menu to hotdogs and hamburgers. Use your imagination. If you can cook it, you can grill it!

If the summer side dishes you’re thinking of this year seem a little mundane, we can help. There are plenty of creative ways to dress up those old favorites in no time, giving you and your guests plenty of tasty new dishes at your next picnic or cookout.

Summer Salads and Slaws

A great way to wow the crowd this summer is to create any number of new salad and slaw combinations. A summer slaw with ingredients like diced apples, bell peppers, carrots, and nuts gives your picnic meals a crunch people will love. Use corn and beans with a lively vinaigrette dressing and pimentos for a little summer spark as perky as the Fourth of July. And, when it comes to perky, don’t forget fruit in your salads and slaws. Chunks of fresh pineapple in a cabbage slaw is a surprisingly refreshing take on an old favorite.

Add a little horseradish or fresh vinegar to your slaw dressing for a fresh, tangy appeal. Shred, slice, or even curl your ingredients as thin as possible for a colorful and attractive impression. When you take the time to prepare your ingredients a little differently, your salads take on a whole new look, and taste.

Don’t forget all those fresh garden vegetables. Tomatoes, beans, spring onions, beets, peas, radishes, broccoli, and cucumbers can turn any salad into a celebration. Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, and basil will give an ordinary salad the boost it needs to gain favor at any picnic table.

Spicy Gourmet Sides

Summer is also the time to get a little spicy, with ingredients, that is. Serving chutneys, relishes, salsas, and other spicy sauces alongside your summer dishes will perk up any meal. Chips and veggie snacks can be served with spicy dips, too. After all, you’ve got plenty of sweet lemonade and other drinks to cool you back down.

Those who enjoy a little heat in their summer meals relish the opportunity to add some jalapenos, crushed red pepper, cumin, cilantro, cayenne, and other spices and herbs to their favorite side dishes. For instance, instead of serving your regular potato salad, spice it up with cumin. Chopped jalapenos added to your favorite baked bean dish will have your guests clamoring for more. Every picnic side dish you can think of probably has a spicy ingredient or two that could be added to give it a new twist.

Create New Comfort Food Casseroles

Some big gatherings call for classic ‘comfort food’ dishes like Green Bean Casserole or Au Gratin Potatoes. But why not get creative and try something a little different? Instead of green beans, why not create new classics like corn casserole or corn pudding. Take a look at turning a variety of vegetables into creamy comfort foods you and your guests will enjoy just like the old classics.

A great substitute for potatoes in casseroles is cauliflower. This healthy vegetable can be mixed with cheeses, onions, and other vegetables for a hearty summer side dish that will complement a number of main dishes at your next picnic. You can also create dynamic new comfort-food casseroles by mixing rice or small pasta with a number of colorful vegetables, like eggplant, summer squashes, zucchini, broccoli, or beans.

So you see, gourmet summer side dishes simply require ingenuity, not culinary finesse. Creativity is really the key to making a new family favorite that will have people begging for more. Spend a little extra time in your grocery store and you’ll find plenty of possibilities for dressing up the side dishes you already love.

Reinvent Your Sandwich On The Outside
Reinvent Your Sandwich On The Inside
Think Beyond The Sandwich For Your Picnic Main Dish
Turn Your Summer Side Dishes Upside Down
Gussy-Up Your Favorite Summer Side Dishes
Create Fanciful Salads To Delight Your Picnic Guests
Tips For Salad Serving And Safety At Your Picnic
Create Memorable Desserts For Your Summer Picnic
Wet Your Whistle With Cool Picnic Drinks