Grilled vegetables are a wonderful staple to a summer meal. Use whatever veggies are garden or farmers market fresh to create your culinary masterpiece! Take a cue from this list, and then get creative!
Simple grilled veggies
Grilled vegetables are a great accompaniment to several dishes. Here is a simple grilling tutorial on maximizing the fresh taste of your favourite veggies on the grill. Simply choose the ones you prefer, and then grill away!
Serving size 1–2 cups per person
Ingredients:
- Asparagus, trimmed with woody ends removed
- Tomatoes, halved or quartered
- Eggplant, sliced, heavily salted to draw out the bitterness and reduce the absorption quality, then rinsed
- Zucchini, sliced or left whole then halved
- Red, orange or yellow peppers, halved and seeded
- Green onions, trimmed, left whole
- Red onions, thickly sliced into rings
- Portobello mushrooms, whole with the woody cores removed
- Small heads of radicchio and/or romaine, rinsed thoroughly, then left whole with the core intact
- Small pieces of corn, husked and still on the cob
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea or kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Savoury herbs or freshly minced garlic, optional and to taste
Directions:
- Clean then preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Choose your favourite vegetables from the list.
- Brush cleaned and prepared veggies with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add chopped herbs or minced garlic, if desired.
- Add veggies to a grill basket, or place them directly on the grill.
- Watch them carefully and turn them often. Remove vegetables from the grill when they are fork tender and ready to eat.
Yummy ways to incorporate grilled vegetables into your meal
Now that you have a plateful of perfectly seasoned grilled veggies at your disposal, what comes next? Take your veggies to the next level with these ideas!
- Mix with al dente penne or rigatoni pasta. For an extra nutritional and flavour boost, use whole-wheat pasta. Add an extra drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, some freshly shaved parmigiano reggiano and julienned basil leaves, toss and delight in the taste of summer. Serve with a chilled pinot grigio.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay out a flour tortilla on a baking sheet. Add the grilled veggies, a layer of shredded cheddar or nacho blend cheese, a handful of chopped cilantro and a few tablespoons of salsa. Top with another tortilla, then bake until lightly browned and heated through. Cut into four pieces and serve with sour cream, guacamole, additional salsa and an icy cold beer or limeade.
- Add the grilled vegetables to an antipasto platter, or serve with crusty artisan bread and goat cheese, drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and top with fresh thyme leaves. Serve at room temperature with a nice Chianti or chilled Pellegrino water.
- Add as a side to grilled steak, chicken or pork. Serve with a cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir when pairing with steak. An unoaked chardonnay is nice with chicken, and a Riesling works well with grilled pork.
- Chill the vegetables, then add them on top of a spring mix salad. Dress with a balsamic vinaigrette and a shaving of parmigiano reggiano. Serve with cucumber-infused water or an icy cold sauvignon blanc.
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