Grilled Vegetables, served with Cuvaison Rose
I went “home” to Texas last weekend for a quick visit with my parents and grandmother. I had not been to Texas since October, and I didn’t want to wait until the holidays, so I squeezed in a short trip during my transition between jobs.
My comfort food
When in Texas, there are two major options for “comfort food”: Tex-Mex and Barbeque. Tex-Mex reigns supreme as my family’s go-to for most guests who come to visit. There’s something special about Tex-Mex as compared to the Mexican food you get at restaurants nation-wide, and guests always love it! As for barbeque, the thick sauce and brisket of Texas barbeque are a staunch contrast to the pulled pork and vinegar sauce of the Carolinas and Virginia. My older sister loves Texas-style barbeque and wants it as her first meal whenever she makes a trip home to Texas.
Grilled goodness
As for me, the meal I crave when I go Texas is a big platter of grilled vegetables! Living in an apartment, I do not have a grill (tragic, I know!). So when I go visit my parents, I want nothing more than a mound of grilled veggies, prepared with love by my dad, our resident grill master.
Grilled Avocado and Corn
Reading food blogs, I have been lusting over grilled veggies all summer. I had never thought to throw an avocado half on the grill, and was dying to try it! Dad was pretty proud of his skills, getting the avocado seared and slightly soft, but not a bit overdone.
My dinner plate
To make a meal out of all these veggies, we also grilled shrimp and salmon (for my dad, who can’t eat shellfish), and heated up corn tortillas. In addition to lusting after avocados, I’ve been eager to try grilled veggie tacos. I piled shrimp, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and avocado into a corn tortilla–Delicious!
Shrimp and Grilled Vegetable Taco
To prepare this meal, I washed and sliced Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash, and Bell Peppers. Dad grabbed a package of pre-sliced mushrooms (so convenient!), and we carefully chose a few ears of corn, which I shucked and cut into thirds. Everything was rubbed with olive oil before grilling.
The shrimp was marinaded in a mix of olive oil, lemon and lime juice, cumin, garlic, shallots, salt, and pepper for about an hour. We then stuck the shrimps onto skewers (use 2 to keep them from twisting all around), and threw them onto the grill.
After grilling the veggies, we basted them in a chili-butter sauce, made with chopped, roasted spicy pepper and butter. It added a big kick!!
Gorgeous!
I can’t think of anything better than grilled summer veggies… So delicious, so comforting. Thanks dad, for being a fantastic sous chef and grill master!
-L
