Weeknight Favorite Grilled Mixed Vegetables

Weeknight Favorite Grilled Mixed Vegetables Lighten Up
As a general rule, my husband and I try to enjoy our vacations to the fullest. This means that we don’t really worry too much about the calories when we are on our adventures. Eating the good stuff is all part of the fun, right?

Once we get back it’s a different story…time to pay the piper. In the last couple of months, we have had the chance to travel and have some great adventures and plenty of good food. Now that we are home, I have been preparing more and more veggies to go with our meals (and less of the starchy carb-type things) to get us all back on track. The easiest way I have found to do that is to throw a whole mess of veggies on the grill.

When it is as hot as it has been lately, I grill almost everything we eat. So, grilling some Grilled Mixed Vegetable along with it is no biggie. And, it helps use up whatever you have in your garden. Grilled peaches also make for a great dessert.

What I do with the veggies once they are grilled is entirely decided by my mood and energy level. Sometimes I just toss ‘em in olive oil with salt and pepper, grill them then eat them. Other times I toss them in a vinaigrette after grilling for a bit more flavor.

One of my favorite vinaigrettes for the Weeknight Favorite Grilled Mixed Vegetables is below. It’s basic and goes with anything you serve. And, feel free to change up the veggies. There is no right or wrong mix.

You can also substitute some soy sauce for the balsamic. If you choose to do that, substitute 1/2 a tsp of fresh rosemary or 1 tsp fresh thyme for the parsley.

Weeknight Favorite Grilled Mixed Vegetables 
Yields 6 Servings

Ingredients
2 red bell peppers, seeded and halved
3 yellow squash, halved lengthwise
3 zucchini, halved lengthwise
12 crimini mushrooms
1 bunch (1-pound) asparagus, trimmed
12 green onions, roots cut off
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
leaves
* optional 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Directions
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat).

Toss the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the oil to coat lightly. Sprinkle the vegetables with
salt and pepper.

Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 8 to 10 minutes for the bell peppers; 7 minutes for the yellow squash, zucchini, and mushrooms; 4 minutes for the asparagus and green onions. The key to getting those great grill marks is to not shift the vegetables too frequently once they’ve been placed on the hot grill.

Remove the veggies from the grill and cut into bite size pieces or leave whole—totally up to you.

Make the Vinaigrette
Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle the herb mixture over the vegetables. Serve the vegetables, warm or at room temperature.

Comments are closed.