Girl Meets Grill

by Jan

I’m not a big fan of small electronic kitchen gadgets. You can keep your rice steamers, crockpots, and electric frying pans. No Ron Popeil-crafted dehydrators, rotisserie ovens, or pasta makers grace my cupboards. I’m not tempted by ice cream makers and Fry Daddies just plain scare me. I keep things simple with my toaster, a small food processor, and a blender. Every once in a while, usually around the holidays, I break out my hand-held mixer. Beyond that, my time in the kitchen has been pretty much unplugged.

My discomfort with kitchen electrification can be directly traced back to my mother’s woman-powered kitchen (see her sidebar on the benefits of low-tech). She ran a tight ship with one outlet of the two countertop-accessible outlets always free; the other, occasionally used for her toaster. Her hand-crank meat grinder could easily crush my frivolous food processor into tiny plastic shavings. When she was gifted with an electric can opener, she promptly packed it off to the church rummage sale, preferring to get at her canned goods with a minimal electricity-free tool that could fit easily in the palm of her hand. She only recently broke down and bought a blender so she could make hummus, for Pete’s sake. I simply wasn’t brought up to purchase frivolous kitchen gadgetry.

Imagine my shock when I fell in love…with George Foreman’s Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine! I was conflicted--what would my mother say? But from the moment Amie introduced us over a repast of juicy Portabello mushroom sandwiches, I knew we were destined to be together. It was love at first bite. The speed! The ease of clean-up! The luscious, but magically low-fat meal options! Throwing all caution to the wind, I went all the way--plunking down a c-note for the extra-extra-large jumbo size edition. I wavered for a moment or two, considering the metallic silver indoor/outdoor model with its cute little stand. But my family would never understand my relationship with an electric kitchen appliance that swings both ways–we'd be doomed from the start. So far, things are working out pretty well with me and the countertop model. I’ve given the grill a nice prominent position in my kitchen, and the grill gifts me with an endless supply of tasty grilled veggies, tofu, tempeh, and more. I think Mom may even come to accept our relationship once I introduce her over a grilled delicacy or two. The only obstacle to our love has been my dear husband. He promptly managed to get in the way of our low-fat love affair by rigging the grill so it serves up some cheesy grilled sandwiches that are far, far from being lean and mean.

Even if you don’t have one of George Foreman’s wonder grills, you can enjoy the tasty grilled vegetable salad recipe that follows. Simply brush the eggplant and squash with a little olive oil and brown it on either side using a conventional grill.

Grilled Vegtable and Couscous Salad

Serves 4-6

Salad Ingredients:

1 smallish eggplant cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 zucchini or summer squash cut into 1/2-inch slices

4 cups prepared plain couscous

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (more to taste)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Bag of mixed salad greens

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil (plus more for brushing vegetables if using conventional grill)

4 TBSP balsamic vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 tsp dill weed

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

Preheat George Foreman grill for five minutes.

Grill eggplant for eight minutes; remove from grill.

Grill zucchini or summer squash for five minutes; remove from grill.

While vegetables are grilling, assemble dressing ingredients in a small jar with lid and shake to combine.

Place eggplant, squash or zucchini, and grape tomatoes in a large bowl and pour 1/4 cup of dressing over them. Toss to cover.

Add couscous and feta cheese and then pour another 1/4 cup of dressing over the salad, stirring to mix.

Put salad in the refrigerator and chill for an hour.

To serve: line plate with salad greens and drizzle with some of the remaining dressing. Spoon on salad, top with freshly ground pepper, sunflower seeds, and feta cheese to taste.

Recipendix:

Add Greek olives or capers for extra zing.

Speed things up by using your favorite bottled vinegar and oil dressing–you’ll need about 1 cup.

If you can’t find grape tomatoes, substitute cherry tomatoes.

Stuff a pita or wrap with leftover salad for a tasty meal on the go.

Jan's Mom's Top Ten Reasons Why Low Tech is Better

10. It’s cheaper (pen and notebook vs. computer, power, ISP fee, printer and supplies).

9. Saves space (bare countertop for kneading vs. bread making machine).

8. Doesn’t jam (handwritten notes at the library vs. photocopies).

7. Can be controlled by the user (needle and thread vs. sewing machine).

6. Saves on maintenance (hand operated grater vs. Cuisinart).

5. Saves on fuel (rowboat vs. Jet Ski).

4. It’s a free work out, it’s quiet, and it doesn’t pollute (Great States Mower vs. power mower).

3. Less subject to abuse (room fan vs. air conditioner).

2. Works during power outages (treadle sewing machine, candle, etc).

1. Nobody’s gonna steal it (pocket calendar vs. PDA).

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