For us, winter isn’t all bad, especially amid the chilly air in December. The change of season feels fun and comfy as we don our cozy scarfs and other early winter wears.
However, as we push through the first and second months of the year, things get nasty with the random snowstorms and the freezing temperatures. All you wish is for the shorter days and the weather they bring with them to be all gone.
All you can think about is an outdoor weekend behind the grill when spring kicks in. In this write-up, we’ve rounded up some of the best spring recipes and grilling ideas that will keep you outdoors and on a budget.
Fresh Grilled Corn on the Cob
For those who are yet to know the hallmarks of the spring and summer seasons, grilled corn on the cob is one of them. You can pair grilled corn with grilled vegetables, or if you want to take the budget a little higher occasionally, you can have smoked pork or grilled hamburgers.
You can pull back the husks to form a handle that you can hold while grilling or use it to hang the corn on the grill. Add on to the smoky flavor using flavor twists or pepper to take the sweetness to the next level.
Spring Onion Risotto and Fresh Peas
Frozen peas are an excellent recipe for any season, but the sweetness and firm tenderness that comes with fresh peas make them the best specialty for spring, and there is no better way than to accompany them with risotto.
Risotto can come with Parmesan cheese and Arborio rice, but you can add any other gems from the farm just to have a more comprehensive capture of the season on a plate. Substitutions can also be made based on what your local market offers.
Asparagus and Pizza
Asparagus is a perfect guest at your grill all spring long if you love veggies. It’s a quintessential vegetable for the spring, and welcoming pizza on the ingredients makes it a great spring recipe combination for the grill.
You can add to the spring pizza and fresh grilled asparagus’ crispness and sweetness with a mix of chives, garlic, and savory cheese.
Rigatoni with Grilled Veggies and Mozzarella
This vegetarian dish is among the summertime pasta dishes that are sure to keep you on your toes in the spring. You can use veggies like tomatoes or eggplant to bring the smoky note or even grilled herbs and cheese.
It is excellent for any time in spring and still feels perfect even when served cold.
Spring Salad and Potatoes
With so many delicacies ready for harvesting in spring, it’s always easy to create an entire green market-rich salad at the lowest budget. For this recipe, you can use the seasonal fresh potatoes for the better part then supplement them with aromatic ingredients like peas, onions, and radishes.
You can always substitute the veggies for anything your local market offers, including asparagus.
Sweet Potatoes with Chimichurri
If your pantry has some sweet potatoes left by spring, the grilled sweet potatoes with chimichurri recipe will provide you with a simple way to waste away a weekend behind the grill.
All you need is to wrap the sweet potatoes in packets of foil, and you can even grill them alongside the main dish. You will love how quickly and tender they cook up and will not even mess up your grill or dishes.
Curry Roasted Carrots
If you are more concerned about enjoying an outdoor grilling inexpensively, there is no better way to go than opt for roasted carrots. The little finessing you need is coating your carrots with a blend of spices and roasting them just enough to bring out the natural flavor.
Grilled Mushroom Skewers
Try grilled mushrooms on skewers, and you will deal with the cravings for the rest of the grilling season. You can serve them with grilled fish or meat for the main dish or an appetizer with grilled bread.
To add to the smoked mushroom flavor, you can add three cloves of chopped garlic for two pounds of mushroom and a little thyme, parsley, and red chili pepper flakes.
Grilled Brussels Sprouts
Bacon and Brussels form a great combination that you can always take to the next level by grilling. The mixture on the grill introduces an added savory feel to the sprouts and a whole new smoky flavor to the dish.
Pkhali
Pkhali is walnut and Georgian spinach dip that provides you with a pretty unique and cheap grilling recipe when you have plenty of spinach. However, you may not find it cheap considering the pricey walnuts, which is why sunflower or pumpkin seeds are still great options.
The fresh spinach pulls an excellent smoky aromatic, and you can still add some supporting spices like parsley, coriander, and garlic just for the flavor and aroma.
Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
You don’t have to spend an entire weekend afternoon behind the grill to enjoy this sophisticated grill recipe. You can typically have it ready in a flash after tucking shrimp, veggies, and cilantro into lettuce leaves. However, it requires several ingredients, including shrimp, lettuce leaves, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar marinade, sugar, salt, radishes, and carrots.
Once everything gets set, it can take as little as 20 minutes, and you can have it as an appetizer or light lunch. The carrots and radishes may feel a little crunchy, but this adds to the charred flavor of the shrimp from the grill.
Lemon Pasta with Arugula
Lemon pasta is an excellent idea to lighten and brighten your spring on the grill. The pasta will get a fresh spicing kick from arugula. The larger the arugula leaf, the spicier your pasta feels. Most stores pack up arugula all year round, so you can still smoke some even beyond spring.
Grilling is always fun when you have your favorite ingredients and the time to do it all spring long. However, it’s easy to go out of options if not your pantry stock, and that’s why we prepared the above spring recipe and grilling ideas. They will help you try something different next spring and keep your grilling budget low.
