It's BBQ time!
- Who says that you
have to eat meat to enjoy a BBQ? Certainly not this vegetarian!
Grilled vegetables have always been a favourite, tofu is fabulous marinated
and grilled, and there are dozens of grillable meat-analogues on the market
in Canada. So let's get grilling!
I'm old-fashioned in some respects, and still use a traditional charcoal BBQ. I find it's not as versatile as a propane BBQ, which can also act as a BBQ oven, but the flavours and aromas it produces are unparalleled. After lighting, charcoal BBQs take about an hour for the coals to become hot enough to cook on. The coals should appear white.
Grilling
Tofu
Slice firm tofu into
1/2 inch slabs, press the moisture out and marinate for several hours before
grilling (see steps 1 to 4 of Baked
Marinated Tofu ) . Fire up the BBQ and lightly oil the grilling
rack. When the BBQ is ready, place the tofu slabs on the rack and
grill close to the coals for a few minutes. Every now and again,
brush some more marinade onto the tofu (optional). Carefully flip
the tofu slab over and grill the other side. Again, you can keep
adding marinade to the tofu as it cooks. Grill each side about 5
minutes, until the tofu has a slight crust on the outside but is not dry
on the inside. Serve with a green salad, rice, grilled potatoes......
Grilling
Vegetables
Slice the vegetables
into good sized 1/4 inch pieces (i.e., slice zucchini, eggplant, peppers
lengthwise; mushrooms are best grilled whole; tomatoes and artichoke hearts
can be quatered into wedges). Potatoes should be pre-boiled and then
sliced. Coat the veggies lightly with oil (and herbs and spices,
or a marinade). When the BBQ is ready, place the veggies on a slightly
oiled rack and grill a few inches above the coals. Grill each side
until it starts to char, about 5 minutes. Serve over rice, with grilled
tofu or veggie-burgers... A mediterranean lemon-sesame sauce is traditional
over grilled veggies and tastes divine!
Meat
Analogues
Veggie burgers and
veggie dogs all grill quite easily. I generally give my burgers and
dogs a quick brish with oil and hen slap them on the grill for a few minutes
until they are heated through. Experiement with the brands that are
availbale at your local grocer. Some brands tend to be quite dry
and don't grill as well as others. A solution to dry burgers, is
to soak the burger in water or marinade for a few minutes before grilling.
email AmandasKitchen@yahoo.ca
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vegetarian and vegan cooking to everyone's kitchen. |
Page last updated: September 14, 2000
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