**Note- This is an older post I just had time to publish. With all the parties and cookouts over the summer, we have been indulging in some not so healthy choices over the last couple months. This week Bob decided we would eat more healthy so we have been eating more salads, fruits, and veggies. Tonight was an example of that healthy lifestyles. We ate a meal made up almost completely of vegetables. We started with one of our garden favorites - a Caprese salad with homegrown red and yellow tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil from our herb garden.
Then we put the grill to work. We started with a grilled romaine salad with red wine vinaigrette based on a great recipe from Alton Brown. The clean flavor of the romaine really shines through with the crispiness of a salad and the smokiness from the grill. I drizzle the romaine with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before I throw it on the grill. After a couple minutes, I pull the romaine off and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. The cheese melts slightly but doesn't get the charred look and taste like when you put it directly on the grill. I make a vinaigrette by whisking together one part red wine vinegar, 2 parts olive oil, a teaspoon of dijon mustard, and some black pepper.
For our main course, we grilled a selection of vegetables. We had asparagus, portabello mushrooms, and red and green bell peppers lightly sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with a touch of salt. I took a small yellow squash and a zucchini and cut them in half lengthwise. I brushed then with olive oil and sprinkled on a bit of garlic powder for seasoning. We grilled them just long enough to be tender crisp. The meaty texture of the mushrooms almost gave the impression of eating meat and the fresh taste of the veggies really stood out.
Then we put the grill to work. We started with a grilled romaine salad with red wine vinaigrette based on a great recipe from Alton Brown. The clean flavor of the romaine really shines through with the crispiness of a salad and the smokiness from the grill. I drizzle the romaine with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before I throw it on the grill. After a couple minutes, I pull the romaine off and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. The cheese melts slightly but doesn't get the charred look and taste like when you put it directly on the grill. I make a vinaigrette by whisking together one part red wine vinegar, 2 parts olive oil, a teaspoon of dijon mustard, and some black pepper.
For our main course, we grilled a selection of vegetables. We had asparagus, portabello mushrooms, and red and green bell peppers lightly sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with a touch of salt. I took a small yellow squash and a zucchini and cut them in half lengthwise. I brushed then with olive oil and sprinkled on a bit of garlic powder for seasoning. We grilled them just long enough to be tender crisp. The meaty texture of the mushrooms almost gave the impression of eating meat and the fresh taste of the veggies really stood out.
