Ingredients:
- 1 large red onion, peeled, trimmed, sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, sliced
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise
- 1 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise
- 1 medium eggplant, trimmed, sliced
- 2 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed
- 1 pound asparagus spears, ends trimmed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
- 2 ears of fresh corn, corn silk removed, husks on
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Instructions:
In a large bowl combine the the onion, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, portobello mushrooms, and asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Add the garlic, and thyme. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Gently toss to coat. Cover and marinate for one hour.
Heat the grill to medium-high heat.
Grill the ears of corn separately on a rear rack, away from direct flame. The husks will get a bit blackened and smoky. This adds so much flavor. Rotate them every five minutes or so. After 10-20 minutes, when the corn is tender, remove and set aside to cool. Strip off the husks and carefully slice the kernels off the cob. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place the veggies in a grill basket, or spread out the veggies on a large sheet of foil. Add a top sheet, crimp the edges of the sheets together to make a packet. Place on the hot grill and cook until tender crisp, about 15-25 minutes, depending upon the size of your grill. Remove the veggie basket/packet to a large platter or cutting board, and set aside.
Place the cooked quinoa in a large serving bowl. Add the grilled corn, chopped fresh parsley, and mint. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper. Toss to coat.
To serve, you can either slice the grilled veggies and add them to the quinoa as a salad, or serve the simple quinoa-corn salad with big beautiful pieces of grilled veggies on the side.
Hummus is a lovely condiment with grilled veggies. Try this tasty roasted red pepper hummus.