Warmer weather beckons home cooks to the barbecue, whether it is in a back yard, at the beach or on an apartment terrace. The wonderful smoky flavor and easy informality that come with grilling are the big lure, so enticing that some people defy the elements and grill outside all year.

There are other positives to grilling. Because the cooking is basically easy and straightforward and the food always has a deliciously unique taste, home cooks are less intimidated about grilling dinner than they are about preparing a whole meal indoors.

Grilling also becomes a social experience. With guests sitting around the barbecue, the cook may enlist some help or, at least, receive some friendly cooking tips.

Cooking on the barbecue conjures images of grilled steaks, hamburgers and chicken. But it doesn`t have to be so limited. Barbecuing has come a long way, and the grilling repertory can include lamb, pork, game, many kinds of fish and shellfish, vegetables and breads.

In fact, barbecuing can be quite elegant and sophisticated, as the following Italian-inspired recipes illustrate. The bruschetta with tomatoes, olives and basil is simply a grilled bread topped with a lively salad. These two mouth-watering foods in one make a great opener while the rest of the dinner cooks. Lamb benefits enormously from an herbed marinade and is as easy to grill as a hamburger. The stuffed onions with a dollop of goat cheese are a total do-ahead, effortlessly reheated in a corner of the barbecue so they develop an appealing smoky flavor.

A fresh dessert of fruit splashed with orange liqueur and paired with a crisp, plain cookie completes the menu. The meal is perfectly suited to a light red wine such as a 1985 Rosso Di Montalcino by Il Poggione or a 1986 Castello Di Monte Antico, both from the brunello grape, ensuring that your barbecue is a truly festive party.

A word about barbecue heat, which is a variable. Most barbecue grills have hot spots, and that`s where the lamb should be cooked. It`s best to trim all excess fat so there is less flareup and smoke. The bread and the onions should be grilled over lesser heat, making a whole-meal barbecue realistic. All the same, it`s important to move food around as it cooks to ensure the right exposure to heat.


Bruschetta is sliced bread that is grilled, rubbed with raw garlic and brushed with a fruity olive oil. Here, this full-flavored Italian favorite is topped with a tomato, olive and basil salad, definitely making a succulent piece of bread even more so. It`s a great first course and a wonderful summer lunch with a wedge of cheese.


Preparation time: 15 minutes

Grilling time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4 first-course servings


1 French bread loaf, about 1 pound, 16 inches long

1 large garlic clove, split

About 1/4 cup fruity green olive oil


4 large ripe tomatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds total

14 kalamata olives, pitted

1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup each: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

Basil leaves, for garnish

1. For bread, split loaf horizontally in half. Grill, cut side down, over medium-hot barbecue fire. Grill until lightly toasted.

2. Rub toasted side with garlic clove. Brush with olive oil. Cut each half of bread crosswise into four equal portions, making a total of eight pieces.

3. For salad, stand tomatoes on board and cut down around tomato to remove outer shell, reserving insides for another use. Cut shell into 1/2-inch dice.

4. Mix tomatoes, olives, basil, vinegar, oil, onion, salt, sugar and pepper in 1-quart bowl. Use immediately or let stand at room temperature as long as 2 hours. Adjust seasoning.

5. To serve, arrange two pieces of bread on each serving plate. Using slotted spoon, divide salad evenly between them, heaping it on bread and letting a little spill over onto plates. Drizzle some dressing over each. Garnish plate with basil leaves. Serve immediately.


The most challenging part of this recipe is thinking ahead so the meat marinates long enough to absorb the flavors of the marinade. Otherwise it`s quick to prepare. Because the lamb is butterflied, it is easy to grill and slice attractively. Any leftovers are great in a salad or sandwich.


Preparation time: 20 minutes

Marinating time: 12 hours

Grilling time: About 20 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings


1 large clove garlic, minced

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1/3 cup each: fresh lemon juice, fruity green olive oil

2 teaspoons each: Dijon-style mustard, dried rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Butterflied half leg of lamb, trimmed of fat, about 3 pounds

Lemon slices, for garnish

1. For marinade, mix garlic, lemon rind, lemon juice, oil, mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper in large plastic food bag. Add lamb and seal tightly against meat. Place in another bag and seal again. Refrigerate at least 12 hours or as long as two days, turning bag occasionally to make sure marinade seeps into folds of meat.

2. Prepare grill preferably with mix of soaked wood chunks or 1 cup chips until coals are covered with gray ash.

3. Remove lamb from marinade. Let excess drip off. Season with salt and pepper. Grill lamb, turning once, until cooked as desired, about 10 minutes per side. To test, insert instant-read thermometer halfway through thickest part of meat. The reading for rare is 125 to 130 degrees; medium is 145 to 150 degrees. Do not overcook. Let meat rest in warm spot, covered with foil, 20 minutes before slicing.

4. Carve lamb on diagonal into thin slices. Arrange on warm platter, garnish with lemon slices.


Here, onions are baked (1 hour) or microwaved (8 minutes) until they`re tender and sweet. Once filled with the spinach mixture and topped with the goat cheese, they can be refrigerated as much as a day in advance before they`re reheated on the grill. The skin left on the onion protects it from the direct heat of the barbecue and keeps it soft.


Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 1 1/4 hours

Yield: 4 servings

2 very large Spanish onions, about 1 3/4 pounds total, unpeeled

2 tablespoons each: light-tasting olive oil, pine nuts

4 cups packed young spinach leaves

1/3 cup currants

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Freshly ground pepper

Olive oil, for brushing

1/4 cup soft goat cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Split onions in half horizontally. Trim bottoms so onions are stable when placed cut side up. Wrap each half separately in foil. Bake until tender, about 1 hour.

2. When cool enough to handle, use a grapefruit spoon to remove and reserve insides of onion, leaving 3/4-inch shell. If there`s a hole on bottom of onion, use piece of onion to cover it. Finely chop reserved onion.

3. Add oil to 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add pine nuts; cook and stir until light brown, about 3 minutes. Use slotted spoon to set aside on waxed paper.

4. Add onion, spinach and currants to oil remaining in skillet. Cook, stirring often, until spinach wilts, about 4 minutes. Add salt, vinegar and pepper; simmer, uncovered, until juices evaporate, about 4 minutes. Stir in pine nuts. Adjust seasoning.

5. Lightly brush cut surface of onion with olive oil. Divide spinach mixture evenly among each half, mounding it slightly. Top each with 1 tablespoon goat cheese, gently pressing it into place. Can be prepared a day ahead, refrigerated, covered airtight. Let come to room temperature before reheating.

6. Put onions directly over medium barbecue heat until reheated, at least 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Variation: To cook in microwave oven, omit Step 1. Instead, wrap each onion half in plastic. Place around edge of large paper plate. Cook on high

(100 percent power) until tender, about 8 minutes. To test, pierce through plastic with tip of knife. If more cooking is necessary, cook in 30-second increments. Proceed with recipe. -

Copyright © 2019, Chicago Tribune