Grilled Vegetable Salad with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

We combined several recipes to come up with this hearty vegetable side. We based it on the bounty we picked up at the farmer's market, grilled most of the vegetables and served it with some fresh tomatoes and herbs. The simplicity was awesome. I could have made this my whole meal. You could certainly change out the veggies based on what looks good at the market. But the key here is grilling them to get a good char on it all. I used Japanese eggplant because that's what my market had, any small eggplant would work. And might I add that if you think you don't like okra, try it and grilled and get back to me. We have also added red onions to this mix too. 

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil 

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
• 6 Japanese eggplant (or small eggplant) halved
• about a cup of okra
• 2 heirloom tomatoes sliced 
• salt and pepper to taste (about a half a teaspoon of each)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

1. Toss sliced eggplant and okra in about a tablespoon of olive oil, some salt and pepper and garlic salt and lemon pepper.
2.  Grill those vegetables on medium heat, turning 4-5 times as you grill about 10 minutes. We use a cast iron insert on our Weber to keep the veggies from falling through.
3. Mix together vinegars, remaining olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. 
4. On a platter, layer tomatoes, grilled veggies and basil, then drizzle your dressing mixture over the top. 

Kale Caesar Salad

 I love Caesar salads but hadn't found a good way of making them healthy-ish until NOW. I also avoid eggs because of allergies, and you don't miss the egg in this dressing. We experimented with several recipes and this combo of them has been a HUGE hit. My family and friends now ask for it. Most of them are surprised to like Kale so much in it. The key here is the type of kale you use. Dino kale. You'll also see it labeled as Lacinato Kale and Tuscan kale. Cutting it into thin strips helps break down the toughness usually associated with kale too. This is so good, we don't even put croutons on it. It's healthier that way too. But my sister in law suggested using those "parmesan crisps" instead of croutons if you want a crunch and it was wonderful. The below recipe makes about 4 side salads. If you wanted to add chicken it could be a main dish for 2. 

Kale Caesar Salad

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup tablespoons either shaved parmesan to top, or parmesan crisps crumbled up for crunch
• 1 bunch dino kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced

1. Combine lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into a small food processor. Blend until smooth. 
2. Toss thin strips of kale with grated cheese. 
3. Add dressing to the kale, working in batches until it's just coated, about 5 minutes before serving so it sits on there a bit. This will take about 3/4 of the dressing. Put the rest of the dressing on the table in case people want more. 
4. Top with either shaved parmesan or parmesan crisps. 

***Makes ABOUT 4 sides salads.

***It takes a lot of dishes, but is worth it. 

Summer Sides: Refreshing Serrano Ham and Melon Salad

 On the 4th of July when my garden was full of mint and basil and melons were easy to find at the farmer's market we combined a few different melon herb salads we saw online to make this. Cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto is one of my go to appetizers so I knew the flavors of salty pork and sweet melon went well together. I went with Serrano Ham instead of prosciutto while comparing fat, sodium and calories and seeing that the thinly sliced ham was better than the pre-packaged prosciutto. The result was amazing. This is a hearty side, but refreshing and not over powering. A great use of a July day at the farmer's market. 

Refreshing Melon Mozzarella Serrano Ham Salad

 

• 2 cups honey dew melon balls (use a melon baller)
• 2 cups cantaloupe balls
• 3 oz Serrano ham  , torn into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup torn basil leaves
• 1/4 cup torn mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• salt and paper
• 3 oz mozzarella cut into bite sized pieces

1. Create a dressing by combining the honey, olive oil and vinegar with a little salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl toss the melon, cantaloupe, ham, basil, mint and mozzarella.
3. Toss with dressing.

This makes a hearty 6 servings at least

Side dish on the Grill: Grilled Garlic Broccoli

 It's grilling season and I can't believe I have never shared this grilled broccoli recipe. It's probably one of the first recipes I "made up." In college one summer, our group of friends were looking for something different to do as a side. And well, we were poor, and actually trying to be a little healthy. So we decided to try grilled broccoli, throwing it in a foil pack with some seasoning. This recipe has evolved over the years and it is one of my husband and I's staples. Super easy, healthy and delicious!

 

Grilled Garlic Broccoli

 

• About a pound of broccoli cut into florets
• one head of garlic peeled, the big chunks
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• one teaspoon garlic salt
• about 10- 15 pumps of a no-calorie butter spray like Parkay or I can't believe it's not butter 
 
1. Create a large foil packet and toss the broccoli, garlic together
2. Spray the veggies with the butter.
3. Sprinkle with the seasonings and toss to coat
4. Close up the foil packet so it is sealed
 5. Throw on the grill and allow to steam in the packet for 15-20 minutes, shaking to mix up every few minutes.
 
