Courtesy of Elaine Magee

Have you discovered the indoor grills yet? You know, the ones sold by George Foreman and several other companies? They are electric and usually come complete with top and bottom grill plates. I’ve been experimenting with mine for over a year now. It’s become my makeshift panini press, my favorite way to make chicken quickly for chicken Caesar salads, and a great way to grill vegetables as featured ingredients (like in quesadillas, sandwiches, or omelets) or as a side dish. 

Make sure the grill plates are removable and nonstick—you’ll be well on your way to healthful grilling! A little olive or canola oil goes a long way with these indoor grills. I like to use a silicon brush to apply a light coat of oil on the food before grilling if need be. Items that typically fair better with a light brush of oil include asparagus spears, boneless skinless chicken breast, portabella mushrooms, and so on.

Most of the indoor grill advertisements include claims that they help you slim down by making the fat literally drip off your meat. But if you use lean ingredients, you’ll have almost no drippings. Since I exclusively use extra lean meats and vegetables, the drippings are usually water based.  

But one of the biggest health benefits of using an indoor grill is eliminating two groups of outdoor barbecue carcinogens.