You can use your grill to cook all sorts of vegetables as accompaniments to plain grilled meats, poultry or fish. If you are cooking everything on the grill, I recommend you cook the meat first, then reheat the grill and cook the vegetables immediately before serving. Don't try to keep them warm for very long - they will lose both their food value and texture.
These golden, low-fat slices of potato are so simple to make, taste absolutely wonderful and are not at all greasy. Plus you have the added advantage of avoiding any lingering cooking smells that can hang around after you've been deep-frying.
Serves 4
Olive oil
2 large potatoes, scrubbed
Coarse sea salt, for garnishing
Make as many as you like of these - they are high in fibre and very low in fat. You can use the leftover scooped-out potato as a filling for an omelette (similar to a tortilla) or to thicken soup.
Serves 4
4 large potatoes, scrubbed
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the seasoning:
5 ml/1 tsp garlic salt
1.5 ml/¼ tsp chilli powder
5 ml/1 tsp mixed (apple-pie) spice
Freshly ground black pepper
You can use green bananas for this, but they must be really green. If they are already turning yellow, the results will be rather too soft and semi-burnt in the griddle marks instead of crisp and griddle-browned, because of the high sugar content.
Serves 2-4
2 green plantains
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
A little salt
These are delicious served with omelettes or griddled chicken, or as a side dish with a cauliflower or macaroni cheese for a tasty meal. They also make a great light lunch or supper with some crusty bread and griddled tomatoes.
Serves 4
4 even-sized courgettes (zucchini)
8 rashers (slices) of streaky bacon
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried mixed herbs
If you can get corn cobs in their husks, peel back the leaves, smear the unmelted butter and other flavouring ingredients inside, then re-wrap them and griddle them. Peel off the husks at the table. If your cobs are big, cook two at a time.
Serves 4
4 small corn on the cobs
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
50 g/2 oz/¼ cup butter
5 ml/1 tsp mixed (apple-pie) spice
Freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
These classic Mediterranean flavours combine beautifully for a wonderful accompaniment to any meat, poultry or fish. The addition of the sun-dried tomatoes adds piquancy. You could add a few chopped anchovies as well.
Serves 4
15 ml/1 tbsp oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes
15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil
4 green (bell) peppers, quartered
4 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
8 fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnishing
These are slightly crisp on the outside, very sweet and very moreish. Serve them with everything from steak to sausages. You could also dip the slices in egg and breadcrumbs before cooking, but in that case don't separate them into rings.
Serves 4
3 onions, cut into 5 mm/¼ in slices
45 ml/3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
This is unusual but very good and very nutritious. The broccoli takes on a toasted appearance in patches on its lovely bright green colour, and the egg sauce adds an interesting twist. You could serve them drizzled with warm passata if you prefer.
Serves 4
1 large head of broccoli, cut into 12 florets
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
1 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) egg
60 ml/4 tbsp mayonnaise
45 ml/3 tbsp milk
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Asparagus cooked this way is beautifully green and tender and has a wonderful flavour. When you boil or even steam the spears, some of the flavour is lost in the moisture, but here all the taste and nutrients are retained.
Serves 4
450 g/1 lb thick asparagus spears
60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
50 g/2 oz/½ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
A wonderful mixture of Italian vegetables are combined to make a beautiful dish to accompany any meat, poultry or fish. They are so good, however, you could just sprinkle them with Parmesan and serve them with crusty bread.
Serves 4
45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 red (bell) pepper, cut into 8 strips
1 green pepper, cut into 8 strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into 8 strips
1 small aubergine (eggplant), cut diagonally into slices
1 large courgette (zucchini), cut diagonally into slices
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
Coarse sea salt and 30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for garnishing
Sprouts always taste good with chestnuts and the addition of feta cheese makes a glorious combination. Don't just reserve them for Christmas, try them with my Sizzling Lamb with Herbs and Garlic.
Serves 4
350 g/12 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed
200 g/7 oz cooked peeled chestnuts
15 g/½ oz/1 tbsp butter
1.5 ml/¼ tsp dried sage
50 g/2 oz/½ cup crumbled feta cheese
You will be amazed how much juice comes out of these mushrooms during cooking, so do catch it in the drip tray as it is far too tasty to waste. I recommend you pour it over the finished dish as it is full of flavour.
Serves 4
A little sunflower oil
50 g/2 oz/¼ cup butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large flat mushrooms, peeled and stalks trimmed
Pretty, tasty, bright green and white vegetable sticks, bathed in a nutty dressing - these make the perfect accompaniment to pork, lamb or chicken. Serve them plain, without the dressing, if your main dish has a rich sauce.
Serves 4
16-24 baby leeks
60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil
15 ml/1 tbsp walnut oil
50 g/2 oz/½ cup walnuts, chopped
15 ml/1 tbsp lemon juice
5 ml/1 tsp Dijon mustard
A good pinch of light brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper