Mouth Watering Vegetable Recipes For the BBQ Any Time of Year



Everyone knows that vegetables are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Unfortunately, many people have a pre-conceived idea that veggies taste bad, or that they lack flavor. In fact, numerous adults and children do not eat even close to the daily recommended amount of veggies because of these pre-conceived ideas, or because they have no idea how to prepare them to bring out all their flavor.

There are some really innovative ways to cook veggies, on the stove top, in the oven, and even on the barbecue using nearly any outdoor grill or smoker. One such product, the Rib-O-Lator, allows home cooks to prepare delicious veggies using a rotisserie system.

Unlike traditional rotisseries, the Rib-O-Lator can effectively be used for cooking nearly anything. The system utilizes four trays that mount on your grill’s existing rotisserie rod. Each tray has a solid bottom and side walls to hold food in place and prevent tasty juices from dripping away. This design makes the Rib-O-Lator perfect for preparing vegetable dishes. It is also very simple to use.

Other veggie cooking options on the BBQ include grilling baskets and skewers to kabob your food. The grilling baskets are excellent for smaller pieces of meats and vegetables because they are designed to allow you to flip or stir the food without fear of it falling through the grill. Using skewers to create veggie kebabs works well for larger chunks of most vegetables. The following recipe is just one of the simple and tasty options that you can make on the grill.

Rotisserie Eggplant Mixed Grill

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
2 TBSP Chopped Basil (Fresh)
2 TBSP Chopped Oregano (Fresh)
2 TBSP Chopped Parsley (Fresh)
1 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Black Pepper
6 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 Red Onion
18 Trimmed Asparagus Spears (if doing skewered veggies, you might substitute Zucchini)
12 Mushrooms (try Crimini for extra special flavor)
1-1lb Eggplant
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper

1. Cut the onion and bell peppers into wedges. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, and slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick rounds.

2. Combine olive oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large re-sealable plastic bag and mix well. Add onion, eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms and asparagus (or zucchini). Seal the bag tightly and shake gently to ensure that the marinade covers all the vegetables. Place the bag in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally.

3. Preheat the grill to a high heat setting. If you are using the Rib-O-Lator, make sure you have it in place during the heating stage. Lightly grease the trays. If you are using vegetable baskets, it is advisable to lightly grease a grilling basket and place the veggies inside it. Wooden skewers, which would work great for the above recipe, should be soaked prior to skewering the veggies to keep the wood from catching fire.

4. Once the grill is heated, put the vegetable mixture in the trays, and turn on the grill’s motorized spit or rotate the spit manually. Allow the vegetables to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are tender. If using a grilling basket, you will need to flip your veggies halfway through cooking, and skewers could require even more attention since they are closer to the open flame. Depending on how hot the grill is, less cooking time may be required.

To add even more flavor to vegetables, why not try a grill smoking system? Pre-flavored wood chips (think flavors like apple, pecan, cedar, hickory) are readily available in stores and via the web. Adding these flavor enhanced wood chips in the grill create even more rich, unique taste sensations. Rotisserie cooking and cooking with flavoring accessories are perfect methods for preparing fresh vegetable dishes that are delicious as well as healthy.

Posted in Food And Drink tagged , , by Stephen with No comments

Tips on Discus Care and Spawning



The discus is quite possibly the most popular fish among large freshwater aquarium owners in the world today. They belong to the genus Symphysodon. They are members of the family Cichlidae more commonly known as cichlids. This family also includes another extremely popular species the angelfish. Both are native to the Amazon River system.

There are two individual species collectively referred to as Discus; S. aequiafasciata and S. discus. These two species are further divided into five different subspecies. But this in not a science lecture. Suffice it to say that these wonderfully exotic species are distinguished by their color palettes. They are available in brown, green, blue, red and yellow. Both species have been selectively bred to further enhance their natural coloration. The end result is some of the most beautiful fish you will ever see in a home aquarium.

The Discus is a rather expensive fish as far as freshwater varieties go. You can expect to pay anywhere form $35 to upwards of $200. The price is determined by the size and coloration of the fish. The good news is that they are relatively long lived. Under premium conditions they may live in excess of 10 years. So you will get your money’s worth in the long run.

These are among one of the larger freshwater varieties. They can reach eight to ten inches in length. It is quite possible to raise a single discus in an aquarium. A pair is even better. But a group of six or more allows them to interact as they would in nature. They must be kept with other large species or in mono-species tanks. They will eat smaller fish. Take all this into account when determining if they are appropriate for your aquarium needs. You will require a minimum tank size of 75 gallons if you intend the raise a group.

You should also be aware they are not recommended for amateur aquarist. They are not as tolerant to diverse water conditions as many freshwater fish are. The ideal environment for your discus is soft, slightly acid water ranging from pH 6.0-6.5 and a temperature range of 77-86 degrees. Between the monetary investment and the Discus’ intolerance to less than ideal water conditions, beginners should avoid the temptation to raise them.

When keeping Discus it is advisable to start with bottled or reverse-osmosis filtered water. The water can then be filtered through peat or a thin layer of peat can be added to the substrate. Peat releases humic acid into the water which naturally raises acidity levels. This will help further mimic their native environment. Make sure the peat contains no chemical additives or fertilizers.

The Discus is primarily a carnivore. Aquarium specialty stores sale food especially formulated them. It is a good decision to trust in fish care specialist given the investment involved. They will eat brine shrimp, tubifex and bloodworms.

Discus Breeding It is difficult to distinguish the male form the female Discus. Fortunately they will save you the trouble. They will pair up instinctively. Paired discus should be placed in a breeding tank. Discus will clean a leaf or other flat object to deposit their eggs on prior to spawning. These fish are very protective of their unborn fry. They will stand guard over the fry, and clean them regularly. The fry will hatch about two days after fertilization.

The fry will be free swimming about three days. Once they are they will derive their nutriment by eating by eating a mucous secretion off the skin of their parents. The parents and fry should be left together for the first few weeks. But after two or three days you can start feeding the fry newly hatched brine shrimp.

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