Grill Mat Recipes

Grilled Vegetables

This recipe can be used for all kinds of vegetables. You can use it to make grilled asparagus, grilled zucchini, grilled corn, grilled eggplant, grilled yellow squash, grilled sweet potatoes, grilled peppers, or any combination that appeals to you.

Ingredients

8 cups vegetables (asparagus, bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, onion, corn, squash, etc.)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoons dried basil, thyme, tarragon, etc. (optional)
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Heat your gas grill by turning all the burners to high and closing the lid, for at least 10 minutes. while the grill heats prepare your vegetables. Toss them with the oil, dried herb of your choice (if desired), and salt and pepper to taste.
Clean the hot grill rack with a wire brush.
Arrange vegetables on the hot grill, leaving a bit of space between them.
Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the vegetables have grill marks on both sides and are done to your liking.
It should take about 10 to 12 minutes for them to be tender.

Seasoning Suggestions

Vinegar (Balsamic, Sherry, Wine, etc.)
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Vinaigrette dressings
Light mayonnaise or a combination of light mayonnaise and non-fat Greek yogurt
Salsa
Chile sauce
Teriyaki sauce
Chopped fresh herbs
Barbecue sauce
Honey mustard sauce
Pesto

HOW TO GRILL VEGETABLES – TIPS & TRICKS

Use the BBQ Grill Mat for small vegetables that could fall through the grate like green beans, small mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Most anything else can go directly on the grill if you cut the pieces large enough.
Make sure the grill is fully preheated before grilling vegetables on gas grill.
Slice the vegetables thinner than you would if you were roasting them so they cook more quickly.
Coat the vegetables lightly with a little oil or marinade before grilling.
If you are grilling variety of vegetables, start those that take longer to cook before those requiring less time.
Apply any sweet sauce, such as teriyaki or barbecue to the vegetables when they are almost done so they do not burn.

WHAT VEGETABLES ARE GOOD FOR GRILLING?

asparagus – trim tough ends
carrots (medium size) – peel and then cut in half lengthwise and crosswise
corn – leave on husks and silks. Soak in water for 30 minutes before grilling.
green onions (ends removed if desired)
eggplant – peel if desired and then cut into 1/2-inch thickness.
mushrooms (small portobellos) – remove the stems
onions (small) – unreeled and halved lengthwise
onions (large) – peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
peppers – remove the core and seed and then cut in half or quarters.
potatoes (small red) – halved
sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices or lengthwise wedges
tomatoes (large ripe but firm) – cut in half crosswise and squeeze gently to remove seeds
yellow squash & zucchini – if small cut them in half lengthwise. If large, cut into 1/2-inch thick lengthwise slices or rounds

Grilled Fish

Asian Salmon Marinade

This flavorful marinade is perfection in not only how it tastes but also how it works with the fish. The low acid level of the combination of ingredients will not cook the salmon before it hits the grill, so fish can sit in the marinade longer and take on more flavor. The combination of soy sauce and brown sugar gives it a teriyaki flavor and aids in caramelizing the surface of the fish while grilling.

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lb salmon filets

Combine all ingredients in a glass container. The marinade can be made up to a few days in advance to allow the flavors to marry before adding the fish.
To use, place salmon filets in a resealable plastic bag and pour enough marinade over so it covers all of the flesh. Seal bag, and marinate for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking.

Tips for Making the Perfect Grilled Fish

Grilling is one of the best ways you can cook fish because it creates a crispy crust on the skin. There’s something about putting a fish steak over the fire that makes its’ flavor stand out. Grilling fish is an art that takes time to develop. The best grill masters sometimes find themselves puzzled on how to grill fish for the first time. The problem with grilling fish is that it is a delicate meat that it can easily fall apart. Here are a few tips on how to grill fish successfully.

Don’t Take Off The Skin

Skinning your fish works fine with other cooking methods like baking, where you don’t need to be flipping it, but when you are grilling you want the fish to keep together in one piece. The skin does the perfect job of stopping the fish from falling apart. Not only does it help to keep your fish together, but the skin of the fish is less likely to stick to your grill mat than if you put the naked meat on it. It also does wonders for the flavor. Fish that has thinner skin, like Trout and Mackerel, are great to eat with the skin-on since it becomes deliciously crispy when its cooked. But if the fish has thicker skin, like Tuna, you can simply remove the skin after you finished and VOILA! You have a perfectly grilled fish ready to eat.

Prepare Your Fish

Preparing your fish to be grilled is easy and requires little effort. Once you take your fish from the fridge use a soft brush to apply oil on both sides of your fish and use simple spices like Coarse Salt and Cracked Black Peppercorns to season it. Grilling larger pieces is the best way to get good results on the grill but if you have smaller pieces such as fillets, then you want to put your fish inside foil packets which you can also fill with sliced veggies and herbs to give it additional flavor. Don’t forget to cover the foil with your favorite oil both inside and out to stop it from sticking and give it flavor.

