Summer Grilled Vegetables with Thai-Lime-Chili Marinade
Grilling is a fun and refreshing way to enjoy your vegetables. Even more exciting is tossing them with this easy and slightly spicy chili marinade. Also, grilling is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and some natural vitamin D.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 50 minutes (20 minutes prep + 30 minutes cooking)
Difficulty level: Difficult
Ingredients for chili marinade
Rice wine vinegar | 3 tablespoons
Lime juice, freshly squeezed | 1 tablespoon
Thai chili (bird’s eye) | 1, stem removed (or substitute with ½ sriracha)
Garlic | 2 teaspoons, minced
Ginger | 1 teaspoon, minced
Sesame oil | 1 tablespoon
Olive oil | 3 tablespoons
Coriander | 2 whole seeds or ¼ teaspoon ground
Directions
Blend all ingredients in a blender for about 30 seconds.
If you are substituting sriracha and ground coriander for marinade, mix thoroughly with a whisk. No need to blend.
Ingredients for vegetables
Japanese eggplant or black beauty eggplant, small | 1, sliced lengthwise about ¼-inch thick
Zucchini, large | 1, sliced lengthwise about ¼-inch thick
Baby sweet bell peppers | 8
White onion | 1, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick into rings (Try to keep the onions in whole slices, as this will help when grilling.)
Toppings
Plum tomatoes, small | 2, diced
Mango | 1, peeled and diced
Peanut pieces, unsalted | 4 teaspoons
Spearmint | 1 bunch, cleaned and roughly chopped
Thai basil leaves | 1 bunch, cleaned
Directions
Heat grill to 350° to 400° Fahrenheit. (If you do not have a grill, see Chef’s commentary below.) In a large mixing bowl, toss half of the chili marinade with vegetables to coat. Be gentle with the onions so they stay in slices. Set aside.
Grill vegetables separately on the grill; ensure they are not overlapping and are evenly browned on each side. When vegetables are finished and still warm, place them in a mixing bowl and add the remaining half of the chili marinade. Mix thoroughly.
Place a mixture of vegetables on a bowl or plate, evenly divided into four portions, and top each with tomatoes, mango, peanuts, and fresh herbs.
Chef’s commentary
If you are using an oven, roast vegetables on a baking tray or cookie sheet at 375° Fahrenheit, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Then rotate the tray and cook an additional 15 minutes.
