Summertime Means Fruits and Vegetables!

 

Eating more fruits and vegetables is easy in the summer with fresh seasonal items more available. Here’s a couple recipes to help you enjoy the season’s abundance.

 

 

Grilled Vegetable Salad

3 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
1 large red onion cut into 3/4-inch rounds
4 small beets, stems trimmed to 1 inch, peeled & halved lengthwise
3 small zucchini, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices
1 large red, yellow or orange pepper, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 Roma tomatoes, quartered and seeded
Canola oil spray
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5 large garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/4 cup plus 5 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, divided
1/4 cup fat-free, sodium-reduced chicken broth
4 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups sliced red leaf lettuce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat the grill or barbecue at medium-high heat.  Place the first 6 ingredients cut-side up on a baking sheet.  Lightly spray with canola oil spray and season with salt and pepper.  Mix 3 garlic cloves with 1/4 cup vinegar and drizzle it over the vegetables. Grill the       vegetables until they are tender, turning them once.  As each    vegetable becomes tender, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool.  Be sure to save all vegetable juices to use later. 

Mix the remaining 2 garlic cloves and 5 Tbsp. of vinegar with the broth, basil, thyme and oil.  Chop the grilled vegetables very coarsely and place them in a large bowl.  Pour the saved     vegetable juices into the mixture.  Add the lettuce and the Parmesan to the vegetables and pour the vinegar mixture over.  Toss well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 179 calories, 5 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat),                            28 g. carbohydrate, 7 g. protein, 8 g. dietary fiber, 205 mg. sodium.