:: Grilled Vegetables & Balsamic Vinaigrette ::

Grilled Vegetables & Balsamic Vinaigrette

In a perfect world you would eat vegetables every meal, every snack, every day. But in order for you to eat them this frequently you have to be intrigued by the flavor (and the time). I believe it should be lazy method so the food itself makes you want to revisit it again and again.

This medley of eggplant, zucchini, and red bell peppers injects a bit of joy on your plate and your taste buds. It’s embarrassing, because this isn’t really a recipe, but everyone has a ninety nine problems and it’d be nice if cooking wasn’t one of them.

If you choose to make this it shouldn’t carve out too much time—just some strategic slicing, a few minutes of waiting, and patience to whip up a 4-ingredient dressing.

Grilling always morphs vegetables into a nice symphony of textures: creamy, crunchy, and sweet. And because of the smoky flavor it imparts, it’s suitable to refresh it with a vibrant dressing like one. The vegetables shrivel up perfectly and allow the tart balsamic vinaigrette to pool and cling every where. It’s also an all rounder; versatile enough to be paired with meat, chicken, fish, or added to a salad.  

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 medium size zucchini

3 baby eggplants

2 red bell peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon olive oil for the vinaigrette

Salt, to taste,

Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. 

1.)   Cut vegetables in half; leave the stems on every vegetable.

2.)   Brush with olive oil. Be sure to smother every nook and cranny.

3.)    Sprinkle salt and pepper, lay vegetables face down on the grill.

4.)   Times: for me, zucchini needed 10 minutes; eggplants 5-6 minutes; bell peppers 4-5 minutes on the first side. I finished off the other sides of all the vegetables with 4 minutes extra. (These are guidelines. Heat intensity varies, so it’s best to check frequently to cater to your liking.)

5.)   For vinaigrette: whisk balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add extra herbs if you feel like it.

6.)   Arrange vegetables on a platter, spoon over vinaigrette, sprinkle parsley. It’s ready.