# Best veggies for grilling?



## taxlady (Jul 2, 2014)

I keep reading about the yummy vegis that you guys keep grilling. I have never grilled vegis. I would like to give it a try this summer. What are your favourite vegis to grill?


----------



## Andy M. (Jul 2, 2014)

taxlady said:


> I keep reading about the yummy vegis that you guys keep grilling. I have never grilled vegis. I would like to give it a try this summer. What are your favourite vegis to grill?



Zucchini, protobello mushrooms, peppers, sweet onions, asparagus.  These you can grill whole on the grate.  You can also use a grill basket to grill a combination of cut up veggies.

Either way, toss with oil and season as you like then grill.


----------



## Dawgluver (Jul 2, 2014)

What Andy said.  Potatoes are nice too.  And while not a veggie, I just LOVE grilled pineapple.  Corn on the cob too.


Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 2, 2014)

Yep, I'm doing another basket tonight with all the mentioned veggies cut up, except potatoes. I'll try them next time.

I like to use both olive oil and vinegar with spices for the marinade, but actually Wishbone Italian salad dressing right out of the bottle is good too.


----------



## CrazyCatLady (Jul 2, 2014)

We like to make veggie shishkabobs with everything mentioned up there. Yummm!


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 2, 2014)

My grill basket is one of the best things I own. Here's dinner tonight with marinated veggies and Lil Smokies. Spanish rice on the side.


----------



## TATTRAT (Jul 2, 2014)

Balsamic & rosemary marinated Cippolini onions, Asparagus with a little lemon and sea salt, sweet potato finished with a little sugar, cardamom and nutmeg, green tomatoes with vinegar and queso fresco, almost any mushroom (sans enoki, unless you have a grill basket), brussel sprouts with balsamic and bacon, zucchini/squash with olive oil and fresh herbs, my favorite is crazy corn: Grilled corn on the cob, smeared with a little mayo then rolled in queso fresco or even parm, grilled a little more and hit it with some hot sauce.


----------



## pacanis (Jul 3, 2014)

While I grill a lot of veggies, I find the best ones for grilling, where grilling enhances them, are the ones that caramelize. Things like bell peppers, onions (sliced and laid flat), corn if you can reach that point where some of the kernels are just starting to turn brown/black, definitely zucchini, which needs all the help/flavor it can get, lol... moist veggies that pick up grill marks I think are best. Other veggies like potatoes and portobellos come out just as well in the oven if I let them get dark enough. I grill them just because the grill is going. 
I think the combination of a black grill mark and a moist veggie is bliss.


----------



## taxlady (Jul 3, 2014)

Thank you for all the suggestions.

What about sliced carrots? Celery? Root vegis?


----------



## pacanis (Jul 3, 2014)

Carrots are nice, but you need a glaze (IMO) and they take a while, even sliced.


----------



## RPCookin (Jul 7, 2014)

taxlady said:


> I keep reading about the yummy vegis that you guys keep grilling. I have never grilled vegis. I would like to give it a try this summer. What are your favourite vegis to grill?



All sort of good ones.  I like zucchini or yellow squash, halved or quartered the long way, then brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, or garlic salt and pepper, or salt and lemon pepper, or salt with dill weed, or.... well you get the idea.  Be careful not to overcook, they go from perfect with a slight crunch to mushy very quickly, but they are great when cooked hot and fast.

Grilled bell peppers and fennel is a nice combination.  Onions and mushrooms always grill nicely too.  Another one is cabbage steaks.  Slice a head of green cabbage into about 1" thick steaks, brush with oil and season, then grill on medium on both sides until just tender with a bit of light char.

Put veggies straight on the grill if the pieces are large enough.  If not get a grill pan with holes in it to get the same grilled flavor with smaller pieces.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 7, 2014)

taxlady said:


> Thank you for all the suggestions.
> 
> What about sliced carrots? Celery? Root vegis?



I personally would not use root veggies....much too dense for the method but celery might work.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 7, 2014)

Eggplant!!!


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 7, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Eggplant!!!



Eggplant would be wonderful, and something I've not tried. Thanks PF!
I *love* my grill baskets.
They would absorb the marinade like mushrooms do, and mushrooms are my favorite in a basket. Just ask Steve as he slaps my hand trying to sneak them out.


----------



## taxlady (Jul 7, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Eggplant!!!


We're not crazy about eggplant unless it's in something and chopped tiny. But, that would be a great way to roast an eggplant for babaganoush.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 7, 2014)

taxlady said:


> We're not crazy about eggplant unless it's in something and chopped tiny. But, that would be a great way to roast an eggplant for babaganoush.



