Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Summer Veggie Salad


Summer cooking just may be my favorite. Mark mans the grill, and I have extra time to focus on tasty salads and side bites. Vegetables on the grill are seriously the best. With a little olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh produce is transformed into charred goodness while still maintaining that crispy crunch. 

If you are looking for fresh new recipes to add to your Summer menus, go ahead and put this one at the top of the list. I want to eat this every day. This salad embodies everything that perfect Summer recipes are made of. Fresh ingredients, bright flavors and bold colors. I cannot get enough. 

The best thing about this recipe is that you can add your favorite farmer's market finds! I think cauliflower, asparagus, tomatoes and even roasted beets would be fantastic additions. The light lemon and olive oil mixture that finishes off the vegetables is killer and the shaved Manchego on top is everything. A heaping plateful of this almost makes me forget that I love meat.

Summer Veggie Salad
recipe from Cooking Light

8-10 baby bella mushrooms, halved
1 red onion, cut into 8 sections
2 ears shucked corn
1 large red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 medium zucchini, cut into large chunks
1 large yellow squash, cut into large chunks
olive oil for drizzling

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Manchego cheese, shaved (for garnish)

Prep your grill.

In order to cook the corn a bit before grilling, wrap each ear in a wet paper towel. Place on a plate and microwave for about three minutes.

In a large bowl, toss all vegetables in olive oil and season with cracked pepper. Using a grill saute pan, cook vegetables on the grill for 5-10 minutes, until nice and charred. When the corn is cool, cut off of the cob. 

In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, mustard, thyme, pepper and salt. Toss in a bowl with the grilled vegetables. Serve with shaved Manchego on top. 

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