Anyone can cook hotdogs and hamburgers on a portable grill. Here are some additonal easy-to-prepare finger food favorites you might not have thought of, including zucchini squash, pineapple, apples, peaches, bananas, and sausages.

If you are using BBQ briquets, be sure they have burned to a near solid white so that the heat is disbursed evenly. If you are using an electric grill, all recipes require a "medium" setting.

YELLOW AND ZUCCHINI SQUASH

INGREDIENTS
Small yellow squash
Zucchini squash
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix equal parts of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. Add rosemary. Slice yellow squash and zucchini squash in half lengthwise. Brush squashes with oil and vinegar mixture, making sure the cut side is covered. Grill squashes with cut raw side down toward the fire, then turn to grill the skin side and cook it through. Alternative foods: Try bell peppers, asparagus, and large green beans.

COOKED PINEAPPLE

INGREDIENTS
Fresh sliced pineapple is good, but canned slices are easiest to take to the beach.
1 cup sugar
1 bag toasted coconut, shredded or flaked.

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Dip pineapple into cinnamon sugar mixture, grill to caramelize the sugar and then top with toasted coconut. Carefully sear both sides of each pineapple slice. Sprinkle each slice with toasted coconut. (The coconut can be toasted at home in a 400-degree oven. Monitor carefully until the coconut has browned. Coconut can be brought to the beach in a ZipLock bag.)

2. Alternatively, bring a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and lightly brush it onto the pineapple while cooking. Delicious!

COOKED APPLES AND PEACHES

INGREDIENTS
12 apples (any type but we prefer Delicious)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS
Cut each fruit lengthwise and remove peach pit and apple seeds and core. Sprinkle cut sides of fruits with a mixture of one cup of sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon. (The apples can be cut into thick slices for easier cooking.) Grill with the cut side down toward the fire.

FRIED BANANAS

INGREDIENTS
12 Bananas
1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. nutmeg
OR 1 bag fine semi-sweet chocolate chips or Reece's bits with peanut butter.

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Slice bananas lengthwise, keep skin on. Pat open side with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg mixture. Grill open side down to caramelize sugar. Turn over and grill skin till the inside separates from the skin. Pull away the skin and serve. Goes good with ice cream.

2. Second idea: (Dave says he stole this from the Girl Scouts.) Carefully cut open the raw, unpeeled, banana lengthwise. Do not cut complete through. Stuff the slit with chocolate chips. (Any kind is fine—semisweet, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even bits of Reece’s Bits with peanut butter.) The stuffed banana can be gently wrapped with aluminum foil and grilled for a few minutes. Remove from heat, unwrap, peel, and cut in slices, and serve.

APRICOT-MARINATED SAUSAGES

INGREDIENTS
1 pound (about 12 links) of your favorite Sausages (we prefer Hillshire)
1 sm jar apricot preserves.

INSTRUCTIONS
I couldn’t resist adding one of our favorite and easy recipes from the old days at Bates Beach. Cut the sausages into one-inch pieces. Place into a ZipLock bag and add about one cup of apricot preserves. Allow to marinate, and then grill the pieces on a medium fire.