Bobby Flay's Grill It! - Bobby Flay [74]
Whisk together the garlic, chile flakes, vinegar, honey, and extra-virgin olive oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the eggplant, onion, tomatoes, figs, olives, capers, raisins, pine nuts, parsley, and oregano and mix until combined. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Dill Vinaigrette
Chances are you’ve encountered one of those fancy baskets for grilling vegetables. Personally, I have no use for them. If you’re worried about your vegetables falling through the grates of the grill, just cut them bigger or grill them whole! Here, I cut the zucchini into quarters for grilling and then cut them smaller after they have cooked. It works for me! It’s vital that you dress the zucchini with the vinaigrette while they are still hot so that all that bright, dilly flavor can seep deep into the flesh of the zucchini.
Serves 4
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
Heat your grill to high.
Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, mustard, 3 tablespoons of the dill, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add ½ cup of the oil and blend until emulsified.
Brush the zucchini with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly golden brown on all sides and just cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Remove from the grill and cut each quarter in half crosswise. Place on a platter and immediately drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon dill.
Grilled Eggplant and Chickpea Salad
Eggplant and chickpeas are used together all the time in Middle Eastern cooking, either in the same dish such as here, or paired as components of a meze platter. There is a lot of crossover in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, and I have made the most of that here with the additions of grilled peppers, Greek Kalamata olives, mint, and cilantro. And, while the salad is good enough on its own, you could add some crumbled feta to the mix to really put it over the top. This salad is one to try to make in advance (or hope for leftovers), as it gets better and better the longer it sits in the refrigerator.
Serves 4
3 medium Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
6 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and drained again
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon red chile flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat your grill to high.
Brush the eggplants and bell peppers with the canola oil on all sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplants for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly golden brown and slightly charred. Grill the bell peppers until charred on all sides and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the grill and cut each half crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Put the peppers in a bowl, wrap and let sit for 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and thinly slice both peppers.
Combine the eggplant, red and yellow peppers, chickpeas, onion, and olives in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, chile flakes, mint, and cilantro and stir to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes