Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini with Tzadziki and Flatbread

Peggy Lampman | Contributor

Father's Day's on Sunday, and so often food writers assume all dads are carnivores; websites are jammed with recipes for grilled steaks and ribs. What's up with that? Here's a recipe for vegetarian dads, or dads who'd prefer a delicious, yet healthy dinner less loaded with cholesterol.

Light and creamy tzadziki is the perfect condiment for summer. It's delicious used as a vegetable dip and wonderful spread over grilled chicken and salmon — or over grilled vegetables, as in the following recipe.

Here are some other great grilling recipes for a memorable Father's Day feast.

Time: 20 minutes (if tzadziki is prepared)
Number of servings (yield): 2

Ingredients

2 medium sized eggplant, 2/3 skin removed and striped with a veg peeler
4 medium sized zucchinis, cut lengthwise
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup prepared tzadzki, available ready to go at most groceries or make your own (recipe follows)
1 (8.8-ounce) pack Tandoori Stonefire original Tandoori Naan (2 naan per pack)

Instructions

1. Prepare tzadziki and reserve. Prepare gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. (If cooking directly on grill, oil grill grates.)
2. Arrange zucchini and eggplant on grill pan or directly on grill grates. Brushing with olive oil, grill 10-15 minutes on each side or until tender and easilty pricked with a fork. When vegetables are almost ready, brush both sides of flatbread with olive oil and grill about 1-2 minutes per side.
3. Spread tzadziki over flatbread or over vegetables placed on flatbread and serve.

Recipe for Tzadziki

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, peeled, cut lengthwise, seeded, then cut into small (1/4-inch) dice (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (dill or mint, or combination of both)
1 teaspoon minced garlicv 1 cup plain, strained, Greek-styled yogurt (I use Fage 2 percent)

Instructions

1. Place diced cucumbers on paper towels or in a fine mesh sieve; lightly sprinkle with kosher salt. Let drain 15-30 minutes, pressing into towels or sieve with spoon to release excess moisture.
2. To make the tzadziki, combine cucumbers with herbs, garlic and yogurt; season to taste with kosher salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Peggy Lampman is a real-time food writer and photographer posting daily feeds on her website and in the Food & Grocery section of Annarbor.com. You may also e-mail her at peggy@dinnerfeed.com.