Okay, so it’s 82 degrees here in Wisconsin on April 10. Of course, it’s not going to stay that way for long, and a cold front is about to collide with the warm air and created strong storms. Yikes. It’s a windy 82, but then again, true warm weather is not far away, and that means it’ll be time to fire up the grill. Here are some quick and easy grilling recipes I posted on Grub For Guys a few years back…..enjoy!

Are you tired of grilling steaks (okay maybe that’s a stretch), burgers and hot dogs? Well, here are a few items good for summer grilling that you may or may not have experimented with before. As always, a Corona or two or three is always good for your left hand while your right hand flips the food. Each recipe serves four, or two really hungry guys.

*Note: A lot of my published recipes don’t exactly fall into the realm of health food, but most commercial marinades are loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup. And when you can make your own from scratch as easily as this, then why not do it?

Tasty Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
4 chicken breast halves, cut into one-inch chunks
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large zip-lock bag and add chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for one hour. Divide chicken chunks between four skewers. Grill over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Oriental Pork Chops
Ingredients
4 medium bone-in pork chops
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. minced ginger (from the jar is fine)
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions
Combine all marinade ingredients (everything but chops) in a large zip-lock bag and shake to combine. Add chops, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Grill over medium-high heat for about four minutes per side or until pork is no longer pink in the center.

Grilled Shrimp
Ingredients
20 raw shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
cooking spray
Cajun seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper

Directions
After cleaning shrimp, divide them between four skewers and spray lightly with cooking spray. Then sprinkle spices on both sides. Grill over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are opaque white in color.

Sides
If you really want to get to know your grill, try cooking vegetables or even fruit. Good and easy vegetable choices are thickly sliced zucchini, potatoes, or bell pepper. For fruit, try grilling banana halves (while still in the skin) or peach halves. Be sure to spray any of those modestly and remember that cooking times for these items are generally much quicker than for meats.