Everyone knows that vegetables are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Unfortunately, many people have a pre-conceived idea that veggies taste bad, or that they lack flavor. In fact, numerous adults and children do not eat even close to the daily recommended amount of veggies because of these pre-conceived ideas, or because they have no idea how to prepare them to bring out all their flavor.
There are many unique and fun ways to prepare vegetables. Stove top and oven methods are perhaps better known than the many barbecue methods that use an outdoor grill or smoker. One innovative accessory for grills called the Rib-O-Lator allows for cooking veggies using a rotisserie system.
While most rotisseries are limited to cooking larger items that can be put on a spit, the Rib-O-Lator's design is far more versatile. The system uses four trays that mount on your grill's existing rotisserie rod. Each tray has a solid bottom and side walls to hold food in place and prevent tasty juices from dripping down into the grill. This makes the Rib-O-Lator perfect for preparing vegetable dishes. It is also very simple to use.
Grilling baskets, or skewers to kabob your food are other excellent BBQ cooking options for veggies. Excellent for smaller pieces, grilling baskets let you flip or stir food without worry of it falling through the grill. Vegetable kebabs are wonderful when you have larger chunks of veggies to work with. The following recipe is just one of the delicious, easy dishes that you can make on the BBQ.
Eggplant Mixed Grill
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar 2 TBSP Fresh Basil, Chopped 2 TBSP Fresh Oregano, Chopped 2 TBSP Fresh Parsley, Chopped 6 Cloves Minced Garlic 1 TSP Salt 1/2 TSP Black Pepper 12 Mushrooms (try Crimini for extra special flavor) 1-1lb Eggplant 1 Red Bell Pepper 1 Yellow Bell Pepper 1 Red Onion 18 Trimmed Asparagus Spears (for kebabs, you can substitute Zucchini)
1. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Onion and bell peppers should be cut into wedges. Remove the stems from the mushrooms.
2. Combine olive oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large re-sealable plastic bag and mix well. Add onion, eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, mushrooms and asparagus (or zucchini). Seal the bag tightly and shake gently to ensure that the marinade covers all the vegetables. Place the bag in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally.
3. If you are using the Rib-O-Lator, make sure it is in place first, and lightly grease the trays. Preheat the grill on a high heat setting. If you are using vegetable baskets, it is advisable to lightly grease a grilling basket and place the veggies inside it. You could also opt to make kebabs from this recipe. Wooden skewers should be soaked prior to skewering the veggies to keep the wood from catching fire.
4. After the grill is heated, put the vegetable mixture in the trays, and turn on the grill's motorized spit or rotate the spit manually. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. If using a grilling basket, you will need to flip your veggies halfway through cooking. Skewers could require even more attention since they are closer to the open flame. Depending on how hot the grill is, less cooking time may be required for these options.
Another great way to add even more flavor to vegetables and other grilled foods is to use pre-flavored wood chips (think flavors like apple, pecan, cedar, hickory). Easily available in stores and via the web, these wood chips create even more rich, unique taste sensations during grilling. Rotisserie attachments as well as flavoring accessories are excellent options for creating delicious, healthy veggie dishes on the BBQ. - 30289
There are many unique and fun ways to prepare vegetables. Stove top and oven methods are perhaps better known than the many barbecue methods that use an outdoor grill or smoker. One innovative accessory for grills called the Rib-O-Lator allows for cooking veggies using a rotisserie system.
While most rotisseries are limited to cooking larger items that can be put on a spit, the Rib-O-Lator's design is far more versatile. The system uses four trays that mount on your grill's existing rotisserie rod. Each tray has a solid bottom and side walls to hold food in place and prevent tasty juices from dripping down into the grill. This makes the Rib-O-Lator perfect for preparing vegetable dishes. It is also very simple to use.
Grilling baskets, or skewers to kabob your food are other excellent BBQ cooking options for veggies. Excellent for smaller pieces, grilling baskets let you flip or stir food without worry of it falling through the grill. Vegetable kebabs are wonderful when you have larger chunks of veggies to work with. The following recipe is just one of the delicious, easy dishes that you can make on the BBQ.
Eggplant Mixed Grill
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar 2 TBSP Fresh Basil, Chopped 2 TBSP Fresh Oregano, Chopped 2 TBSP Fresh Parsley, Chopped 6 Cloves Minced Garlic 1 TSP Salt 1/2 TSP Black Pepper 12 Mushrooms (try Crimini for extra special flavor) 1-1lb Eggplant 1 Red Bell Pepper 1 Yellow Bell Pepper 1 Red Onion 18 Trimmed Asparagus Spears (for kebabs, you can substitute Zucchini)
1. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Onion and bell peppers should be cut into wedges. Remove the stems from the mushrooms.
2. Combine olive oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large re-sealable plastic bag and mix well. Add onion, eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, mushrooms and asparagus (or zucchini). Seal the bag tightly and shake gently to ensure that the marinade covers all the vegetables. Place the bag in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally.
3. If you are using the Rib-O-Lator, make sure it is in place first, and lightly grease the trays. Preheat the grill on a high heat setting. If you are using vegetable baskets, it is advisable to lightly grease a grilling basket and place the veggies inside it. You could also opt to make kebabs from this recipe. Wooden skewers should be soaked prior to skewering the veggies to keep the wood from catching fire.
4. After the grill is heated, put the vegetable mixture in the trays, and turn on the grill's motorized spit or rotate the spit manually. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. If using a grilling basket, you will need to flip your veggies halfway through cooking. Skewers could require even more attention since they are closer to the open flame. Depending on how hot the grill is, less cooking time may be required for these options.
Another great way to add even more flavor to vegetables and other grilled foods is to use pre-flavored wood chips (think flavors like apple, pecan, cedar, hickory). Easily available in stores and via the web, these wood chips create even more rich, unique taste sensations during grilling. Rotisserie attachments as well as flavoring accessories are excellent options for creating delicious, healthy veggie dishes on the BBQ. - 30289
About the Author:
Looking for more delicious BBQ recipes? Rib-O-Lator Recipes offers more great meat and vegetable recipes, many of which have won awards when cooked on a Rib-O-Lator, a 4-tray rotisserie attachment for use with many different grills. Powered by SEO 2.0 Services
