Grilled vegetables brings healthier eating habits to the typical summer barbecue. Actually grilling has health pros even for meats because it allows fats to drip away, you don’t have to add extra fats because grilling intensifies flavor, and meats naturally stay more tender and moist with a grilling cooking method. Grilling does the same for fresh veggies.
Now, that said, you shouldn’t grill non-stop because grilling also causes carcinogens, which are formed when food is grilled or cooked at very high temperatures. Food that has carcinogenic mutagens can cause DNA changes that can lead to cancer. However, if you don’t grill daily you’ll be fine and there are ways to reduce carcinogens when grilling as well.
Perfect veggies to grow for grilling include…
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Bell peppers
- Beets
- Summer squash
- Asparagus
- Corn
- Acorn squash
- Fresh herbs for topping veggies like basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary.
Of course you can grill any old veggie you like with few exceptions – the ones above are just some of my faves (except for the asparagus, but my pals like this one). Don’t try to grill cucumbers or celery. Some people say don’t grill greens but I’ve successfully grilled spinach in foil.
Grilling options:
You can grill veggies directly on the grate, in a grilling basket, on a skewer, or wrapped in foil. I like the foil method because it keeps veggies super moist but you still get that grilled flavor. Also foil is nice because it keeps in any herbs butter or marinades you use. For example, for sweet potatoes, I cut them into slices, place them in foil, add a small pat of butter, wrap loosely and place them on the hot grill for about 30 minutes, turning once. To speed it up you can boil them for 10 minutes before hand, but I don’t like to waste the energy. In any case, these sweet potatoes turn out great – nice and soft with crispy outsides.
How long to grill?
The key to perfect grilled veggies is not to leave them on the grill any longer than necessary so they’re not tough. Almost any veggie, minus potatoes can be grilled in 10 minutes or less. Slices or skewered veggies (bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, squash, etc) should be lightly brushed with olive oil, topped with herbs, and grilled on each side for no more than 3-5 minutes. A thicker veggie or whole veggie (eggplant, corn, whole peppers, thick squash, etc) should also be lightly brushed with olive oil, topped with herbs if you like, and grilled for about 10-12 minutes turning every three minutes.
Of course above is all general and honestly, it’s really hard to mess up grilled veggies. You can toss them on a grill and just use your nose, if they smell done, they’re probably fine. A benefit is that you don’t have to perfectly cook veggies as you do meats – see a specific vegetable grilling guide.
Are you planting any vegetables this year specifically for grilling?
Post from: Blisstree