In two recent posts, we talked about roasting up some of summer’s most popular comfort foods--s’mores, hot dogs, and sausages. However, those foods might not be what you want to put on your plate if one of your goals for summer is to embrace a healthier diet. Treats like s’mores may have their place around your fire pit on holidays and at special events, but for a regular evening on the patio, you might be looking for more nutrient-dense alternatives. Luckily, your commitment to a healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun of roasting a meal around the fire pit. While you might generally associate roasting forks with marshmallows and wieners, they can be just as useful for roasting healthier fare. Read on for some healthier fire pit roasting ideas that you can enjoy with your family and friends this summer.
- Veggie kabobs. One of the best ways to use up the summertime vegetables from your garden--and make yourself a highly nutritious snack or dinner--is to grill up veggie kabobs over the fire pit. The smoke from an aromatic firewood for sale will add flavor to some of the more bland summer vegetables, like zucchini and summer squash. It will also accentuate, augment, and enhance the flavors of more robust vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. If you’re looking for a pop of color, try sliding bright red beets or orange sweet potatoes onto the ends of your roasting forks. With veggie kabobs, your meals will never get boring because there are endless variations and combinations from which to choose. As the summer nights stretch out ahead of you, so too do your options for creating patterns of chopped and chunked vegetables on your roasting forks.
- Grilled corn. When you think of summer corn on the cob, your first thought might not be “health food.” After all, it’s not uncommon to see corn on the cob slathered in butter and covered in salt at backyard barbecues. However, when you roast your corn on the cob over the fire pit, you simply don’t need to rely on high-fat, high-sodium toppings to make it taste good enough to eat. When you use a kiln-dried firewood with a strong aroma, like cherry wood or hickory wood, it will impart a smokey flavor to the kernels that is far better than a pad of butter. Just skewer your corn cob with a roasting fork and sear it over the fire pit for a few minutes. After that, the most you’ll need to truly enjoy this summertime staple is a light dusting of salt and pepper. As a result, you’ll be making the most of the nutrients in the corn itself, which include fiber for digestive health, antioxidants for eye health, and B-vitamins for a boost of energy.
- Lean meats. Healthy eating doesn’t always have to be vegetarian. You can also use your roasting forks to grill up chunks of lean meat. Just like with grilled garden vegetables and grilled corn, the flavor of your meat will be enhanced by the aroma of the smoke from your fire pit. Say goodbye to the dry, flavorless chicken breast that dominates the diets of so many diet enthusiasts. When you slide a few chunks of white chicken meat onto a roasting fork and give it a few good turns over the fire pit, you’ll never regret saving hot dogs for the 4th of July alone. In fact, while your family and friends might start to get bored of the same old hot dogs, you can use firepit-seared chunks of chicken, pork, or fish in a wide range of mouthwatering dishes, from soft tacos made from corn tortillas to whole grain pasta salad with the meat, chopped veggies, and olives.
- Summer berries. Just because you’re saving s’mores for special occasions only, it doesn’t mean you can’t still use roasting forks to roast a summertime dessert. You might not expect it, but when you skewer summer berries--like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries--and roast them over your fire pit for a few seconds, the momentary exposure to heat can really bring out the sweetness of their juices. For a late-night treat, hold your berries to the flame for a few seconds, and then slide them into a bowl of cool, low-fat plain or vanilla Greek yogurt. Sprinkle it with granola, and you’ll surely have your s’mores-eating friends looking on with envy.
When it comes down to it, there’s just no need to feel left out around the fire pit, just because one of your summertime goals is to choose healthier meals. In fact, the healthy eats you can roast over your fire pit (with minimal effort) may be even more tempting than some of the more traditional summertime treats. With the right roasting forks and the right firewood, you’ll have no trouble satisfying your cravings and meeting your health goals.
Whenever you use your roasting forks to cook up something new over your fire pit, Cutting Edge Firewood wants to know about it, so don’t forget to tag us on Instagram! To get all of your fireside supplies for a happy and healthy summer, visit our order page now!
