Many of us take advantage of the summer months to grill outdoors and I wanted to share a few ideas for vegetable marinades with you. In addition to the marinades, I also wanted to show you how you can make use of the grilled vegetables in different meals.
I tested out three different marinades for grilling vegetables then made these three different meals. I used about 2 lbs of sliced vegetables (eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers) for each meal.
The three marinades were lemon herb, balsamic and honey mustard. The first meal is a vegetarian chickpea pasta salad with feta cheese. The second meal is a vegan grain bowl with tofu and edamame. The third meal is wrap a with chicken. Each of these meals has 19 to 26 grams of protein and 15 to 17 grams of fiber. Feel free to use any of these marinades to create any of the these meals; I simply paired them for simplicity.
Try these recipes and let me know what you think.
Lemon Herb Grill Veggies & Chickpea Pasta
Inactive Time: 30+ minutes . Cook Time: 20 minutes . Yield: Serves 4
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Mint, minced
2 Tbsp Rosemary, minced
6 Sprigs Thyme
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Zest & Juice from One Lemon
SALAD INGREDIENTS
2 Lbs Eggplant, Bell Peppers & zucchini, sliced
8 Oz Chickpea Pasta, uncooked
2 Oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
Fresh mint, rosemary and thyme, minced for garnish
1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste
1. Cook pasta according to instructions and set aside.
2. Combine vegetables and ingredients for lemon herb marinade in a bowl or ziploc bag. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat grill. Place vegetables on the grill and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes per side until soft and grill lines show.
4. Coarsely chop grilled vegetables into smaller pieces. Note: This is an optional step depending on how you cut your vegetables.
5. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, grilled vegetables, feta cheese, olive oil, fresh herbs and salt. Toss and serve. Divide salad equally into four. This salad can be served warm or cold.
Marinade Nutrition per Tbsp: 89 Cals, 9g Fat, 3g Carbs, 1g Dietary Fiber, 0g Protein
Meal Nutrition Info (without marinade): 329 Cals, 7g Fat, 51g Carbs, 15g Fiber, 19g Protein
Nutrition calculated using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Importer
Balsamic Grilled Veggies & Tofu Grain Bowl
Inactive Time: 30+ minutes . Cook Time: 20 minutes . Yield: Serves 4
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 Tsp Cayenne
1 Tsp Black Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic, grated or mince
5-6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
Salt to taste
TOFU GRAIN BOWL INGREDIENTS
2 Lbs Eggplant, Bell Peppers & zucchini, sliced
14 Oz Extra Firm Tofu, 1/2-inch slices
1 Cup Quinoa, uncooked
2 Cups Edamame, cooked
Salt to taste
1. Cook quinoa according to instructions and set aside. Heat up edamame if necessary.
2. Combine tofu, vegetables and ingredients for balsamic marinade in a bowl or ziploc bag. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat grill. Place vegetables and tofu on the grill and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes per side until soft and grill lines show.
4. Coarsely chop grilled vegetables and tofu into smaller pieces. Note: This is an optional step depending on how you cut your vegetables.
5. Divide quinoa, edamame and grilled
vegetables into four containers. Serve warm.
Marinade Nutrition per Tbsp: 64 Cals, 6g Fat, 2g Carbs, 0g Fiber, 0g Protein
Meal Nutrition Info (without marinade): 406 Cals, 11g Fat, 52g Carbs, 15g Fiber, 26g Protein
Nutrition calculated using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Importer
Honey Mustard Grilled Veggies & Chicken Wrap
Inactive Time: 30+ minutes . Cook Time: 20 minutes . Yield: Serves 4
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Salt to taste
WRAP INGREDIENTS
2 Lbs Eggplant, Bell Peppers & zucchini, sliced
4 Whole Wheat Tortillas
12 Oz Cooked Chicken Breast
1. Combine vegetables and ingredients for honey mustard marinade in a bowl or ziploc bag. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat grill. Place vegetables on the grill and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes per side until soft and grill lines show.
3. Place tortilla on a flat surface. Fill with a quarter of the chicken and grilled vegetables. Roll into a wrap and slice in half; use foil or wax paper to secure wrap. Repeat until all ingredients are finished.
