Everyday I’m Grillin’ But If You Can’t, I’ve Got You

Grilling a tray of vegetables and a few chicken cutlets on the weekend is a great way to get through lunches and weeknights, but it can also be done on the fly - taking about 10 minutes on a barbecue or on a grill pan, in your kitchen. Summer is grilling season, we all know, but when you’re not blessed with a backyard, you need to find solutions to putting your protein and vegetables down and reversing them. That was a nod to Missy Elliott - for those of you that didn’t get it.

This summer, I was fortunate to capitalize on my parents barbecue and slab of concrete that is their backyard, but here’s what you’ll need to blister a tomato in an apartment kitchen and get some grill lines your zucchini and chicken too.

A grill pan or grill/griddle that goes over two burners

Now, the above pans are cast iron which means you have to care for them and treat them well by oiling, washing and drying properly. You’re a home cook, and if you wanna be in the game, sometimes you need tools and it takes some work - nothing worth having or doing is easy. Learn how to season a cast iron skillet here as well as how to properly clean it. The Kitchn has already written a Bible on this stuff, so I needn't rewrite it or reinvent it. Here I show you how to make meals from frozen vegetables and encourage the use of certain tools because cooking is something we learn to do - little by little. A good grill pan can be used time and time again for proteins and veggies in your home, but if you’re blessed with a yard and barbecue, I recommend these grill mats - a game changer in the grilling game as asparagus will no longer escape through your grill and into the abyss of hot coals.

ALL OF THAT SAID … HOME GRILLING

A simple chicken, zucchini, eggplant and tomato bounty below. Eat this as is, place over a green salad, serve with or over your favorite grain, cut up and toss with pasta and add fresh tomatoes, layer with mozzarella … I think you get it, a tray of grilled veggies and meats is pretty versatile. When you look at your plate, think BALANCE - which means do I have a protein source, veggies, some hearty carby love, a little bit of fat (and a giant glass or water and or wine) - then you're doing fine!

Get inspired below!

XO

Grilled Chicken

4 T. chopped garlic and parsley
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
Additional oil for grilling, or spray bottle with oil
Place chicken cutlets in a large ziplock bag with garlic, parsley, oil, lemon, vinegar and salt - allowing to marinate for 15-20 minutes
Heat grill over medium flame and thinly coat with oil using a spray bottle or brush, applying to and in between grills to prevent sticking
Place chicken on pan and grill, about 3 minutes per side depending upon thickness (mine were quite thin, so I removed as soon as I saw my grill lines coming through)
Repeat until all cutlets are grilled
Eat hot with veggies (recipes below) or store in glassware for 3-4 days and use as noted above

Grilled Tomatoes + Zucchini

5 tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
3 zucchini cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into 3 long pieces
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. sea salt
Additional oil for grilling, or spray oil
Place zucchinis and tomatoes on a tray and drizzle with oil, vinegar and salt - tossing to coat
Heat grill over medium flame and COAT WELL with oil using a spray bottle or brush, applying to and in between grills to prevent sticking
Place veggies on pan and grill, about 3 minutes per side
Repeat until all veggies are grilled
Serve warm, room temperature or cold - using ideas as noted above

Grilled Eggplant

1 large eggplant cut into ½” thick slices
Salt
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Additional oil for grilling, or spray oil
Place eggplant slices on a cutting board or tray, sprinkle with salt and allow water to release, eggplant retains A LOT OF WATER, so if you don’t want to use 9 gallons of oil to cook - you’ll take this step seriously (insert smiley face)
Let eggplant sit for 30 minutes to an hour, the longer, the better
Absorb water with paper towel and dry completely
Place eggplant on a tray and drizzle with oil - tossing to coat
Heat grill over medium flame and COAT WELL with oil using a spray bottle or brush, applying to and in between grills to prevent sticking
Place veggies on pan and grill, about 3 minutes per side
Repeat until all eggplant is grilled
Serve warm, room temperature or cold - using ideas as noted above