Recently the charity Meal Exchange wrote and informed me that Saturday August 7th is National Barbecue Day! Canadians are invited to register their own backyard barbecue parties to bring their friends and neighbors together for a good cause and potentially win the trip of a lifetime with Westjet!
In honour of National Barbecue Day I made this grilled veggie salad. Unfortunately I personally do not have a barbecue yet but it is amazing what you can do with a grill pan!
Kevin from Closet Cooking has a fantastic recipe for a balsamic vinaigrette. This recipe was referred to me by the lovely and wonderful Ava, thank you so much Ava! This vinaigrette is light, not too strong but still packs enough of a punch to satisfy my tastebuds. It was perfect for the salad.
Since I do not have a barbecue, I used my well-seasoned cast iron skillet to grill up some mushrooms and yellow zucchini. Towards the end of the cooking process I also threw on some green onions which are fabulous when grilled!
I got a bowl of greens, added the veggies and some pasta and topped with feta, roasted almonds and the dressing. I served it with a wedge of Paula Deen’s Mexican Cornbread and it made the perfect lunch. Get out your grills and barbecues this weekend! Nothing says summer like the BBQ.
What is your favourite grilled treat? I am always looking for new foodie ideas!
Hmmm for me it’s a toss up between charred red peppers, sweet corn and a nice juicy beef burger! Actually the latest thing I tried was BBQed leeks. We just cut them in half length wise, seasoned with oil and vinegar and voila! Absolutely amazing. Oh and roasted garlic…just cut the top of the head off the garlic, oil it up, wrap the bottom half in foil and let it grill for about 40 minutes.
Okay I got a bit excited there haha
Oh that looks SOOOO yummy! We don’t have a grill either. I have a grill pan, but it’s small and I very rarely use it. I think for our celebration of BBQ day, we’ll have to go support our favorite BBQ joint here instead!
Ooooh you made all my favourite grilled veggies, especially the mushrooms. I also love roasted peppers just plain and simple, so good. The salad looks amazing.
Glad you enjoyed Kevin’s vinaigrette, it’s so simple but lots of flavour, it’s been my stand by lately.
What a hearty and tasty looking salad!