Let grill season commence! I have a fantastic menu to share with you that’s both healthy AND sure to please at any alfresco barbecue.

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken

This is one of Ina Garten’s recipes featured on the Food Network’s show Barefoot Contessa. The tequila, lime juice, and jalapeno pepper marinade is nuanced and delicious.  To lower the fat, remove the skin from the chicken breasts before eating.

Click here for recipe.

Fresh Corn Salad

Another of Garten’s creations, sweet, summer corn is complemented perfectly by this recipe’s balance of olive oil, vinegar, basil, and red onion. Save yourself some work by grilling 1 1/2 bags of frozen corn kernels rather than boiling cobs as directed. It turns out perfectly.

Click here for recipe.

Cumin-scented Black Beans

This is one of my favorite recipes, passed on to me by a family member. Simmer a 1-pound bag of dried black beans with 1 L chicken stock, 1 diced white onion, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 large bunch of chopped cilantro (stems & leaves), 2 tsp cumin seed, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, and 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken base. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until beans are soft and the onion and cilantro have completely broken down, adding more liquid as needed. If you’re pinched for time, use canned black beans instead of dried and cook for 1 hour instead of 2-3; use the liquid the beans are canned in place of some of the chicken stock to intensify the flavor.

Beans are a fantastic source of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, and I try to showcase them at as many meals as I can.

Avocado & Tomatoes

Simple, easy, and delicious. Halve 2 pints of grape tomatoes, cube 3-4 avocados, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and shakes of Kosher salt and ground pepper, and garnish with a few cilantro leaves if desired. Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and several antioxidants, and avocados top the charts for providing hearth-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Ripe, Luscious Strawberries

Berries are the perfect summer dessert. Wash and assemble on a large platter, and watch them disappear.

This menu is packed with lean, flavorful protein, fresh veggies galore, heart-healthy fats, and even colorful fruit.  Barbecues don’t have to be centered around calorie-bombs like fat-laden potato and pasta salads, creamy cole slaw, greasy chips and dips, nor fatty cuts of meat, like sausages, hot dogs and ground hamburger and their refined-flour buns. Grill smarter, grill healthier!

To find out more about Caroline, visit her blog Mental Kitchen and follow her on Twitter.