Let It Be

Leaving the fish alone while it cooks is one of the simplest yet most important pieces of advice. Many people freak out at the thought of overcooking the fish. Once you have added your fish to the grill you must close the lid and leave it. The time it takes for it to be done depends on the thickness of the piece, with 4 to 5 minutes per side for each inch of fish being the perfect time. Over-flipping will only stop the sides from cooking properly so you want to leave it undisturbed as much as possible.

*Pro Tips: 1. Because you are using a grill mat, it is not critical for the grill to be well cleaned. You also do not have to add oil to the grates since the grill mat keeps it from sticking. 2. When using the grill mat, keep temperatures at or below 500 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal performance.

Grilled Pizza

Artichoke, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

½ standard 12” pizza dough
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 large onions sliced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups sun dried tomatoes in oil chopped
1 cup marinated artichokes chopped
1 cup goat cheese crumbled
1/4 tsp salt
1/4t sp pepper
1Tbsp parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat BBQ grill to 475°F.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Add sliced onions. Slowly cook the onions until caramelized, stirring frequently. It should take about 12-15 minutes.
Roll out the pizza dough with no edges and place on the Cestari grill mat and carefully place on the grill grates. Close the grill lid and let cook for two minutes.
After two minutes, open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is on one side, but not another, use a spatula or tongs to rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute.
If it is not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has begun to brown. It should only take a couple minutes if you have a hot grill. The top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets.
Remove grilled dough and flip it over onto a cookie sheet:
Once the pizza dough has browned lightly on one side, use your cookie sheet or pizza peel to remove it from the grill. Use a spatula to flip the dough over so that the grilled side is now up. Keep the grill covered so it retains its heat for the next step.
Brush the crust before adding toppings. Arrange caramelized onions over the pizza crust. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, and crumbled goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and grill for about 3-5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Pizza Combinations

Meat Pizzas

Pepperoni
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Pepperoni

Meat Lovers
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Salami

Combination
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Salami, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Olives

Canadian Bacon and Pineapple
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Canadian Bacon, Pineapple Chunks

The Sofia
Tomato Sauce, Prosciutto, Rosemary, Red Onion, Mozzarella and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Bacon Cheese Burger
Tomato Sauce, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Ground Beef, Bacon, Red Onion

Prosciutto White
Prosciutto, Kalamata Olives, Fresh Garlic, Ricotta Cheese, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Mozzarella

Prosciutto Arugula
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Arugula

Meatball Pizza
Whole Small Meatballs, Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce

Vegetarian Pizzas

Mushroom Olive
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Mushrooms, Olives

Cheese
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Provolone, Cheddar

Quattro Formaggio
Gorgonzola, Asiago, Fresh Mozzarella, Pecorino Romano & Basil

Marylin Monroe
All Blonde Cheese Pizza, White Sauce, Mozzarella, Provolone, Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Grated Parmesan, Fresh Basil

Margherita
Plum Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil Leaves

Mushroom Magic
Roasted Garlic Sauce, Assorted Mushroom such as Champignon, White Mushroom, Portabella, Cremini, Oyster, Shitake, and/or Morel

Dried Tomato
Mozzarella, Provolone, Sun Dried Or Oven Dried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil Leaves

Fire & Smoke
Fire Roasted Red Peppers, Sweet Onions, Chipotle Pepper Tomato Sauce, Smoked Gouda, Fresh Basil

Artichoke and Pesto
Artichoke Hearts, Pesto, Kalamata Olives, Roasted Peppers, Fontina

Autumn Vegetable Pizza
Roasted Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Caramelized Onions, Oven Dried Tomatoes, Portobellos, Pesto Cream, Mozzarella

Eggplant Pizza
Mashed Roasted Eggplant instead of Tomato Sauce

Onion & Gorgonzola
Lightly Sautéed Onion, Gorgonzola Crumbles, Black Pepper, Nutmeg

Chicken Pizzas

BBQ Chicken
BBQ Chicken Breast, Bacon Bits, Red Onion, Mozzarella and Provolone Cheeses, on a Tomato or Roasted Garlic Sauce

Chicken Potato
Roasted Onion-Garlic Potato Sauce, Smoked Chicken, Fire-Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Smoked Mozzarella, Balsamic Vinegar Syrup

Chicken Pesto
Grilled Herb Marinated Chicken, Pesto Sauce, Mozzarella

Chicken Sausage
Italian Style Chicken Sausage, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic Cream, Black Olives, Fontina