LP18 - Grilled Vegetables

It is time for Lasang Pinoy again, and for this 18th round our host is Toni of Wifely Steps who chose this month's theme of vegetables! Whether you love them or hate them, we will be writing about Filipino or Filipino inspired vegetable dishes.

In Our Kitchen, vegetables are a no brainer. Any will do, cooked or not, in any which way. I think our favorite way though is AS IS, vegetables that are as close to their natural flavors as possible; that is why salads, simply dressed are so popular at our table.

Here are some 'close-to-traditional' (since I don't ever do anything the authentic way) vegetable dishes that have been published on this blog previously.
Vegetable Adobo
Pinakbet Tagalog
Ampalaya (bittermelon) with Eggs
Kamote Salad
Gising-Gising
Ginisang Sayote

These are variations on the theme or Filipino 'inspired' dishes:
Steamed Garden Vegetables The simplest way of cooking, and also the best way to bring out natural flavors of vegetables.
Green Beans, Tomato & Cilantro Salad
Green Beans with Lemon and Soy Sauce
Shrimp & Vegetables Sinigang sa Miso (in miso soup)
Collard & Beet Greens in Coconut Milk (sa gata)

For LP-18, I offer another variation to an oft used theme of dressing vegetables with the 'filipino salsa' of onions, tomatoes, lemon and fish sauce.



It's grilling time again here in the U.S., and with the past three day holiday, our grill has been on overdrive. This is part of what we cooked on the grill for Memorial Day. Again as with may dishes in our kitchen, it is a cross between the usual grilled vegetable that is dressed with a type of Italian style dressing and the Filipino way of tomatoes, onions, lemon and fish sauce. It is a variation from the traditional Eggplant Salad.

This dish would be perfect for a large crowd and can be cooked ahead of time as the marinating process adds so much to the flavor.

Start by grilling eggplants (I used the large globe eggplants that are more common in the grocery stores) which have been cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds and drizzled with olive oil, salt, & pepper. Do the same to zucchini squashes or yellow squashes that have been halved or quartered lengthwise.

On a platter with sides or bowl, layer first the grilled eggplant slices, then the grilled squash. To these layers add a layer each of tomatoes and sweet onions, then sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

In a separate bowl or cup, mix together equal amounts of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil until well blended and pour over the vegetable layers. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerated for as much as overnight.

I purposely didn't add any measurements for the dressing as this will depend on how much vegetables you are using. For a small platter, you can start with two tablespoons each, for instance and just increase the proportions according to your needs.

For the roundup of LP18 participants, visit Toni's Wifely Steps.