By Chef Valerie Wilson
It’s summertime and time to grill! Grilling can be a part of a healthy lifestyle, and you can enjoy all the great tastes without any guilt. By choosing to grill vegetables, you have a great variety to choose from, and your dish will be colorful, flavorful, and fun to eat. My favorite, and one of the most popular to grill, is asparagus. This ancient plant, dating back to the reptile age when ferns were the dominant plants, is unique with its two distinct types: male and female. The male spears are skinny, and the female is plump. But here’s the twist: taste does not depend on the plant’s sex but rather on the freshness.
Look for green shoots that are firm and not wilted. When cooking with asparagus, you will have to cut the bottom 2 inches off the spears. They are usually fibrous and not appealing to eat. The correct way to know how much to get rid of at the end of the spear is to hold the stalk by each end and bend until it breaks. You can use the fibrous part to make soup stocks.
Asparagus, known for its energetic healing properties for the female reproductive system, can be a powerful addition to your diet. It can help increase lactation, relieve menstrual pains, promote fertility, and strengthen female hormones. According to the National Cancer Institute, asparagus is highest in a strong anticarcinogen known as glutathione. Also containing rutin, this power-packed green spear can help small blood vessels from rupturing and is an antidote against X-rays and radiation. It contains a good amount of vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, potassium and zinc.
Grilled Asparagus and Vegetables in Sweet Miso Marinade
1 lb. asparagus (cut into long pieces)
1 small head radicchio (cut in half)
1 yellow summer squash (cut in thick slices)
1 zucchini (cut into thick slices)
4 oz. mushrooms (cut in half)
1 onion (cut into thick chunks)
Marinade:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 T. dark miso
2 T. brown rice syrup
¼ cup mirin (brown rice cooking wine)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp. each: basil and thyme
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. each: paprika and sea salt
Garnish (optional) 2 T. toasted sesame seeds.
In a bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Place the vegetables in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and sit for 15 minutes to an hour. If cooking outside, heat your grill – place vegetables on a hot grill. Lay the vegetables in a single layer on the grill. Attempting to grill all the vegetables at once could lead to overloading the cooking space, creating a wet, mushy end dish. Grill until vegetables are browned on each side. Remove from the grill and put in a dish to be served. Add garnish if desired. Serve warm.
Recipe note: If you do not have a grill, you can make this dish using a sauté pan on your stove.
