Sarasota's Simple Sides-Mushrooms, Fennel, Tomatoes & Onion

Now, we all know how to grill vegetables. This is my favorite marinade and I make this all the time with local market ingredients. And what is nice is you can use the outside grill, inside grill pan or even just the broiler. I serve this with steak, chicken, fish, or just about anything you can think of and sometimes just as a salad. It is super quick, easy, and absolutley delish. Fresh slices of tomatoes (yellow, purple, red and orange; fennel, onions and portabello mushrooms); a easy quick marinade and what a side dish. And think healthy. One of my girlfriends makes this all the time since I showed her; on baguettes, with pasta, over fish and just as a side. Serve these warm vegetables over a bed of bibb lettuce with some fresh grated peccerino romano for a quick healthy salad.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 4 Salad Plates or Sides

Ingredients

• Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 3  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice
• 1  pinch salt
•  pepper

• Vegetables

• 3  tomatoes, thick sliced (I like to use a variety of heirlooms, red, orange, yellow even purple)
• 1  large onion, cut into slices
• 1  medium fennel bulb, cut into slices
• 3  mushrooms, cut into thin slices (portabella)

Directions

1. Vinaigrette -- Add all the ingredients to a measuring cup and mix well.
2. Marinade -- Add all the vegetables to a small cookie sheet or casserole dish in a single layer and pour over the marinade. Make sure you turn over each vegetable slice to insure that it is covered with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and cover 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
3. Grill -- I just spray my indoor or outdoor grill with a non stick spray, or you can even just broil on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil. They will take about 10-12 minutes to cook depending on your method.
4. Serve -- Each person get a tomato slice, piece of fennel, onion and mushroom. It just makes an easy and healthy side dish.