Grilled Veggies
One of our favorite family meals on a beautiful day is grilled veggies. In an effort to get more veggies in our diet we started doing this years ago and found that it was so delicious, we could do an entire meal just on veggies. We usually use whatever vegetables we have on hand and for a marinade we harvest a variety of herbs from our garden and mix it with a nice olive oil. Our basic Italian Herb Marinade is below and we also love to use our Lemon Parsley Marinade. Once the veggies are done, we pair them with a fresh salad and a vinaigrette like our Basil Balsamic Dressing for a simple, delicious, and veggie-packed meal.
Assemble your ingredients: Choose a variety of vegetables. Whole carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, red or white onion, red or gold potatoes, cabbage, portobello mushrooms or any other vegetable that can be sliced and grilled easily. Cut off any stems or thick, fibrous ends of the vegetables. Slice most veggies such as zucchini, squash, and potatoes in 1/2 inch thick slices. Carrots can be sliced in half and onions in slices or quarters. Some veggies can be grilled whole like asparagus and large portobello mushrooms. You may also enjoy grilling whole pieces of garlic for a delicious addition.
Prepare your marinade: A marinade can be as simple as olive oil, dried herbs, and salt/pepper mixed together. To make it a little more tasty use fresh herbs like parsley, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. For extra flavor you can add in a few cloves of minced fresh garlic, dijon mustard, or a vinegar of your choice to add more zest. Most times we keep it simple to whatever herbs are growing in our garden mixed with a nice olive oil. Finely chop all fresh herbs or substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs with 1 teaspoon dried herbs. Combine all ingredients in a glass container. Here is a Lemon Parsley Marinade that is excellent especially on potatoes.
Fire up the grill:
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the sliced vegetables with the marinade and place the veggies into a grill basket or on a grill tray. Softer veggies can be placed on skewers. Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally until tender and gently charred on both sides. Cook potatoes, onions, and carrots for longer times while squash, asparagus, and cabbage will cook more quickly. Remove from the grill and drizzle the veggies with remaining marinade as desired. Pair this with a serving of fresh salad greens and our Basil Balsamic Dressing for a delicious meal.