Meatless Mondays: Grilling Vegetables

Grilled Vegetable Kebabs:  so easy and so good for you!

 I live on the top floor of a brownstone building, and my kitchen gets so hot in the Summer that even turning on the stove feels like torture.  In other words, we do a lot of grilling this time of year.  Where I grew up, grilling mostly meant throwing some hot dogs, hamburgers, or chicken on the barbecue, but I’m trying to expand my repertoire to include vegetables.  Yesterday, it was vegetable kabobs, created with the assistance of my two oldest daughters.  We threaded 3/4 inch chunks of zucchini, summer squash, Italian eggplant, and grape tomatoes on pre-soaked short skewers.  I brushed the veggies with a very light marinade of olive oil, red wine vinegar, some leftover fresh thyme and salt and pepper.  They took about 5 minutes on the grill and emerged with the tomatoes just ready-to-pop juicy and the squashes tender but firm.  The leftovers might get turned into a riff on ratatouille or tossed with leftover bulghur and a minty vinaigrette for a meatless main dish or easy lunch. 

My kids’ handiwork before they got grilled.

We also regularly grill corn.  We don’t do anything fancy with soaking or tying the husks back around.  We just peel it and place it directly on the grill.  A few of the ears get blackened, but this only enhances the flavor.  Portobello mushrooms, a bit cliched I know, are also part of our grilling rotation.  They couldn’t be simpler.  Trim the stems so they’re flush with the gills, brush with olive oil, then grill and flip until soft.  When they’re done, top with salt and pepper of a bit of vinaigrette.  The warm mushrooms soak up any additional flavorings beautifully.  Leftover mushrooms will get sliced into salads, added to omelettes, and rolled up in wraps with greens and avocado.

Grilling shucked corn directly on the grate is the easiest method I’ve found.

Because vegetables are lower in protein, they are less likely to produce heterocyclic amines or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, suspected carcinogens created when meats are grilled, broiled or fried.  In fact, vegetables are high in chemicals which may prevent the formation of heterocyclic amines or blunt their effects.  Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower may be the best companions, then, to your grilled meat this summer. 

As Summer heats up, think beyond the meat case.  Grilling enhances the flavors of vegetables just as much as it does protein with the benefit of being good for you.  How do you grill your veggies?