George Foreman grill?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
George Foreman grill?
18
Sat, 06-05-2004 - 12:27pm
I finally bought one, and wonder if others are using an indoor grill of any kind? Since mine is fairly new, I haven't used it much. The ham steak and a rib eye seemed a little dry, and the grilled peppers and onions seemed more "steamed" than grilled.....BUT the grilled pineapple, banana, plum and peach which I had with organic yogurt this morning were DIVINE! I heard Bobby Flay recommend a simple "healthy" dessert of grilled fruit with a little honey sweetened yogurt on top (I think he added cinnamon) and thought I'd give that a whirl, but for breakfast (not dessert) and the organic yogurt I used tastes so wonderful anyway that it really didn't need a boost!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-02-2003
Sat, 06-05-2004 - 1:30pm
I use mine to cook chicken, burgers, and other meats. I've never tried fruits in it. Most fruits and vegetables I prefer to eat raw.

My friend Tree uses recipes off of www.321recipes.com with hers and you might like something on there. I've had the cassava and it's DELICIOUS.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2003
Sat, 06-05-2004 - 2:39pm
we use ours a lot ...... i dont like chicken cooked on it though, makes it tastes a little too rubbery for me LOL.... but i like most everything else :)


 
 
 
 

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Sat, 06-05-2004 - 3:01pm
I've heard really good things about the George Foreman grill.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2003
Sat, 06-05-2004 - 4:48pm
I, personally, could not live without a foreman grill--it makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches around (I had a son who lived on nothing but grilled cheese for about two years:) If your meat is dry you are probably cooking it too long. Mine is always really flavorful and moist. Of course I also like my steaks mooing if you know what I mean. I think I should be on one of their informecials, I am such a huge advocate. Does yours have the heat settings or is it a one heat only? Try the veggies on the highest heat if you can control the heat.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2004
Mon, 06-07-2004 - 2:17pm
Hi Astri,

This is funny, because I just purchased a little Foreman grill over the weekend AND for much the same purpose....after watching Bobby Flay (on those little *idea* segments between programming on the food network). His idea was for dessert, yes, using grilled fruit topped with plain yogurt, a little lime juice. We have fresh peaches and apricots in our yard now, and I thought how *great* it would be to make them on the little Foreman grill for breakfast. And so, before reading *your* post today....well, this morning I had a grilled peach, apricot, banana topped with stoneyfarms organic peach yogurt and a handful of raspberries, blueberries (alas, the berries came from a store!). It was wonderful, and would you **believe** 250 calories, 0 grams fat for the whole thing! Anyway, I too purchased pineapple as I always love that grilled. The whole idea, for me anyway, is that I'd like to grill *breakfast* sometimes, and for that (when I'm hardly awake) I'm not about to use either our big charcoal or gas grills, and I haven't seen a hibachi in stores for years and years (though I'd like one of those....nothing made on a kitchen grill of any sort will taste the same as something over charcoal or hardwood....but it's breakfast, or a quick lunch or something....and for that I'm not likely to light coals anyway!)

Anyway, about your question of meat seeming a little dry on the foreman. I must also admit that I don't make meat all that often anymore though we sometimes do. And one of the first things we tried was a small lean steak also....also dry. And I'm thinking, next time I'll make sure the grill is as hot as it can be (since there's only one setting, that means pre-heating at least 5 minutes or until the light goes off) and maybe putting like a cracked pepper crust on steak (one side, the pepper side down) or like an almond crusted grouper (or other fish), again with the crusted side down so the *meat* sears fast to seal in juices more. Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes.

Right now, I **LOVE** veggies on the thing. I marinated a huge portabello overnight and grilled that, some peppers, maui onion and then had it with an omelet. Basically, the veggies grilled to perfection on the foreman while the omelet was in the omelet pan and the whole thing done at the same time.

Let me know how it goes, and maybe we can experiment together with this new *toy!* ;)

Top of the day to you!

