Don’t wash that chicken before you grill it. Here’s why.

With grilling season in full force, it's the perfect time to keep a few key points in mind.

Prepare your meat safely

It may be counterintuitive, but it’s actually cleaner and safer not to wash your chicken since washing it can splash germs around your sink and kitchen. Cooking meat to a safe internal temperature will kill the germs you’re worried about.

Instead of relying on visual cues, use a food thermometer to make sure your meat has cooked enough. Beef, pork, lamb and fish should cook to 145 degrees; ground beef, pork and lamb should cook to 160 degrees; and chicken and turkey should cook to 165 degrees.

Plan ahead: Marinades are your friends

Most people shy away from marinating meat when they’re in a time crunch, but marinating for even 20 minutes can make a big difference in flavor. To ensure food safety, marinate it in the fridge instead of on the counter.

Grill up a healthy main course

• Choose lean cuts of beef or pork, or go with naturally lean skinless poultry, fish and shellfish.
• Expand your definition of “burger” and mix things up by trying salmon, tuna or turkey burgers. You can buy pre-made patties or make your own. If you’re making your own, try adding cilantro, shallots, or chili sauce to spice things up.
• Or make a Greek-style burger by mixing ground turkey, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, oregano and pepper. Serve it on a pita with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and top with a Greek-yogurt-based tzatziki sauce.
• Grill tofu, tempeh or bean-based burgers as meatless alternatives. At the grocery store, look for these in the freezer section and in refrigerated areas near the produce.

Roast veggies as a side dish or main course

Many vegetables are at their peak in summer. Marinate vegetables such as red peppers, corn on the cob, eggplant, summer squash, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, or onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and herbs like basil, parsley or rosemary. Place the vegetables directly on a hot grill until they are tender and brown or use a grill basket.

For a main course option, try grilled marinated portabella mushrooms in place of a burger. Marinate the larger-sized portabella mushrooms in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, stone ground mustard, and fresh herbs for about 30 minutes. Then grill the mushrooms for about five minutes on each side. Serve with tomato and onion slices, lettuce, and with or without a toasted bun. You can also put the mushrooms on top of a salad for a meat alternative.

Create a salad that surprises

• Go Italian with a Caprese salad that looks and tastes impressive: slice tomatoes, layer a small, thin piece of mozzarella cheese (or try mozzarella pearls) and fresh basil on each tomato slice, then drizzle with olive oil and lightly salt the dish.
• Lucky enough to have a counter full of peaches or nectarines at their prime? One idea: make a salad that mixes their juicy sweetness with fennel — an herb from the same family as celery, carrots and parsley. Here’s how: Thinly slice a fennel bulb and let the slices soak in freshly squeezed lemon juice for 20 minutes. Then, toss sliced peaches or nectarines into the fennel mixture and add rice vinegar, lemon zest, and a slight sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Make a quick avocado salad. Cube avocados and toss with a homemade or store-bought vinaigrette, fresh herbs, capers, sliced scallions and roasted pine nuts.
• Cube watermelon and combine with sliced English cucumber and a few mint leaves, chopped. Combine three parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar and add in a sprinkle of salt and pepper for a dressing, then mix the dressing, watermelon and crumbled feta cheese for a tangy and refreshing salad.
• For a more traditional summertime side dish, try this hearty pasta salad featuring zucchini and peas. Or make a traditional-looking coleslaw with a surprise ingredient: Greek yogurt.

Dessert: Courtesy of your grill

Grill fruit kabobs, pineapple slices or peach halves on low-to-medium heat until the fruit is hot and slightly golden for a tasty and nutritious dessert. Here’s a tutorial for the peaches.

Slice watermelon into triangle-shaped wedges (leave the rind attached at the end for easy handling). Then grill the wedges for 30 seconds on each side to bring out unique flavors.

Marinate sliced strawberries in balsamic vinegar for 30 minutes, toss in fresh mint and serve a refreshing savory dessert.