Vegetable side dish: grilled vegetables with balsamic glaze

Boost your supply of vitamins C and B with this colourful Mediterranean-style combination of vegetables.

Preparation: 10 minutes

 Cooking time: 14 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into strips 2.5 cm (1 in) wide
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium portobello mushrooms, stems removed and caps cut into strips 2.5 cm (1 in) wide
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
• 5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano, crumbled
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) salt
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) black pepper

1.  Preheat broiler or barbecue. Lightly coat a grill rack with non-stick cooking spray.
2.  Combine pepper, zucchini, onion and mushroom in a large bowl. Sprinkle with oil and oregano. Toss to coat. Place vegetables on the rack in a single layer.
3.  Broil or barbecue about five centimetres (two inches) from heat until vegetables are just crisp-tender and lightly flecked with brown, or six to eight minutes. Turn over; cook until done, about five minutes.4. Arrange vegetables on a platter. Mix the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush over vegetables. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving: 101 calories, 2 g protein, 7 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 3 g fibre, 152 mg sodium.

• Grilled vegetables go well with grilled bluefish, tuna or swordfish steaks. Grilling intensifies all the flavours.
• Serve with crusty bread and finish the meal with freshly baked blueberry cobbler topped with whipped cream.

• Cut vegetables for broiling or barbecuing into pieces that are of uniform size and no more than 2.5 centimetres (one inch) thick. That way, they'll cook quickly and evenly. Soak the pieces in cold water for 30 minutes and then brush with oil to prevent them from drying out while they cook.

• Onions contain a substance called a lachrymator, which is released into the air when the vegetable is peeled or cut. When these vapours combine with moisture from your eyes, sulfuric acid is formed, resulting in a painful burning sensation and tears. To prevent or minimize this, try peeling the onion while holding it under cold running water. Some people suggest chewing on a piece of bread while you chop, to stop tears from forming. If you use a sharp knife and make quick work of chopping, tears won't be too much of a problem. Onions are best chopped by hand. If you use a food processor, pulse gently off and on to avoid mashing the onion.