The joys of grilling

Grilling, especially in the summertime, is one of the most popular ways to cook. When the flame meets the coal, that smell draws men, women, children, dogs and felines alike to the grill.Getting creative with the grill can be good for your health. Try to avoid the traditional fare — burgers and hot dogs, steak, pork and even boneless skinless chicken — all of which can produce cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) when grilled. HCAs are a group of mutagenics produced during the cooking of some foods. In this case, HCAs are produced when the foods listed above are grilled to well done. In January 2005, HCAs were added to the official list of carcinogens.So ... grill something else!Fish such as halibut and swordfish are great when cooked over a flame outside. Try shellfish (especially shrimp), on a skewer (try doubling the skewers for better control) with onions, peppers, pineapple chunks and any other local summertime vegetables you find in the garden or at the farm market.And don’t forget that the grill is made for more than just protein. It is also good for starches, fruits and vegetables.Potatoes, sweet or otherwise, make for great grilling. So does corn.Almost all vegetables, as long as they are large enough not to fall though the cracks, work well on a grill. Peppers, onions and squash are good choices. Asparagus, mushrooms, garlic and Brussels sprouts are wonderful. Fruit, especially stone fruits such as peaches, or apples and pears, as well as sugar-rich pineapples and mangos, can be delightful on the grill.Grill your fruit and serve it plain; chop it up into a salsa to go with your grilled meat; or dress it in cinnamon and sugar and grill it on kabobs as a dessert.Grilled peachesServes six 6 peaches, halved, pits removed; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons melted butter; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup brown sugarMix together all ingredients except the peaches. Dip the peaches into the mixture and then grill them until the exterior turns brown and caramelized and the fruit softens and becomes luscious. You can serve them as is, with ice cream or maybe some cookies. Or you can make a crumble: Remove the fruit from the grill and slice it into a pie tin. Mix 1 cup of oats (the kind you’d use for oatmeal), 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, diced, and a 1⁄4 cup chopped walnuts. Scatter over the peaches. Drizzle honey over the entire cobbler and cook at 350 degrees until the top is golden brown.Grilled pineappleServes two2 1/2-inch thick slices of pineapple (fresh and ripe); 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 teaspoons honey; freshly ground pepperGrill until the pineapple turns a nice caramel color but be careful not to let it burn. Make criss-cross slashes with a knife on the slices of pineapple, for a nice presentation after grilling. Drizzle with the honey and lemon juice and add freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately.