Burgers and hot dogs aren’t the only dishes we’re grilling this season. Take your fresh summer produce to the next level with these grilled vegetable recipes that can stand alone or accompany the main dish.
Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing
SERVES 4
1 teaspoon lime zest, finely gratedÂ
1/4 cup fresh lime juiceÂ
1/4 cup mint, choppedÂ
2 garlic cloves, very finely choppedÂ
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushingÂ
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 medium zucchini, sliced thinly, lengthwise on a mandolinÂ
2 medium yellow squash, sliced thinly, lengthwise on a mandolinÂ
6 ounces prosciutto, thinly slicedÂ
bamboo skewers, soaked in water
Heat a grill. In a small bowl, combine lime zest and juice with mint, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Skewer zucchini, squash and prosciutto in alternating ribbons until each skewer is full. Lightly brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill the skewers over high heat until the edges of the vegetables are lightly charred, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and drizzle with the mint dressing. Serve immediately.
Grilled Eggplant with Citrus Yogurt, Crispy Quinoa and Herbs
SERVES 8
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange (blood orange if possible)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
4 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
2 cups canola oil
1/4 cup each of mint, basil and flat-leaf parsley leaves
Place the yogurt in a small mixing bowl. Using a microplane, zest the lemon, lime and orange into the yogurt.
Juice the lemon and lime, being careful to remove any seeds, and add to yogurt. Remove the pith and the remaining skin of the orange with a knife and carefully remove the segments, reserving the juice and segments for serving. Squeeze the remaining juice out of the orange into the yogurt.
Whisk in 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the salt. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
Brush eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on hot grill or grill pan, cooking until almost tender on that side. Gently flip and finish cooking on the skin side until tender but not mushy. Set aside.
Pat cooked quinoa dry in paper towels to remove any excess water. Heat canola oil in a large pan. Gently add quinoa, a little at a time, and fry until crispy. Remove from pan onto a plate lined with a paper towel and season with salt to taste.
On a large platter, smear the citrus yogurt. Top with grilled eggplant. Add reserved blood orange segments and juice.
Drizzle eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil and top with crispy quinoa. Scatter the herb leaves over the entire dish and serve immediately.
Grilled Sweet Peppers and Red Onions with Salsa Verde
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 red onion, cut in 6 pieces
12 sweet peppers cored and seeded (bell pepper is a good substitute)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Salsa Verde (see below)
Skewer red onions and sweet peppers. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 – 5 minutes on each side until lightly charred. Serve over fish, and spoon Salsa Verde on top.
Salsa Verde
MAKES 2 CUPS
4 anchovies, excess oil rinsed off, fillets finely diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/8 cup chopped mint
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 shallots, diced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Combine anchovies, capers, herbs, garlic and shallots. Add olive oil, red pepper flakes and cumin. Salt and pepper to taste.
Grilled Romaine Caesar
Romaine hearts
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Caesar dressing (recipe below)
Slice romaine hearts in half lengthwise and brush generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Place facedown over a medium fire and grill 1 – 3 minutes. Flip briefly and then remove to a platter.
Place each half on a plate and top with a drizzle of Caesar dressing and a few shards of freshly grated Parmesan.
Caesar Dressing
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Add garlic, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, anchovies, lemon juice, Worcestershire and mustard to a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Grilled Spring Onions with Romesco Sauce
SERVES 8
4 bunches spring onions
olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
​Romesco Sauce (recipe below)
Preheat charcoal grill or electric grill to high heat.
On a large baking pan, combine the spring onions, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer the onions to the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the onions are soft and have char marks, 10 – 12 minutes.
Transfer the onions to a platter and serve immediately with the Romesco Sauce for dipping.
Romesco Sauce
1 large plum tomato, halved and seeded
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves in their peel
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 thick slice country bread, crusts removed
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomato, bell pepper and yellow onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 40 minutes, adding the garlic during the last 10 minutes of roasting. Transfer to a shallow bowl, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove skins from the tomato, bell pepper and garlic.
Heat a small, dry sauté pan on medium-low and add the almonds. Toast until golden brown, 10 minutes. Remove almonds from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same pan, and once heated, fry the bread until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Let the bread cool, then tear into pieces.
In a food processor, combine the almonds, bread, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and roasted vegetables and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Sauce will keep in refrigerator for 5 days.​
