Grilling the Veg

I wanted to give a little love today to one of my favorite kitchen tools, my cast iron grill pan (and accompanying grill press). Most people use grill pans to cook meat. But I’m a pescatarian (i.e. I’m vegetarian except for the occasional seafood indulgence). Instead, I use my grill pan to cook an array of vegetables. 

The method is simple:

1. Spray or wipe my grill pan with cooking oil 
2.  Cut the desired vegetables into approximately 1’’ thick pieces, depending on the type of vegetable. For example, green beans can be used as-is.
3. Set grill pan on medium high heat
4. While pan warms, microwave vegetables for a minute to give them a head start on cooking NOTE: This isn’t necessary, but I’m an impatient cook
5. Lay the vegetables on the heated grill pan. They make a satisfying sizzle and set the grill press on top of the vegetables.
6. Sit on your hands for five or so minutes then flip the veggies and set the press back
7. Wait another five and remove vegetables from grill
8. Dress with sea salt, balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil

Make sure to use proper care when cleaning the grill pan. Like all cast iron, you’ll want to properly season the pan before using or buy a pre-seasoned one. To clean, you simply rinse and scrub without any dishwashing soap. I usually do this quickly and set back on a warm burner to dry. When the pan is dry and still warm, I will wipe it with oil to keep it seasoned.

This past summer, I had fun with zucchini and summer squash, but as fall sets in, I’m experimenting with new vegetables like eggplant and fennel. For an unusual but delicious option, grill whole hearts of romaine lettuce then sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese. Enjoy!