5 Surprising Ways to Grill Vegetables
Summer is close and that means the covers are coming off the grills! We are giving you 5 surprising ways to grill vegetables this season! You won’t believe the flavors that come through in these perfectly perfect recipes. Because I am mostly a plant based eater these are great additions to my summer grilling fun. So get out there and grill vegetables! Don’t forget to send us your photos. You can tag us on Instagram @go2kitchens! Ready? Set? GRILL!
1. Grilled Artichokes
2 large artichokes
1 lemon, quartered
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice from one lemon wedge into the water. Trim the tops from the artichokes, then cut in half
lengthwise, and place halves into the bowl of lemon water to prevent them from turning brown. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Add artichokes to boiling water, and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain.
Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges into a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Brush the
artichokes with a coating of the garlic dip, and place them on the preheated grill. Grill the artichokes for 5 to 10 minutes, basting with dip
and turning frequently, until the tips are a little charred. Serve immediately with the remaining dip.
Recipe From Allrecipes.com
2. Grilled Asparagus
40 asparagus (10 for each serving)
3 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat grill to a med/high heat. To prepare the asparagus simply hold the tips and bend. The asparagus will break naturally where the tender part ends and the woody part begins. Lay asparagus on platter or plate and drizzle with olive oil making sure the flower end is covered to prevent charring. Add salt and pepper. Place directly on grill, leave lid open. Rotate as you are grilling to insure that they cook evenly. Once skin starts to blister they are ready to eat. Serve immediately.
3. Grilled Cabbage Wedges
1 head of organic green or purple cabbage, quartered
2 tbs olive oil
3 strips of clean bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled
juice of ½ lemon
1 tbs organic Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp sea or kosher salt, divided into 2.75 and ¼
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Cut cabbage into quarters along the stem, will be wedge shaped. Fill large bowl with water and add 2.75 tsp of salt to make brine. Soak cabbage in brine for 30 min.. Remove cabbage from brine and drain. Wrap in foil and set aside. In the meantime pre-heat grill to medium high heat. In small bowl whisk together olive oil, bacon, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp salt, and black pepper. Open foil packets and brush each cabbage head liberally on all sides with mixture. Close packets and place on grill. Cook 15-20 minutes turning twice. Carefully open packets and place cabbage directly on the grill for 1-2 minutes to get grill marks. Serve immediately. Serves 4
4. Portobello Mushroom Burger and Avocado Spread
2 large portobello mushrooms
2 sprouted whole grain hamburger buns
1 red bell pepper, sliced into ¼ inch rings
6 green onions, green tops removed and split
large handful of fresh spinach
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Avocado Spread
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves
¼ cup cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp of red chili flakes
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Stem the portobello caps and drizzle both sides with olive oil. Season inside the mushroom cap with garlic salt, freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with the oregano. Place on the grill and cook on each side or 10 minutes or until the mushrooms soften and grill marks appear. Meanwhile, add a drizzle of olive oil to the red bell pepper and red onion and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and cook the red bell pepper and red onion stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. I do this work on my grill with an iron skillet. In a blender or food processor add avocado garlic, olive oil, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and chili flakes, add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Should be slightly chunky, blend longer if you want it more smooth.
Warm the buns on the grill. (Optional to butter and add garlic salt, for a garlic bread taste.) Spread the avocado mixture on the bottom bun then layer with the mushroom cap, half of the spinach, red bell pepper and onions. Top with the bun and serve. Can add feta cheese or raw cheddar. Serves 2
5. Grilled Tomatoes with Pesto
Tomatoes:
2 organic beefsteak tomatoes, sliced in half
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
sea salt
1.2 tsp black pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pesto:
¼ cup raw pine nuts
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
2 cloves fresh garlic
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cups fresh parsley
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 ½ cups olive oil
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Pre-heat grill to medium high heat. Brush tomato halves with olive oil. On flat cut side season tomatoes with salt, pepper and oregano evenly. Brush grill with olive oil and place tomatoes cut side down. Grill for 10 minutes. Turn and grill 2-4 minutes until skin slightly blisters. Cover cut side with parmesan and let it melt.
In blender add all pesto ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve immediately topping tomatoes with fresh sauce and serve. Serves 4
Optional: Serve over grain free spaghetti noodles or fresh zucchini noodles.