Yes, perfect for babaganoush.


----------



## taxlady (Jul 7, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> What Andy said.  Potatoes are nice too.  And while not a veggie, I just LOVE grilled pineapple.  Corn on the cob too.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking


Potato? In slices? Otherwise, I would call it a baked potato.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 7, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> Eggplant would be wonderful, and something I've not tried. Thanks PF!
> I *love* my grill baskets.
> They would absorb the marinade like mushrooms do, and mushrooms are my favorite in a basket. Just ask Steve as he slaps my hand trying to sneak them out.



try laying the slices right on the grill for the grill marks and the char flavor.  Wonderful!  I cut it in rounds, slather in favorite oily dressing (have a pomegranate one I am loving right now) and grill till tender.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 7, 2014)

Oh gosh!  I have mango vinegar...need to make Italian dressing out of that and do some grilling.


----------



## Addie (Jul 8, 2014)

Asparagus! Even grilled lettuce. My daughter will take a head of lettuce, cut it in half and grill it. You can grill almost any veggie. If not right on the grill, then a basket for them. Grilled cukes. She peels then cuts them in half, scoops out the seeds, and grills them. Then places them in an EVOO and Italian red vinegar. 

Almost all fruits can go on the grill also. You know how we say, "it is your kitchen, blah, blah blah." Well, it is your grill and your food. Make your own rules as to what you would like to grill.


----------



## RPCookin (Jul 8, 2014)

Addie said:


> Asparagus! Even grilled lettuce. My daughter will take a head of lettuce, cut it in half and grill it. You can grill almost any veggie. If not right on the grill, then a basket for them. Grilled cukes. She peels then cuts them in half, scoops out the seeds, and grills them. Then places them in an EVOO and Italian red vinegar.
> 
> Almost all fruits can go on the grill also. You know how we say, "it is your kitchen, blah, blah blah." Well, it is your grill and your food. Make your own rules as to what you would like to grill.



Ooooh.... how could I have skipped asparagus.  That's one of the best grilled veggies.  Trim the woody ends, toss in olive oil, season with finely minced garlic and kosher salt.... maybe the best veggie that there is.  

I grilled asparagus like that for a get together at the house of a friend of my brother (it even worked well on a low end gas grill that I was unfamiliar with).  These folks are sort of foodies (but more kitchen cooks rather than grillers), and the grilled asparagus was huge hit with them.  I think I pointed them toward a whole new world of food preparation.


----------



## chiklitmanfan (Jul 8, 2014)

Just about anything that will fit into a grilling basket is fair game.  I use Mojo marinade or Italian dressing for flavor and like my veggies cooked over a very HOT grill so the veggies come out just slightly scorched.  Corn (not on the cob) is especially good cooked this way. 

My favorites? Onions, Peppers, 'shrooms, Chinese eggplant, corn, tomatoes


----------



## FrankZ (Jul 8, 2014)

taxlady said:


> We're not crazy about eggplant unless it's in something and chopped tiny. But, that would be a great way to roast an eggplant for babaganoush.





PrincessFiona60 said:


> Yes, perfect for babaganoush.




I think somebody just wanted to say babaganoush.. 

I like to do asparagus as rafts.  I have grilled romaine lettuce (smells like pot), eggplant (it doesn't smell like pot) mushrooms, squash (different types) and other stuff.  

Meat is still the best thing on the grill, but I can do veggie stuff every now and then.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 8, 2014)

FrankZ said:


> I think somebody just wanted to say babaganoush..
> 
> I like to do asparagus as rafts.  I have grilled romaine lettuce (smells like pot), eggplant (it doesn't smell like pot) mushrooms, squash (different types) and other stuff.
> 
> Meat is still the best thing on the grill, but I can do veggie stuff every now and then.



We usually do meat and veggies both. That way, the entire meal is done on the grill so we don't have to heat up the kitchen or dirty any pans. I usually serve the veggies over rice or in a salad. Any leftover grilled veggies are great in a pasta salad for the next day.

Romaine hearts are great on the grill. We grill some salmon or tuna as well and serve them on the romaine with bleu cheese dressing for DH and Italian dressing for me.


----------



## taxlady (Jul 8, 2014)

FrankZ said:


> I think somebody just wanted to say babaganoush..
> 
> I like to do asparagus as rafts.  I have grilled romaine lettuce (smells like pot), eggplant (it doesn't smell like pot) mushrooms, squash (different types) and other stuff.
> 
> Meat is still the best thing on the grill, but I can do veggie stuff every now and then.


