Grilled vegetables are gaining popularity today because grilling brings out the smoky, intense flavor in vegetables. However, grilling can be quite a messy affair, with a lot of stuff getting stuck to the grill and getting charred. Using aluminum foil while grilling vegetables helps reduce the mess.

Grilled vegetables make perfect light summer meals and can be used as pizza toppings, added to lasagna for the smoky flavor, tossed into salads or even served with some rice during a lovely vegetarian meal. They also complement the steak dishes well, by adding the health element to the meal.

The increasing number of people diagnosed with high cholesterol and blood pressure problems, is causing people to turn to grilled food. Grilled food is much healthier than fried food and also satiates the palate. Grilled vegetables are not only healthy and delicious, but are also very easy to prepare and are great options for vegetarians.

However, grilling can be messy and cleaning up can be quite cumbersome. The sticky, charred remains can be the outcome of multiple grilling attempts. One way to reduce the amount of cleaning up, mess and charred vegetables is by making use of aluminum foil while grilling vegetables.

Aluminum foil is something that is easily available at any local grocery store. Grilling in aluminum foil reduces the mess caused during grilling and also prevents vegetables from getting burned.

The things you need for grilling vegetables using aluminum foil are aluminum foil (heavy-duty preferred, however regular is also fine), vegetables of your choice (mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers and so on), knife, seasoning, non-stick spray or olive oil and grill or oven.

Vegetables that are high in water content must be chosen for grilling, such as eggplant, peppers, summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and celery. All these vegetables take approx. the same time to cook, thus grilling them together is easy.

However, vegetables like carrots, cauliflower and broccoli should be avoided. Leafy vegetables are also a no-no to grilling, unless there are specific dishes which call for their blackening. While grilling assorted vegetables, make sure you choose vegetables that take similar amounts of time to cook.

Take a large sheet of foil and line it loosely on a pan or skillet. While lining, keep in mind that there should be ample amounts of foil left for wrapping over the top. In order to prevent the vegetables from sticking, drizzle some non-stick spray or olive oil onto the sheet.

It is very important to thoroughly wash the vegetables before consumption. You could sprinkle a mixture of lemon juice and water on the vegetables and let them sit for some time.

Rinse and wipe dry with a towel. While slicing the vegetables, make sure they are equal in size (one inch pieces), as this will help them cook evenly, at the same time.

After chopping, place the chopped vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle some olive oil or non-stick spray, seasoning of your choice and some salad dressing if you wish.

Since vegetables lack fat, they require some kind of oil or non-stick spray to keep them moist and prevent them from sticking. Mix well and place them into the tray. Ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, oils and sugar can impart Asian flair to the grilled vegetables.

If you really want to bring out the flavor of the vegetables and enjoy a delectable meal, try marinating the veggies. There are several marinade recipes that you can use for your vegetables. One simple one is the lemon and garlic marinade.

For this you need to add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of lemon zest, one tablespoon of finely chopped fresh garlic and some salt and pepper. Mix the vegetables in this marinade and refrigerate it for 4 to 5 hours. After the marination is done, your vegetables are ready to be grilled.

Once the chopped vegetables are seasoned and placed on the foiled tray, fold the extending parts of the aluminum sheets, crimping as you go, thereby making a kind of pocket.

Sealing the vegetables in this manner will prevent the vegetables from falling out (or liquid from oozing out) of the tray during cooking. Moreover, the steam inside will assist in the even cooking of the vegetables.

Before you place the foil pocket with vegetables onto the grill, make sure the grill has been heated at a medium-high temperature and is nice and hot.

Allow the vegetables to cook for 8-10 minutes, and then flip using tongs and grill the other side for the same amount of time. Flip once again and grill for another 5 minutes. The time required for grilling will depend on the number of vegetables grilled.

Once the grilling is done, allow it to stay for 5 minutes. Then you can cut open the foil seal and add seasoning or butter to the vegetables as per your taste and liking. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a plate or dish and garnish it. Serve steaming hot.

Boiled vegetables lose most of their nutrients in the cooking water and fried vegetables are fatty. Grilled vegetables on the other hand are much more healthier as compared to boiling and frying. Grilling vegetables also brings out the intense smoky flavor from them, which cooked/overcooked vegetables lack.

This is why grilling is now emerging as an all-year-round cooking style, rather than the earlier summer pass time.