My favorite time of year for cooking is during the summer. Between the fresh vegetables from the garden and my husband firing up his big Weber to grill , it’s easy cooking at our house. Since it’s not grilled meat every night at our dinner table (like my family wishes it was!), I’ve got an easy grilled vegetable routine with spices that are always a crowd pleaser. Make extra vegetables and serve this the next night on sourdough bread with a yogurt tzatziki sauce. Oh my! That means two easy nights in the kitchen. Yes, please!
I like to use vegetables that are easy to slice and won’t fall down into the grill. That means zucchini, peppers, eggplant, squash, and onions. Mushrooms on skewers are good, too.
- Zucchini
- Peppers – red, green, yellow
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper, Tony’s or your spice of choice ([url href=”https://gogingham.com/2011/12/spicing-it-up-in-the-kitchen/” target=”_blank”]Our favorite spices are here[/url])
- Rinse vegetables and slice.
- For peppers, remove seeds (follow these steps for removing seeds), slice in half.
- Pat dry outside of vegetables.
- Brush with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, Tony’s or your spice of choice
- Grill vegetables over high heat, two to three minutes per side.
If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water first before grilling so they don’t burn up.
You could easily cook these inside but cooked outside on the grill in the summer is my favorite. Clean up is super easy when the cooking and the eating take place outside. Plus, the hammock is hanging right next to the table in our backyard so it’s easy for me to slide into it right after dinner.
What’s your favorite food to cook outside? Do you grill or does someone do it for you?
Go Gingham related links:
Serve these veggies with rice or an easy quinoa salad
Slow food gets prepared by slow families
Eat healthier – written for 2011 but still applicable!
Shopping from the bulk bins and storage tips
Go Gingham 
Looks so good! I love that BBQ season is here again. We’ve been eating our weight in grilled asparagus this week.
LikeLike
Oh yes, asparagus would be great on the grill although I’ve never grilled it (or should I say had my husband grill it?) but we do enjoy it roasted in the oven. It seems like by the time we have sunny enough weather outside for grilling, the asparagus season is over with. It sounds great, Heidi!
LikeLike
I adore grilled vegetables! If there’s grilled zucchini leftover in the fridge, I’ll have some on toast for breakfast. Leftover grilled veggies are also delicious, roughly chopped and mixed with cooked grains for a hearty salad. And when I grill (or roast over the flame on the stove) red pepper I’ll try to do extra as it tastes divine on sandwiches. We had a week of rain here, and now finally some sunshine. Time to fire up the grill!
LikeLike
Lili, those veggies on toast are delish! We do the same thing – sourdough toast is the best. They’re good cold the next day and you’re right completely worth grilling extra for the next day. We’re grilling this weekend and I can’t wait. Time to get the summer started…although I’m sure I’ll be wearing my down jacket!
LikeLike
I know what you mean about the winter jacket! We’re in the Seattle area. But this weekend looks promising. We have a fire bowl on the patio that actually warms things up a bit, for the part of you that’s facing the fire, that is. But us northwesterners, we’re hearty folk and can take a bit of cold. *sorry for the derail, back to frugal living* Do you make your own sourdough? I had a starter years ago and let it die unfortunately.
LikeLike
Yes, we have been making our own sourdough bread because we have our own starter. I’m working on a recipe because I only use whole wheat flour and it’s a little tricky because you have to add gluten but finding the right amount has been tough – literally, too. The bread is a little tough BUT it still gets eaten! I’ll keep you posted on the recipe. And, yes us northwesterners have to be tough, too!
LikeLike
Those look delicious – I love when the onions carmelize!
LikeLike