Forte

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2004
Mon, 06-07-2004 - 2:36pm
Mine's just the little one ($17.99) and as I said in another post, it's brand new this weekend. So there are no *settings* on it, and the only piece of meat so far was drier than I'd like (I lean toward well done). The fruit and veggies I've done on it were outstanding though. And I'm wondering (since I suggested this to Astri without trying first) that if perhaps a lean steak were *crusted* on the downside first (to put a sear on the meat and keep the juices in more) and if the grill was heated at least 5 minutes first....do you think that would help any? Other ideas? I don't cook much meat, and meat most days would probably be on the outside grill (as I said in my other post), but an occasional piece of meat or fish for breakfast would be great (maybe some steak and eggs some morning) so I'm wondering if it's possible to get a well-done piece of meat on it without drying it out too much, especially when I begin with very lean cuts? Thanks.

forte

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2003
Mon, 06-07-2004 - 3:30pm
I don't have a Foreman any more due to an unfortunate accident where I caught it and nearly my whole kitchen on fire (a little tip-don't use it on your cooktop if you are unable to read the element schematic, I turned on the wrong burner and it was not a pretty sight). Now I have the Hamilton Beach equivalent and I like it because it has temp controls from low to high. Any who in answer to your question, the other night I made a steak on it and cut off my part while it was still really rare--yummy! But I left the other portion on a little longer for my family and theirs was dry. So I guess unless you like your meat rare the Foreman might not be the best way. Fish on the other hand has always turned out beautifully. I put down a salmon steak with some onions and slices of lemon and in about 7 minutes I have the most succulent salmon ever.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
Tue, 06-08-2004 - 1:13pm
Hi Ksasmom & Forte,

Mine is the little one, and it sounds like it may be the same as Forte's or maybe one model up (mine is the color one, blue, with the "bun warmer" on top and I think it cost $19.99 here). Anywho...I tend to be a well-done meat person too (if I see blood, I don't eat it)and the little cookbook which came with the grill said 10 minutes for well done (maybe I didn't preheat long enough to sear all the juices in though, so I'll try that too).

Ksasmom...salmon...I LOVE salmon, and most any fish. I'll have to try that on the foreman. At Wal-Mart I found (on the sale row) some closeout for $5. on a group of cedar planks...the untreated kind which you can put in your closets for moths etc. Anyway, for a slightly different application to those cedar planks....I made cedar plank salmon in my regular oven...TO DIE FOR! What you do is soak the planks for a while so they don't burn in the oven, then season the salmon with a little lemon or lime, salt and pepper (bbq sauce instead, if you like) and then cook it low and slow! Another one of those nifty tricks I learned on the food network, Alton Brown I think, and he (whoever the chef was, I'm not sure it was Alton's show) said to look at a building supply for UNTREATED cedar for this....but, if anyone here is interested in trying that with salmon, PLEASE be sure to ask and make sure it's the UNTREATED cedar, or you'll have problems.

Anyway....on the subject of fruit on the foreman....if you've never tried grilling fruit, that's something you should really try. On the foreman, or on your outside grill. The grilling seals in the sugars and intensifies the flavor of the fruit and, for example, grilled pineapple on a grill is TO DIE FOR!

Thanks for your suggestions!

Astri

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
Tue, 06-08-2004 - 1:19pm
Hi Forte,

Well, we both watch the cooking network so I guess it's reasonable that the same thing Bobby Flay said would make us BOTH hungry! Didn't he say, drizzle of honey though? Maybe we have the same grill? I said in a post to Ksas that mine is the little blue one with the bun warmer where the color is? The peaches and apricots you mention sound DIVINE!

Astri

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
Tue, 06-08-2004 - 1:21pm
Chicken is one of those things that, well...I think I'd be more comfortable getting a meat thermometer so that I can be sure it's done before attempting it on the foreman grill. Maybe that would be my problem though....cooking it until rubbery, I mean.

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