Never waste space on a hot grill. Load it up with summer veggies. They go great with grilled meat or fish and are just as wonderful left over, used cold, room temperature, or reheated. My favorites are yellow squash, eggplant, and okra.
One of the great things about grilling vegetables is that they are done in a snap. Potatoes take about 12-15 minutes on the grill; less dense vegetables, such as broccoli, snap peas, summer squash, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and corn take just 5-7 minutes, depending on how tender you prefer.
Furthermore, grilled vegetables are delicious. Even non-vegetable-eating family members may find that they LIKE grilled vegetables and the slight charring which brings out sweetness, adding a nice smoky flavor.
Thirty minutes before grilling: Cut vegetables to desired thickness; toss in a little olive oil and salt or marinade for more flavor; stir to coat slightly and marinate for 30 minutes before grilling.
Three Easy Vinaigrette Recipes
Here are three marinades to get you started. Depending on the amount of vegetables you have, you may have some left over. You can either make half of the recipe or store the left over in the refrigerator for next time.
Lemon Soy Ginger Vinaigrette (Great on broccoli)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 inch slice ginger, peeled, and minced
Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette (Great in potatoes)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
to taste salt and pepper
Sherry Vinaigrette (Great on mushrooms and onions)
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Four Ways to Grill Vegetables
1. Use a grill basket. Line basket with aluminum foil or fold a 24-inch long
piece of heavy-duty foil in half; crimp the edges to create a lip and
prevent spilling.
2. Make kabobs. Cut vegetables in thick, chunky pieces; smaller vegetables
(like cherry tomatoes) and pineapple work well on kabobs. When grilling
meat and vegetables at the same time, make separate skewers as
vegetables take less time to cook.
3. Wrap in a foil packet. Fold a 24-inch long piece of foil in half; arrange
thinly sliced vegetables in a single layer, slightly overlapping; fold the foi
in half over top of the vegetables; pinch the edges to create a tight seal.
Close the grill and cook until vegetables are tender.
4. Put directly on the grill. Cut in thin, long pieces, approximately the same
size, so the vegetables don’t fall through the grate. Keeping vegetables
thin maximizes the amount of surface area in contact with the heat
allowing them to cook quickly getting a crispy outside. Corn unshucked
or brushed lightly with olive oil and salt, if shucked, cooks well on the grill.
Dr. Carolyn Dunn, who heads the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at NC State University, is the lead author for the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less and Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes programs.
For more recipes, check Med Instead of Meds. For information on diabetes prevention, go to Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes. (esmmpreventdiabetes.com and esmmweighless.com)