This Monday is Labour Day. Since this marks the unofficial end to summer, there’s no time like the present to fire up the grill. So we’ve reopened the Man Lab’s kitchen for the first time in nine months to give you some of our favourite grilling recipes. If you’re looking for recipes that say “turn on grill and slap on steak,” you’ve come to the wrong place. That little bit extra effort means a lot when it comes to flavour and impressing your friends.

Grilled Salad

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil for the grill
• 4 large heads butter lettuce, halved lengthwise
• Dressing (your choice)

Method

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill fire for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grill grates.

Lightly season the lettuce with 1/4 tsp. salt. Grill cut side down until wilted, lightly charred, and the cores are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the grilled lettuce to a serving platter and drizzle with your choice of dressing. Lightly sprinkle the lettuce with salt and serve.

Mexican Chicken Tostadas

Chicken Marinade Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Zest of 1 lime
• Pinch salt
• 2 chicken thigh fillets, fat trimmed

Chicken Marinade Method

To marinate the chicken, combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, add chicken, massage the marinade into the chicken.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cook chicken over hot coals or barbecue until cooked through. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Lime Butter Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

Lime Butter Method

For lime butter, place all ingredients in a food processor and process until creamy.

Avocado Mash Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 bunch mint, finely chopped
• 2 avocados
• Juice of 1 lime, to taste

Avocado Mash Method

For avocado mash, combine all ingredients in bowl, mash until the ingredients come together, you can have it chunky or blend it smooth depending on what you prefer. Season with salt, a squeeze of lime juice and extra chopped cilantro.

Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• Juice of 1 lime

Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise Method

For smoked paprika mayonnaise, place egg yolks, mustard and paprika in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment.

Whisk on low-med speed and slowly pour in vegetable oil. When the mixture is thick and is at the volume you would like, add lime juice to taste, stir, and add salt to taste.

Corn/Assembly Ingredients

• 2 corn cobs in the husk
• 6 corn tortillas
• Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

Corn/Assembly Method

For corn, place corn cobs over hot coals or on a barbecue or a grill plate on a wok burner on medium heat and occasionally turn, cooking for 20-30 minutes. Once corn is cooked, cut one corn cob in half and serve with lime butter, and while still warm, cut off corn kernels from the other corn cob and mix with one tablespoon lime butter.

To make the tostadas, using a 10cm ring cutter, cut out circles from the corn tortillas. Heat vegetable oil in deep frying pan to high. Shallow fry both sides of the corn tortilla until golden colour. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Top each tostada with a spoonful of mayo, avocado mash, lime butter corn and shredded chicken. Serve hot.

Grilled Peach Pie

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 15-ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (2 crusts)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Method

For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-high coals on one side of a grill. Test for medium heat above the empty side of the grill. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking.

Brush peach halves with canola oil. Place halves, cut sides down, on a grill rack directly over coals for 3 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from heat.

Cut peach halves into wedges. In a large mixing bowl toss peaches with 1/2 cup sugar, basil, cornstarch and lemon juice.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each crust to a 12-inch diameter. Coat a 9-1/2 to 10-inch cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Line the skillet with one of the crusts, the dough should come 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pan. Place the peach mixture into the pie crust in the skillet. With a sharp knife, cut several slits in the center of the second crust to vent steam. Place the second crust over the pie filling. Tuck any extra dough at the edges between the side of the skillet and the bottom crust. Crimp edge. In a small bowl combine the beaten egg and water. Brush the pie with egg mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Place the skillet on the grill rack over the empty side of the grill. Cover and grill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, rotating once halfway through grilling time. Cool the pie on a wire rack 30 to 40 minutes before slicing.