Recipe: Grilled Summer Vegetables With Aioli

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Grilling the vegetables separately allows you to gear the cooking temperatures and times appropriately for each vegetable. For a hearty meal, add grilled shrimp, chicken or pork tenderloin. From Meredith Deeds.

• 2 medium red or yellow (or both) bell peppers

• 12 cremini mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

• 2 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise

• 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise

• 1 medium eggplant, ends trimmed and half the peel removed in long strips lengthwise, sliced into 1/2-in.-thick slices

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1/3 c. aioli (see recipe)

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to the high heat setting.

For a charcoal grill: Prepare the coals with indirect heat.

Brush the vegetables with the olive oil and season all but the peppers with salt and pepper.

Put the peppers on the grate, cover and cook until the skins are blackened on all sides, turning with tongs as needed, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or a total of 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap the peppers in foil or put them in a paper bag to cool completely. When cool, peel off the blackened skins and remove the stems and seeds and cut into quarters. Transfer to a large serving platter.

Place mushroom caps on the hot side of the grill and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the serving platter.

Place asparagus on the hot side of the grill, at an angle, and cook, turning frequently, until browned and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer to the serving platter, along with the summer squash, zucchini and eggplant and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the top. Serve hot or at room temperature with aioli on the side.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings, without aioli:

Calories125Fat7 gSodium310 mg

Carbohydrates14 gSaturated fat1 gAdded sugars0 g

Exchanges per serving: 3 vegetable, 1 ½ fat.

Makes 1 cup.

Note: Think of aioli as a garlicky, olive-oil version of mayonnaise. This recipe makes more than you'll need for one meal of grilled vegetables. Use the leftover aioli for tuna salad, cold seafood or slathered on the best BLT you'll ever taste. If you drizzle in the oil too fast, your aioli can "break," losing its emulsion and looking like a greasy, curdled mess. If that happens, don't panic. Add another egg yolk to a separate bowl, and slowly (very slowly) whisk your broken aioli into the yolk. From Meredith Deeds.

• 1 to 3 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 2 tsp. lemon juice

• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

• 1 whole egg, at room temperature

• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

• 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 c. neutral oil such as safflower or canola

Combine garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and let stand for 2 minutes. Add the whole egg, the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon cold water and blend until combined.

With the blender running, slowly add in oils in a thin, steady stream. (You can also whisk the oil into the garlic mixture in a medium bowl.) Taste for seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice if needed. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Nutrition information per 1 tablespoon:

Calories100Fat11 gSodium40 mg

Carbohydrates0 gSaturated fat1 gAdded sugars0 g