Week of 5/20/02

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Grilled Italian Vegetables with Pasta
These smoky vegetables are also great on an appetizer platter with goat cheese and bread.

1 (1 1/4 lb.) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 lb. zucchini, quartered lengthwise and
cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
Cooking spray
4 plum tomatoes, halved
4 cups (3-inch) sliced green onions (about 2 bunches)
2 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbls. grated lemon zest
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 cups hot cooked penne (about 12 oz. uncooked)
1/4 cup (1 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Place eggplant in colander; sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. salt. Toss gently to coat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant with cold water and drain well.

Prepare grill. Place eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 10 minutes, turning once. Add tomatoes and onions; cook 5 minutes, turning often. Remove the vegetables from grill; cut all into 1-inch pieces except tomato. Cut tomato halves in half lengthwise.

Combine 1/4 tsp. salt, oil, zest and basil in a large bowl. Add vegetable mixture, pasta and cheese; toss well. Makes about 6 servings (serving size: 2 cups) Tips: To make sure your vegetables are smoky-tasting, place them directly on the grill, as opposed to using a grill basket.

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Grilled Sausages, Onions and Pepper on Rolls
Grilling for two? No problem with this easy and delicious recipe!

1 Tbls. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch rings
1 yellow or green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch rings
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp. balsamic vinegar
4 sweet or hot Italian sausages (about 12 oz. total)
2 individual hero, hoagie, or grinder rolls (each about 7 inches long by 3 inches wide)

Prepare grill. In a small bowl drizzle 2 teaspoons oil over pepper rings, tossing to coat well. Secure each slice of onion horizontally with a wooden pick (to prevent separation into rings) and brush with remaining teaspoon oil.

Grill peppers and onions on an oiled rack set 5-6 inches over glowing coals 3 minutes on each side, or until tender. Alternatively, peppers and onions may be grilled in batches in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.

Transfer peppers and onions to a bowl, discarding wooden picks and toss with Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Prick sausages with a fork and grill, turning them until golden and just cooked through (about 160° F. on a instant-read thermometer), 10-15 minutes.

Halve sausages lengthwise and rolls horizontally and grill, cut sides down, 1 minute or until sausages are cooked through but still juicy and rolls are toasted lightly. Divide peppers and onions between rolls and top with sausages. Serves 2.

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Grilled Eggplant and Mozzarella Salads
Delicious, light fare with only 202 calories per serving!

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
8 1/2 inch-thick-eggplant slices
4 1/4-inch-thick slices part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

2 Tbls. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbls. balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large head of romaine, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 Tbls. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbls. pine nuts, toasted

Spray grill with oil spray and prepare barbecue (medium heat). Spray eggplant on both sides with oil spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Place 1 cheese slice atop each of 4 eggplant slices; top with remaining eggplant slices. Grill until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add romaine, tomatoes and basil; toss. Divide among 4 plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Top each with completed eggplant sandwich. Makes 4 servings.