 
 
**this serves about 4-6 people and can easily be adjusted to feed more.
**Super easy cook and clean up so it's a 1 on the Bryce dish scale. 



Grilled Okra

 If you are like me you are always looking for easy ways to do side dishes. And this one is so different and so great. My dad one day grilled okra and we just loved the texture. I am sure there are a million different things you can toss it with, but this is a great start if you are looking for something new.

 

 

Grilled Okra

 

• 1 lb. fresh okra
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• skewers

 

1. Toss the okra with the oil and seasoning in a big bowl so that every piece is coated.
2. Place okra on skewers so it doesn't fall through the grates.
3. Grill okra for 20-25 minutes until it has a nice char and is soft.

 

 

 

**Makes about 4 servings

 

Watermelon- Feta Salad

 It's watermelon season and this salad is a huge hit every time I make it. Its the perfect refreshing side for barbecue, burgers, steaks etc. It combines some of my favorite herbs and flavors. I have seen several spins on this, and I basically just combined them all! A lot of recipes I found on pinterest just had mint. But I recently had watermelon paired with basil and loved it - so I did both here. This is super easy.

Watermelon-Feta Salad

• 4 cups watermelon cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 one red onion very thinly sliced
• 1 cup feta cheese (I use reduced fat because it's healthier and I can't taste the difference)
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste (about a teaspoon of each)
• juice of one lime
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Combine watermelon, onion, mint, basil, lime, olive oil, salt and pepper and lime in a big bowl.
2.  If you are making ahead and storing for a while. Stop here and either top each bowl with feta basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the last minute. 
3. If you are serving a big bowl for a buffet style - still add the basil, feta and balsamic towards the end.

**Makes about 4 servings depending on how many other sides you have

**This is a 2 on Bryce's dish scale. Cutting board and you can make it in the bowl you serve it in.

Tasty and Healthy Side Dish: Roasted Asparagus

When we were at the store the other day, we were making up our dinner that night based on what looked good that day. After grabbing a steak to throw on the grill using the salt method (I'll blog about that later) we went looking for veggies and the asparagus looked awesome. I knew we had a ton of rosemary in our herb gardens that lasts all winter so I just made up the rest of this as I went.

 

 

 

 

Lemon-Rosemary Asparagus

• 2 lbs. asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• 1/2 one small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove minced
• 1 lemon, sliced very thin
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest from that lemon as well
• 5 small springs rosemary, plus one tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• a little black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Toss the asparagus and onion with the oil, minced garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, lemon pepper, garlic salt, salt and pepper and lemon zest.
3. Place in baking dish. Top with sprigs of rosemary and sliced lemons.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes or until asparagus gets tender.
5. Shut off the oven. Top with parmesan and put back in oven for a couple of minutes so it melts.

**Makes about 4 servings.

Yummy Asian Style Cole Slaw

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 This is just a side dish, but I've made it for my family a couple of time and each time it's a hit. I made it combing a couple of different Asian style slaws I found on pinterest. It's good for a couple of days, but because of the ramen noodles- doesn't last long. You don't want to make too far ahead. The work that goes into though - is worth it!

Asian Cole Slaw

  

• 1 (14 oz) pkg. prepared cole slaw, shredded
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• ½ cup sesame or sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 package ramen noodles (seasoning discarded)- crunched up into pieces
• ½ cup green onions chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey 

1. Melt butter in skillet. Throw in almonds, sunflower seeds, ramen, and sesame seeds and toast until brown.
2. Toss nut mixture with Cole slaw, cabbage and green onions.
3. To make dressing: wisk together oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, honey & sugar.
4. Put on the dressing right before serving.

This makes about 6 servings and can easily be doubled!

Grilled Brussels sprouts

The weather is just perfect for me to share my new favorite grilled side dish with you. When my husband and I grill we hate it when the sides have to be done inside, so one of us is outside at the grill and the other is inside. SO, we try to grill our side dishes so we can both enjoy the time outdoors. We were looking for something different the other day, and have been on a Brussels sprouts kick lately and decided to try this. It's a little bit of work - but totally worth it.
Grilled Brussels Sprouts

• One pound Brussels sprouts
• skewers (if you use wooden be sure to soak them in water.
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 minced garlic clove
• salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanche the Brussels sprouts (this means to basically cook them for about 3-4 minutes but not any longer). Then remove them from the boiling water and put them in a bowl full of ice water.
2. after about 5 minutes remove them from the ice water and pat dry.
3. Trim the bottoms of the sprouts and remove the outer leaves
4. Mix together the mustard, oil, garlic and salt and pepper
5. Toss the sprouts with your mustard dressing.
6. Let marinate in fridge for about 30 minutes.
7. Once marinated, put 4-5 on skewers.
8. Grill for about 5 minutes each side.

*Makes enough for 4 side servings