Citrus Grilled Zucchini and Squash

This week was all about whipping up simple and fast meals while still packing in nutrition and utilizing farmer's market vegetables and fruit. With work, extra classes, and more, I wanted to stay healthy and homemade without spending hours cooking. With that in mind, I picked up some pre-cajuned catfish at Whole Foods, one of my favorite fish dishes ever, and then chose local and organic potatoes, zucchini, and summer squash from the farmer's market. This didn't mean simply the basic yellow summer squash, but also zephyr (multicolored) and pattypan among others. The potatoes were tossed with olive oil and cajun spices and roasted, leaving me with a pile of squash.

I decided to take advantage of the new grill on my roofdeck and cook these vegetables in true summer fashion. As you'll see below, I marinated them first and then simply let the grill do the rest. Their fresh, natural flavor came through strongly, making them the perfect final addition to this easy meal.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 min (plus marinating time, which should be several hours up to overnight)
Cost: $14.64



Citrus Grilled Zucchini and Squash
Ingredients:
4-5 cups squash and zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Thyme, dried
3/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Wash your squash and cut off the ends, leaving only edible parts. Slice in half lengthwise. You do not want to cut any smaller or else you might have trouble cooking them on the grill.

Combine the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, Thyme, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Then, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking the entire time until it's incorporated.

Add the sliced squash to the bowl and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate for anywhere from 2-3 hours up to overnight. You could simply cover, place in the fridge, and leave to marinate until the next day if you plan in advance.

After the squash is done marinating, get your grill going on medium high heat. When the grill is hot, use a fork to pluck up a piece of squash and lay it flat on the grill. Keep the leftover marinade once all of the squash are out of it and on the grill.

Grill for 4-5 minutes and then turn the squash over. Grill for another 3-5 minutes, or until done. Remove the squash from the grill and place on a serving plate. Drizzle 1 tbsp of reserved marinade over the squash before serving.

Servings: 1
Serving size: about 1 cup of vegetables
Nutrition: calories 84; carbs 5g; fat 7g; protein 2g; sodium 8mg; iron 5mg