Veggies, meet Grill

Just about every weekend in the summer I have my husband make up a big batch of grilled veggies. He cooks them in a grill pan at the same time as he grills up whatever main course we are having for the night. Red peppers, onion, squash and mushrooms come together as a flavorful side dish to any grilled meat or fish. They're even better though the rest of the week, when the veggies turn up in everything from cold salads to hot sandwich wraps.

But in my opinion, what really makes these veggies shine is the balsamic vinegar marinade, which along with the natural sugar in the vegetables carmelizes on the grill to give the veggies a tender sweetness unlike any other. So it's very important that you use a good balsamic vinegar, and not the cheap pink colored stuff. Balsamic vinegar should be a deep purple, almost black.

The best balsamic vinegars come from the Modena region of Italy, the birthplace of balsamic. It should be allowed to mature for at least 12 years in wooden casks that allow it to breathe so that some of the vinegar can evaporate, thus reducing the acidity. The finished vinegar is then presented to the AIB -- the Italian agency that tastes and rates the vinegar, awarding it up to four leaves for quality.

Years ago my husband, a fellow foodie and I held our own private taste test, comparing a variety of different brands of balsamic vinegar. Our hands down favorite was a the Kirkland brand sold at Costco (about $12 for 1 liter, which goes a long way!). It beat out several more expensive brands that we tried. When they stopped selling it at our local Costco, when we would travel out of state I would visit other stores and stock up.

Grilled veggies
1 sweet onion, cut into bite-size chunks
1red bell pepper, cut into bite-size chunks
1 summer squash, cut in half and sliced
1 zucchini squash, cut in half and sliced
1 container mushrooms, stems trimmed (cut large ones in half)
3 Tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Put everything in a 1-gallon zipper sealed bag and shake to combine. Let sit at room temperature at least one hour, turning bag over every so often (I do it every time I walk by it). Preheat grill. Either cover grill with foil or use a grill pan and cook veggies until soft. It takes longer than I think it should, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Grilled veggie wrap (makes 1)
1 10-inch flour tortilla
Leftover grilled veggies
1 oz. cheese (My favorite is crumbled feta, but crumbled goat cheese and shredded cheddar or mozzarella are also good)
Warm tortilla in the microwave to soften, about 10 seconds. Heat veggies in microwave until warmed through, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Spread veggies on tortilla, top with cheese. Wrap.
(Estimated calories: 250)

Grilled veggie salad (serves 4-6)
1 Romaine heart, chopped
Leftover grilled veggies
5 to 10 pitted Greek olives, quartered
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
5 to 10 basil leaves, snipped into thin strips
1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
Toss together everything except oil and vinegar. In a separate bowl (or better yet, a jar with a lid) combine oil and vinegar and stir (or shake). Pour over salad about 10 minutes before serving.
(Estimated calories: 150)

Grilled veggie omelet (makes 1)
2 eggs (to make this low cal, use just the whites or an egg substitute)
Leftover grilled veggies
1 oz. cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Whip eggs together. Coat small skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat pan to medium and add eggs, swirling pan so eggs cover the bottom. Reduce heat to low. As eggs begin to cook, use a silicone spatula to pull eggs away from the side of the pan and tip so uncooked eggs run around to exposed pan surface. When eggs are cooked through, top half with grilled veggies and cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Fold other half over, enclosing veggies and cheese in the eggs. Cover and heat on low until cheese melts and veggies are warm.
(Estimated calories: 350 with whole eggs and 175 with egg whites or substitute)