Grilling Up Lettuce + Lemons!? Yep! Plus a “Green” Way to Clean the Grill!

Posted on Aug 3 2014 - 11:27am by Jessi Meehan

Are you an expert Griller? I haven’t quite mastered the art of grilling meat yet, that’s the Man Cave’s Department! However, mastering the art of grilling veggies is our topic for today. We can’t wait to share our grilled raddichio…(yes, you can grill salad lettuce), zucchini, and even lemons! I love to grill lemons because they add a special tangy flavor to any vegetable. Did you know that they pull double duty and can be used to clean as well as flavor? Check this out! You can season, prep and serve everything on one tray!

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For the grill you’ll need:

– one lemon for cleaning
– one lemon for grilling
– 1-2 heads of raddichio
– 3-4 large zucchinis
– olive oil
– garlic powder
– mild chili powder
– salt & pepper
– a tray to assemble
– some parchment paper to serve!

To get going on your grill, cut a large lemon right in half. Turn the heat on to low, (you want to be safe and be sure not to burn yourself) and use the lemon to “scrub” each grill plate like so:

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This action will “cut” all of the grease via the citrus acids and natural oils, plus the minimal heat will clean off the stuck on bits. Bonus: the oils from the lemon and rind help create a “nonstick” surface, all naturally!

So let’s move on to grilling up our veggies, shall we? Grilled meat can sometimes be a little heavy, and I really enjoy a light, fresh grilled veggie or two to balance it out…or a light salad. By grilling raddichio and zucchini, you get the best of both worlds!

After purchasing 1 head of raddichio while on sale at Albertsons, we were now on our way to grilling for four! You may want to purchase 2 heads if your party is larger, which equates to everyone getting a quarter of this delicious side dish. FIRST…a little 3P Cooking Event Basic: give your raddichio a bath  in a bowl of cool water for an hour to nix some of the bitterness. Afterwards, go ahead and quarter your head of raddichio into 4 pieces, and set aside on a tray lined with parchment paper.

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Using four large zucchinis, and quartering them lengthwise gave each guest 4 good sized pieces. Set your zucchini on the tray next to the raddichio, and then drizzle all of your veggies with olive oil, and sprinkle garlic powder , salt, pepper, and mild chili powder to taste. Remember, a squeeze of your grilled lemon will add additional tang, sweetness, and a little smoky flavor too!

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Turn up the heat on the grill to HIGH, and lay out all of your grilling goodies and cook each item for approx 3 minutes with the lid closed. Turn each piece a half-turn to get some nice grill marks and grill for another 3 minutes.

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For a rustic look, and one less dish to deal with: my style is to serve all of our grilled up goodies right off the parchment lined tray! Showered all with a squeeze of lemon…everything was looking crisp and delicious! My Mom was in awe of this simple and trendy serving idea and I think I may have started a little something new for the family! LOL

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Are you veggie griller? Have you ever grilled a lettuce before? I’d love to learn to grill hearts of romaine. Speaking of romaine…we’re gearing up for our Go-To Salad week! Stay tuned!

1 Comment so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Tania Atack August 16, 2014 at 2:18 pm -

    again I am taken back at such great ideas. Never thought of BBQing raddichio as we always do a lot of veggies on the Q this one sure got my attention. Love it!!! Taania