So, it's too damn hot to contemplate the oven, or even stove. Or, you have escaped to a beach or park with grills. What do you put on them? I marinade tofu and slice it medium thickness (my usual thin slice tends to stick to grates and tear) and grill it. Or cube and skewer. I have no shame in bringing along the veggie basket for a grill. Zucchini grills well, marks nicely, and stays juicy. I'll roast tomatoes until they are basically "sun dried." Halved baby bok choi is delightful. A medley of whatever goes in the aforementioned basket. And fruit! Peaches, nectarines, plums, grapefruit, pineapple, and most anything else on a skewer. Haven't found a great technique for apples that doesn't become sauce. What about you? What's on the grill?
I'm leery of grilling too much since I learned about the production of acrylamide and it's relation to cancer. I used to do Grillers Prime, but it messes with me. I'm not convinced all the hexane evaporates. I'll try some tofu. Does it come out like dry fried? I also used pineapple, mushroom, bell pepper, and onion. I mixed it all together in a bowl with Head Country and called it BBQ Salad.
I'm a meat eater, but some of the best barbecue dishes are vegetarian. You named my favourite grilled food ever: zucchini! I like to slice it lengthwise so it is in long strips, cover in olive oil salt and herb de Provence and then grill it! The best summer food! I also really like grilled cauliflower steaks. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I had grilled bok Choi in a lime vinaigrette recently too that was very good.
The tofu does resemble dry fry techniques. I'm giving you a secret in the mixed herb world: zataar. It originally was wild hyssop, but that's almost extinct, and the cultivated plant isn't the same (it was developed for scent, hyssop is used in perfumery) so now zataar is an herbal mix to approximate the original. It's still a fine taste addition.
I have a big jar of zataar seasoning in the kitchen! I never thought of adding it to veggies for grilling. I normally just use it to make lazy zataar manakish pie. Flatbread, olive oil, zataar spice, toaster oven, deliciousness!
Zataar is awesome and I do love grilled veggies. But I hate firing up a grill so I don't have one currently. Does anyone use one of those counter-top electric grills to do their veggies? I am looking for one... Roasted corn on the cob, the aforementioned zucchini, and eggplant are my favorites. I'll want to give the tofu a try as I am always looking for ways to eat that stuff. Zataar:
Chris, there's a chain in Colorado called Tokyo Joe's that uses electric plate grills, and they made nice veggies. It's mostly in consistent cutting. If your knife skills are up to par, or you aren't afraid of a mandoline, you should be all good.
MMMMMM Portabellos on the grill... what a great thing!!!! I have been to a number of those Japanese places with a hot griddle in the center and you sit around it with the chef performing magical feats of culinary slicing and sizzling... enjoyed it greatly indeed. There is an awesome one in Amsterdam on the Neiuewzijdes Voorburgwal across from the Scientology center... near Centraal Station. That's what I'm looking for a table top stainless steel griddle... everything I see is non-stick or made with plastic somewhere in the body of the machine. I don't like plastic appliances, or plastic anything really. It's bad enough to be using a computer keyboard all the time (touching the plastic keys)... How about Zucchini?
What about something like this that you just place on the stove? http://www.ebay.com/itm/32-Stainless-Steel-Griddle-Flat-Top-Grill-for-Double-Burner-Stove-/302006959744
I have one of these that I use if I don't want to heat up the BBQ. https://www.fruugo.ca/tefal-expertise-grillpan/p-7062813-15314692?gclid=CJmyu579os4CFQguaQodbHUH4Q It works great and cleans like a dream.