Turn your backyard into a beautifully functional escape for social gatherings with this state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen, this breathtaking Cal Flame BBQ Island comes in a variety of colors and designs to best fit your lifestyle and landscape.

Now that you are a grill master -It’s time to expand your repertoire beyond the traditional recipes.

When it comes to pizza and beer, it’s an instant party – and a guaranteed good time.

So, let’s talk about things you didn’t know you could cook on a grill. Simple is always best. Besides nothing suits a tasty pizza quite like the mouth-watering flavors of roasted summer vegetables and treats.

These recipes can be done with little effort but will leave a significant impact on your taste buds and barbecue experience.

Grilled Salsa

Fire roasted salsa is quick and easy to prepare, so grab the chips and fire up the grill.

Ingredients

• 1 small head of garlic
• 3 or 4 Roma tomatoes
• 1 or 2 heirloom variety tomatoes
• 1 poblano pepper or 3 jalapenos
• 3 -4 half-inch thick slices of red onion
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Handful of cilantro
• Splash of red wine vinegar
• A drizzle of olive oil

Directions

1. Fire up your charcoal grill. Let the coals get blazing hot.
2. Wash the vegetables.
3. Place the garlic off to the side of the coals where it will brown the paper skins but not burn the cloves. The garlic will take the longest to cook of everything. Let it get good and brown on all sides.
4. Now place the tomatoes and peppers right on the coals. Let them blister and blacken. Remove them to a tray. Let the juices collect in the tray.
5. Place the grill grate on the grill and grill the onions until they are caramelized and soft.
6. If you plan to grill more stuff, like a nice skirt steak, you will probably need to add a few more coals to the fire. You be the judge.
7. Peel the pepper, being carful not to spill or lose any pepper juices. I remove the seeds and, obviously, the stems. Put peeled peppers, tomatoes, onion, and peeled roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor. Add the tomato and pepper juices that collected in the bottom of the tray.
8. Add a two-finger pinch of salt, some pepper, half the cilantro, the red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Pulse the processor until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. I like this particular salsa smoother than most but still chunky. Taste the salsa and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
9. Pour into a serving bowl, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Grilled Zucchini and Leeks with Walnuts and Herbs

When left al dente the leeks and zucchini are delish, otherwise over grilling makes them droopy.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise with some root attached
• 2 large zucchinis (about 1 lb.), halved lengthwise
• ½ cup (lightly packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems

Directions

1. Prepare grill for medium-high heat.
2. Toast walnuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Chop very coarsely.
3. Toss warm walnuts with garlic, lemon juice, and 3 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.
4. Brush leeks and zucchini with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper.
5. Grill vegetables, turning often, until tender and charred in spots, 5–8 minutes for leeks, 8–10 minutes for zucchini.
6. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board. Trim roots from leeks and cut leeks and zucchini into bite-size pieces.
7. Add vegetables and parsley to bowl with walnuts and toss to combine; season vegetables with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

Pesto and Tomato Grilled Pizza

A light and yummy recipe for any backyard get-together.

Ingredients

• 4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• ½ cup prepared pesto sauce
• additional flour for rolling
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/3 cup warm very water
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 envelope Fleischmann’s pizza crust yeast
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Recipe substitution: Substitute chopped sun-dried tomatoes for fresh tomatoes for a change of pace.

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead* on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 portions. Pat or roll dough on a well-floured counter to about 8-inch circles; they do not need to be perfect.
4. Using hands, lift each crust carefully and place on grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until bottom is lightly browned and top looks set. Using long-handled tongs, remove crust from grill, grilled side up, to a platter or baking sheet.
5. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto sauce over the grilled side of each pizza crust. Top with 5 to 6 tomato slices and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining pizzas.
6. Carefully slide each pizza onto the grill. Cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes until bottom of crust is browned and cheese is melted. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

*To knead the dough, add just enough flour to the dough and your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Flatten dough and fold it toward you. Using the heels of your hands, push the dough away with a rolling motion. Rotate dough a quarter turn and repeat the “fold, push and turn” steps. Keep kneading dough until it is smooth and elastic. Use a little more flour if dough becomes too sticky, always working the flour into the ball of dough.

Make Ahead: Dough (but NOT individual crusts) may be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. Punch down and roll out just before grilling. OR, pizzas may be partially grilled ahead of serving. Here’s how: Grill one side of the pizza crust. Cool. Tightly wrap and refrigerate until serving time. Top pizzas with desired toppings (on grilled side) and finish grilling on preheated grill.

Dough sticking to grill? Make sure grill has been preheated and cleaned. To prevent sticking, drizzle oil over paper towel and carefully wipe over grates.

Grilled Bananas with Buttered Maple Sauce and English Almond Toffee

Now, this is an effortless, quick dessert everyone will love!

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 8 firm bananas, still in the peel, not green but not brown either
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup of your favorite English toffee bar, crumbled

Directions

1. Clean your grill grate of any remnants of dinner. If the coals have died down, make sure you add a few and let them get going. You want good direct heat. It doesn’t have to be blazing but it should be hot. You want the first 1/8 inch of the bananas to cook and caramelize, but not the whole banana.
2. Leaving the peels on your bananas, use a sharp knife to halve them lengthwise down the middle, from tip to tip.
3. Place the butter into a small saucepan and place it on a hot spot on the grill. Let the butter melt. Lightly butter the cut side of the bananas and set them aside.
4. Add the syrup to the butter and let it come to a boil. Stir it around to combine and then move it to an area to simmer.
5. Grill the bananas. Once they are caramelized, turn them over and let the peel side cook for 30 seconds or so. This makes them easier to peel.
6. Peel the bananas gently, plate, sauce, and garnish.

Summer is here, and it’s time to fire up the grill! I can’t wait to hear what unique recipes you’ll be barbecuing this season? Post in our comments section below.