Well, you gotta admit it's a good word. 

I agree about the meat. I'm just trying to find more ways to eat vegis.


----------



## taxlady (Jul 8, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> We usually do meat and veggies both. That way, the entire meal is done on the grill so we don't have to heat up the kitchen or dirty any pans.
> 
> Any leftover grilled veggies are great in a pasta salad for the next day.


Great idea about using the leftover vegis in a pasta salad. Thanks.


----------



## Dawgluver (Jul 8, 2014)

FrankZ said:


> I think somebody just wanted to say babaganoush..
> 
> I like to do asparagus as rafts.  I have grilled romaine lettuce (smells like pot), eggplant (it doesn't smell like pot) mushrooms, squash (different types) and other stuff.
> 
> Meat is still the best thing on the grill, but I can do veggie stuff every now and then.




 

Babaganoush is a fun word, sounds like someone's grandma.


Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 8, 2014)

taxlady said:


> Great idea about using the leftover vegis in a pasta salad. Thanks.



I was editing when you responded. Check out the rest of my words of wisdom


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 8, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> Babaganoush is a fun word, sounds like someone's grandma.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking



Have you met my Baba Ganoush?  She's not from around here.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 10, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Eggplant!!!



I salted and drained peeled eggplant slices last night and rinsed &dried the slices.
I brushed them with olive oil and mixed Italian herbs and grilled them.

Wow, were they ever good with our grilled Tri Tip roast.

I'll defiantly be adding eggplant to my favorite grilled veggies list.


----------



## Mad Cook (Jul 10, 2014)

taxlady said:


> Thank you for all the suggestions.
> 
> What about sliced carrots? Celery? Root vegis?


Someone (can't remember but it might have been Ina Garten) grilled celery on the bbq on Food Network. Never tried it so can't recommend it.

I do rather like grilled aubergines*. Sweet potatoes ( the pink-ish ones that Australians call kumara) are good. 

I would think anything you would roast in the oven would work on the bbq.

* Sorry, egg plant.


----------



## Mad Cook (Jul 10, 2014)

taxlady said:


> Great idea about using the leftover vegis in a pasta salad. Thanks.


If you have left over grilled peppers, egg plant, courgettes, etc., you can turn them into pretend ratatouille with a can of chopped tomatoes in juice, some herbs and garlic. Good with pasta and a little parm regg.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 10, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> If you have left over grilled peppers, egg plant, courgettes, etc., you can turn them into pretend ratatouille with a can of chopped tomatoes in juice, some herbs and garlic. Good with pasta and a little parm regg.



Great idea MC, that's if I don't eat all the leftovers cold with my lunch the next day.


----------



## taxlady (Jul 10, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> If you have left over grilled peppers, egg plant, courgettes, etc., you can turn them into pretend ratatouille with a can of chopped tomatoes in juice, some herbs and garlic. Good with pasta and a little parm regg.


Good idea. I like ratatouille, but Stirling doesn't. I'll give that a try and see if he likes it better that way.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 10, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> I salted and drained peeled eggplant slices last night and rinsed &dried the slices.
> I brushed them with olive oil and mixed Italian herbs and grilled them.
> 
> Wow, were they ever good with our grilled Tri Tip roast.
> ...



Somebody told me I should not eat eggplant (along with tomatoes and other members of the nightshade family)...I told her it would be a cold day in Tucson before I gave them up.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 11, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Somebody told me I should not eat eggplant (along with tomatoes and other members of the nightshade family)...I told her it would be a cold day in Tucson before I gave them up.



Huhh? What the heck are members of the nightshade family and why shouldn't we eat them? Sounds to me like that someone is smoking sumpthin illegal depending on where they live.


----------



## DaveSoMD (Jul 11, 2014)

Green beans are great on the grill.  You need a grill basket though.  Trim the beans and toss them with olive or or better yet garlic oil, some salt and pepper. Get the grill basket hot and toss on the beans into a single layer.  Keep a close eye on them and just move them around in the basket with some LONG tongs until they are charred. 

Also grilled zucchini rounds. Grill them and then serve them on some rounds of grilled french baguette with hummus.  YUM!!!!


----------



## CraigC (Jul 11, 2014)

I love "fire roasted" salsa. I'll grill tomatillos, unpeeled garlic cloves, onion, serrano chilis, pablano chilis and tomatoes. Pulse them, along with fresh cilantro, lime juice, S&P for chunky or blitz them for smooth.


----------



## Andy M. (Jul 11, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Somebody told me I should not eat eggplant (along with tomatoes and other members of the nightshade family)...I told her it would be a cold day in Tucson before I gave them up.



Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc., etc.  There are some members of the nightshade family that are poisonous.  I suspect that's why the caution.

I read a story that the introduction of the tomato to Europe was difficult because it was thought to be poisonous as a member of the nightshade family.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 11, 2014)

All I know is I love my tomatoes and eggplant...especially grilled over applewood chips.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 11, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> Huhh? What the heck are members of the nightshade family and why shouldn't we eat them? Sounds to me like that someone is smoking sumpthin illegal depending on where they live.



A friend of mine said she had read that eliminating veggies from the nightshade family would relieve symptoms of arthritis. There is no evidence to support this idea. She tried it for a few months and then gave it up. It didn't help.

http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/features/arthritis-diets-supplements


----------



## Mad Cook (Jul 11, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc., etc.  There are some members of the nightshade family that are poisonous.  I suspect that's why the caution.
> 
> I read a story that the introduction of the tomato to Europe was difficult because it was thought to be poisonous as a member of the nightshade family.


Quite true. One of my great-grandmother was convinced that tomatoes were poisonous. They were also believed to cause cancer (pre 20th C)

They are all related to the "deadly nightshade" plant which lives up to its name and  is a source of belladonna which was used topically as a beauty product to enhance the eyes - rumour has it that Queen Elizabeth I was a devotee. IIRC it opens the pupils and makes the eyes look bigger.

Incidentally, the potato tuber is the only part of that plant that isn't poisonous so I assume that some parts of it's relatives are too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna


----------



## RPCookin (Jul 11, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Somebody told me I should not eat eggplant (along with tomatoes and other members of the nightshade family)...I told her it would be a cold day in Tucson before I gave them up.





Andy M. said:


> Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc., etc.  There are some members of the nightshade family that are poisonous.  I suspect that's why the caution.
> 
> I read a story that the introduction of the tomato to Europe was difficult because it was thought to be poisonous as a member of the nightshade family.



Yeah... it took a long time for tomatoes to be accepted as edible.  

Although it's apparently an unpopular opinion here, I still see eggplant as being inedible (prepares to duck  )  All of the eggplant I ever had tasted very bitter, and bitter doesn't work for me.  I don't do coffee, and if a dish has any hint of coffee in it, I will usually reject it.  

I seem to be very sensitive to anything with a bitter taste.  While I like beer, especially micro brews, I don't like the ones that are exceptionally hoppy.


----------



## taxlady (Jul 11, 2014)

RPCookin said:


> Yeah... it took a long time for tomatoes to be accepted as edible.
> 
> Although it's apparently an unpopular opinion here, I still see eggplant as being inedible (prepares to duck  )  All of the eggplant I ever had tasted very bitter, and bitter doesn't work for me.  I don't do coffee, and if a dish has any hint of coffee in it, I will usually reject it.
> 
> I seem to be very sensitive to anything with a bitter taste.  While I like beer, especially micro brews, I don't like the ones that are exceptionally hoppy.


You might be a super taster. There's a test you can do at home.


----------



## Addie (Jul 12, 2014)

RPCookin said:


> Yeah... it took a long time for tomatoes to be accepted as edible.
> 
> Although it's apparently an unpopular opinion here, I still see eggplant as being inedible (prepares to duck  )  All of the eggplant I ever had tasted very bitter, and bitter doesn't work for me.  I don't do coffee, and if a dish has any hint of coffee in it, I will usually reject it.
> 
> I seem to be very sensitive to anything with a bitter taste.  While I like beer, especially micro brews, I don't like the ones that are exceptionally hoppy.



Who ever made that eggplant, obviously didn't salt and press it first. When properly prepared, the bitterness can be successfully removed prior to cooking.


----------



## RPCookin (Jul 12, 2014)

Addie said:


> Who ever made that eggplant, obviously didn't salt and press it first. When properly prepared, the bitterness can be successfully removed prior to cooking.



Entirely possible.  I'm not going to worry about it.  There are plenty of veggies in the world that I do like, so I can live without eggplant.  My wife doesn't care for it either, so it's a pretty easy decision.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 12, 2014)

C 





RPCookin said:


> Entirely possible.  I'm not going to worry about it.  There are plenty of veggies in the world that I do like, so I can live without eggplant.  My wife doesn't care for it either, so it's a pretty easy decision.



Same here. The only way I've ever liked eggplant was in moussaka, layered with ground lamb in seasoned tomato sauce and topped with be chameleon sauce. Then I saw a variation in a Greek cookbook made with zucchini instead. Yum!


----------

