Grilled Vegetables with Pesto Vinaigrette

Is it really Memorial Day weekend?

I woke up in time to hear The Nudge remind me to check out the salmon when I went to the market today.

"Huh? Salmon?" What salmon.....

"For this weekend, see if anything looks good."
"This weekend?" OMG, is this weekend Memorial Day? I had completely forgotten. The end of May, already....

Seems I loose a week every month. I need to slow down and be more productive with my hours. I have a habit of walking in and out of the same room three times before I finally do what I wanted to do.

I was going to make a baked chicken & asparagus dinner tonight but I need to really open and clean the grill so I changed that to replicate a meal I had at Brio's Tuscan Grille in Baltimore.
Since salmon was on the menu for this weekend, why not grill a medley of vegetables and a steak?
A petite fillet of beef with a medley of vegetables tossed in a pesto vinaigrette.

I could do everything on the grill and only use one platter. I took out my iPad and started a new shopping list.

1 8oz fillet mignon (cut in half)
1 sweet potato
1 bunch green beans
1 red pepper
1 summer squash
1 container low fat pesto

When you choose your vegetables, try to vary the colors. They just looked so fresh next to a steak.
I would have bought asparagus but my market was sold out so I subbed the summer squash. I love zucchini but it tends to become limp when grilled.
I sliced the vegetables for grilling (larger than the spaces on your grill) and then chopped them for presentation. Toss in olive oil and salt & pepper and grill away. I had a bowl with the vinaigrette on the side and as they grilled, I dropped them in. The warm vegetables will soak up the vinaigrette.
This was excellent, I am upset I have not made this before. So simple, so flavorful and so healthy.

This meal conforms to a Paleo, South Beach, and diabetic meal plan and without the meat, Vegetarian and Vegan if you use a dairy-free pesto.
Since I pledged to make my hours more productive, I will serve the remaining pesto on Friday night with a package of tortellini (in my freezer) with any remaining vegetables (+ 1 chopped tomato) that didn't get consumed.
Tossed together while the pasta is still warm, it will be served at room temperature.

Now I have lots of time to wash the windows.
Gee, maybe I need to rethink this.

Pesto Vinaigrette
makes 1/2 cup
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 0
* 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin preferred
* 1 tablespoon champagne or white wine vinegar
* salt & pepper to taste

I put everything into a container, snapped on a lid and shook. The pesto and honey will act as an emulsifier, so if it's too thick to drizzle, add more vinegar. I bet after you make this vinaigrette you will keep a container of pesto in your freezer (measured into small condiment cups) so that the next time you grill vegetables you will have it on hand. Something so simple, can only be wonderful and this does not taste like pesto straight up. I can guarantee non pesto people will love this.