Grilled Veggies

I think I grill vegetables more than anything else in the summer. Anything from asparagus to zucchini winds up sizzling on there. You don't need special grill pans to do it and the veggie pieces don't have to fall through the grill; just change how you cut the veggies. 

Portabella mushrooms are my favorite because they can be a veggie burger, sliced into salads, atop a burger, or in a wrap with the other veggies. I marinate them in a mixture of 2T worchestershire sauce, 2T figs (if available) or plain balsamic vinegar, 1T oil, and salt and pepper.

Zucchini and yellow squash are sliced in half lengthwise. I try to get smaller (or Asian) eggplants—which are less bitter—and slice them the same way. A great marinade is the Tuscan Italian dressing from Trader Joe's. Just brush some on.

Start the eggplant and zucchini on the grill cut-side down on medium until you have some nice marks. Turn and cook until the eggplant starts to puff and the juices in the zucchini and mushrooms to start to bubble. They are now done.

Peppers just need to be rinsed and can go on whole. No point marinating as the skin will be blackened and peeled off. Just turn the peppers as the skin begins to blacken and continue until all sides have blistered. Don't worry about the paper bag nonsense. Just put the peppers on a plate or in a bowl to cool and slip the skins off. Don't forget to pull out the stem and remove the seeds.

Just trim the bottoms off the asparagus and lightly coat with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. "Roll" the asparagus on the grill until there are grill marks on all sides and when you pick one up (be careful) it will be a little limp.

Sweet potatoes are also wonderful, cut lengthwise, brushed with a raspberry vinaigrette and grilled. Onions are cut in half or thirds through the middle to make thick rounds and brushed with a bit of basalmic vinegar. Grill both till you see nice grill marks on both sides. Since the onions and sweet potatoes take a bit longer, I start them first and finish them on the top rack on the grill or even in the microwave if necessary.

The veggies are delicious hot, room temperature or cold, so they can be done in advance. They can be cut into bite sized pieces and skewered as an appetizer, put in a wrap with some hummus or pesto and a slice of Jersey tomato or added to pasta for a quick dinner.

With so many ways to enjoy them, there's no reason not to give your hamburgers and chicken some colorful company on your grill and add more veggies to your life.