In my book, grilled veggies are fabulous for so many reasons. First and foremost, they taste great. But also, they are easy to prepare and need nothing more than a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. However, they can be fancied up with any number of marinades and herbs. Vegetables can be grilled in advance and served at room temperature. Moreover, so many vegetables lend themselves to grilling, leaving something to please everyone.
Perhaps my favorite thing about grilled veggies is the leftover possibilities. I adore a good grilled veggiewich (for my favorite preparation click here), and one of the easiest dinners is a poached or over-easy egg served atop of a bed of grilled vegetables. The yolk creates a sauce of sorts for an easy, rustic, healthy and tasty meal. Likewise, leftovers can be tossed with mixed greens and drizzled with a good balsamic vinegar for a hearty salad or chopped and tossed with cooked quinoa, wild rice or couscous and served warm or cold. The possibilities are endless…and so delicious!
In the winter months, consider these same round-two options with roasted vegetables. And as an alternative to this simple marinade, try my easy 1/3-1/3-1/3 marinade for an Asian twist, or simply brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Balsamic Dijon Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- minced rosemary and thyme, fresh if available
- vegetables for roasting: zucchini, eggplant, portobellos, asparagus, plum tomatoes, scallions, carrots, peppers, onion, etc.
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables by cleaning and slicing into thick strips. (Plum tomatoes may be halved lengthwise, carrots peeled and cut into strips, gills removed from portobellos and left whole, scallions left whole.)
- Mix the first three ingredients in a zipper top bag or bowl. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Allow to marinade for a half an hour or so. Longer is fine.
- Remove to a baking sheet and sprinkle veggies with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
- Grill over medium-high heat until the vegetables have nice grill marks and are crisp-tender.
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