Versatile Vegetable Grill

Can you believe it's getting too hot to grill here? The weekend before last when I had planned to make this, it hit 102 F here officially. Unofficially - that is, according to the thermometer in my car - it was 105 F. I had to wait until later in the week when the high was back to the mid 90s, otherwise grilling would have been no fun at all.

A little bit Mediterranean and a little bit Asian, this  is one of the most versatile recipes for grilled vegetables I know. Usually, I serve it with pita bread, hummus and some fruit on the side, but the grilled veggies have also made their way into paella, on top of noodles, and this time after serving it the usual way, I made soup from the leftovers. I'll post the soup recipe tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure the recipe existed on its own on this blog, too, since I make it at least once a summer.

Versatile Vegetable Grill

1 sweet onion, sliced and divided into rings

2 red bell peppers, cut into about 6 pieces each

1 small globe eggplant or two chinese eggplants, about 3/4 pound/350 g

1 large zucchini, sliced into coins

4 large portobello mushrooms, cut into quarters

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh basil, cut into strips

Place all of the vegetables in a watertight container or zip-top plastic bag. Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over vegetables. Close container and turn upside down to coat the vegetables. Marinate for an hour or longer, turning the container once or twice.

Heat coals. Drain vegetables and cook on a grill pan until tender. Serves 4-6.