Grilled vegetables with Malaysian vinaigrette

My cast iron grill pan has been getting a lot of use this summer. We don't own a real grill, so we have to make do with the grill pan until we move somewhere with outdoor space. Luckily, the grill pan makes nice grill marks and actually imparts a pretty decent smoky flavor. It's perfect for recipes like this (although of course, if you have a real grill, you can definitely use it!). Here, eggplant, corn, and green beans get grilled to perfection and tossed with handfuls of herbs and a zingy Malaysian vinaigrette. The dish is simple and super flavorful, and takes advantage of summer's wonderful fresh veggies and herbs.

p.s. My blog turns two years old tomorrow! Unfortunately, I don't have my act together enough to plan and write a special post for my blog's birthday. So I'll just say yay! Happy birthday to Four Seasons of Food! Thank you to everyone who has stopped by, commented, or tried one of my recipes. You keep me motivated to continue posting, and I hugely appreciate your support.


Grilled vegetables with Malaysian vinaigrette
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 5

I'm giving instructions for using a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop, because that's how I made the recipe. You can certainly use a charcoal or gas grill if you have one, although the timing may be different than what I write here. Also, feel free to experiment with other vegetables if you'd like. Keep the eggplant in though - it gets such great smoky flavor after being grilled, and works beautifully with the vinaigrette.

2 ears of corn, shucked
8 oz. slender green beans, trimmed
1 lb. small eggplants, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch slices
Canola oil or vegetable oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tsp brown sugar (packed)
1 hot red chile pepper, chopped
Salt
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
(I think some fresh mint would also be nice if you want to substitute it for some of the basil/cilantro)

Heat a cast iron grill pan and grill press over high heat, and brush with oil. Place green beans on grill pan and cover with grill press. Grill until crisp-tender and charred in spots, about 8 minutes, turning beans occasionally. Transfer beans to a cutting board. Place eggplant slices on grill pan and cover with grill press. Grill until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes, flipping slices once. Transfer eggplant slices to the cutting board. Place corn on the grill and cook until charred in spots, about 10-15 minutes, turning often. While corn cooks, cut green beans in half lengthwise and cut eggplant into 1-inch pieces. When corn is finished grilling, cut kernels from the cobs and transfer all vegetables to a large bowl.

Using a mortar and pestle (or small food processor), mash together garlic, brown sugar, chile pepper, and a pinch of salt until a coarse paste forms. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice.

Drizzle dressing over vegetables and add herbs. Toss together well. Serve warm with rice.