Single mother DIY: Grilling

Last summer, I bought a grill. Nothing fancy, a charcoal grill with some bells and whistles, like a thermometer in the lid and a special pan to catch the ash as the coals burn down. Actually, it’s a little more intimidatnig than a gas grill — all this fire and flame from the traditional cave man side of the genome.

But when you don’t have a man around, and you want some grilled chicken, what can a girl do?

Grill.

If, like me, you own a charcoal grill, I have a few pointers for you, single mothers,,,

• Get a chimney, a little fire starter that eliminates the need for lighter fluid. To use it simply make a ring of two or three pieces of newspaper and insert it into the bottom of the chimney. Fill the top with coals, and light the newspaper. It should catch fire quickly. When you see flames flicking out of the top of the chimney, use the handle and the thin stablizing bar to spill the coals into the grill. Do not set the chimney on concrete, or you will cause a small explosion and ruin the concrete.
• Invest in good, hardwood charcoal. It’s more expensive but worth it!
• Do grill vegetables when you’re cooking out. Last night I grilled zucchini, red peppers and onions, which we ate with dinner. Today, I’ll go to the store for an eggplant and make ratatouille. When grilling vegetables, be sure to coat them in oil beforehand, especially portabellos. Don’t worry, it’s healthy fat!
• Grill more than you can eat, so you have leftovers to turn into other delicious things (see above) and can have lunches for work practically done in no time
• Pay attention to cooking times. A good cookbook like Joy of Cooking will tell you the basics of grilling. 
• Get some decent barbeque tools — at a minimum, a long handled fork and tong

Don’t let the stereotype of manly men doing manly things in the back yard around a pit of flame discourage you from enjoying the occasional meal hot off the grill.