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Rainbow Grilled Vegetables

Rainbow Grilled Vegetables

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Grilled veggies are a delight with minimal preparation. All you need is fresh vegetables, good olive oil and salt and pepper. To take flavors to another level, add balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs to the marinade. Basil and rosemary work particularly nicely.

Simply prepare your favorite vegetables into sizes that are easy to grill and place in a bowel. Ad olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chopped fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Grill until tender, brushing with the marinade as you cook the veggies. That’s it! For presentation sake, I went with these vegetables to achieve the rainbow effect. But feel free to make this your own by trying different vegetables and herbs. Grilled zucchini is wonderful! Portobello mushrooms are a nice vegetarian alternative to burgers. Grilled eggplant has summer written all over it, only second to sweet summer corn. And grilled lemons are just wonderful squeezed on anything. Easy, fund, healthy and delicious.

Ingredients

2 large zucchini or yellow squash, sliced to 1/2 inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, seeded and halved

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

4 large carrots, cut in 3-4 inch long pieces

1 red onion, quartered

1/4 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

A handful of fresh basil or rosemary, finely chopped

Preparation

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat).

Place the vegetables in a large bowel, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs.

Season with salt and pepper and mix to incorporate marinade throughout.

Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred, about 8 minutes for the bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, carrots and onions; 4 minutes for the asparagus and green onions.

Drizzle vegetables with remaining marinade at the bottom of the bowl, arrange on a platter and serve warm or at room temperate.

Enjoy!

Gorgeous Grilled Zucchini, sweet and oh so savory.
Sweet Summer Corn simply grilled with salt.
Grilled Onions with a lovely char.
Watermelon Feta Salad

Watermelon Feta Salad

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The quintessential salad of summer! Watermelon with feta, fresh mint, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Sweet watermelon and salty feta compliment each other beautifully  and the fragrant mint takes the refreshing flavors to new levels of delight. 

This is a no-recipe recipe. Ingredient quantities don’t have to be exact for great results. You can also play with adding peppery arugula, chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion or some diced chilies for a bit of heat. Add a squeeze of lemon or red wine vinegar if you add these other vegetables.  Feel free to substitute fresh basil or oregano for mint, all work nicely. A drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar could be a nice addition to this salad- if you do add those make sure to serve and eat immediately.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ -3 pounds seedless watermelon (about 1 small or 1/4 large), rind removed, cut into 2-inch chunks or varying sized triangular pieces.
  • ½- ¾ cup cup feta cheese
  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish.
  • 2 tablespoons olive olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 cups arugula (optional)
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  • Place watermelon chunks in a large bowl. 
  • Add olive oil, mint, and arugula (if using) and gently toss until watermelon is evenly dressed. 
  • Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper. (The feta will add saltiness, so be light handed with the salt).
  • Transfer salad to a wide, shallow platter and spread out evenly. 
  • Crumble feta over the top. Drizzle with more olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper.
  • Garnish with remaining herbs and serve immediately.

~Tip
Ideally you want to use Greek or Bulgarian sheep’s-milk feta for a creamier and tangier flavor than what most domestic cow’s milk cheeses provide.

Watermelon is wonderful. We love enjoying it all summer long. Just as it, along with fresh mint from the herb garden, or in the recipe highlighted above with creamy feta cheese. Happy Summer!


Panko-Crusted Dijon Cod & Fragrant Mediterranean Salad

Panko-Crusted Dijon Cod & Fragrant Mediterranean Salad

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Over the years I’ve enjoyed many delightful meals with my friend, Anjali. We both like beautiful and healthy food but never compromise flavor! So we teamed up for our next video to cook a delicious menu of panko crusted Dijon Cod fish and a fragrant Mediterranean salad with fresh herbs.

The fish is light and flaky with a tang of Dijon and cooks in a snap. The cucumber-tomato-feta salad is savory, fragrant and colorful.  Pair that with a chilled  Rose and fantastic company and you got yourself a fabulous meal!

Ingredients:

For the Cod:
1 lb. wild caught cod fish
2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup panko crumbs
2-3 teaspoon olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Salt + Pepper to taste

For the Salad:
1 lb tomatoes (either cherry, beefsteak or heirloom), chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
4-5 cucumbers (Persian cucumbers are more delicate and flavorful), chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 – 3/4 cup pitted + sliced Kalamata olives

For the dressing:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
3-4 tablespoons dried mint or 1/2 cup fresh mint
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine panko, 1 teaspoon olive oil, zest of  lemon and a pinch of salt + pepper in a bowl. Mix.
Squeeze juice of lemon on the cod.
Drizzle cod with remaining  2 teaspoons of olive oil and spread evenly on the fish.
Slather cod with Dijon mustard.
Cover all of the mustard with panko mixture.
Bake in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes until panko is slightly golden.

Prepare the salad while the fish bakes.
Chop onion and place in a bowl of water to reduce sharpness.
Combine chopped tomato, cucumber, red pepper, olives, feta cheese and mint.
In a separate bowl prepare dressing.
Finely chop the garlic and combine with red wine vinegar.
Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking quickly.
Add onion to salad mixture.
Pour dressing over the salad and fold gently to mix.

Serve with a chilled rose or white wine of your choice and enjoy!