How To Handle Being Vegetarian at a BBQ

from: http://m.jezebel.com/5806750/how-to-be-a-vegetarian-at-a-barbecue

Memorial Day has come and gone which means, among other things, the start of barbecue season. Which, for the non-meat-eating among us, is sort of fraught.

Herewith, a few tips on surviving a barbecue as a vegetarian. Do not underestimate the Gardenburger.

I was a pure vegetarian for about three years, and since then I've been a pescetarian for about five, so I have sampled a lot of fake meats in my day. I have the following controversial opinion: Boca Burgers are gross. To me they have this sort of icky chemical undertone that makes me think of the food we will eat on the giant colony ships after the destruction of the Earth.

Gardenburgers, however, are delicious! They are not really trying to be meat, and instead are sort of a tasty blend of veggies and grains. Yum! I am not being paid by the Gardenburger company, but if they want to send me a bunch of free Gardenburgers for this year's barbecue season, I would be pretty psyched.

Because even if you try to limit your intake of fake-meat products, a barbecue is a time when it's kind of nice to be able to just swap in your own patty and eat more or less what the carnivores are eating.

Do not overestimate the portobello mushroom. This is more of a tip for hosts: don't necessarily assume that your vegetarian guests are going to be super psyched about the portobello mushroom caps you are grilling for them in lieu of burgers. Yes, some people love these. But I've spoken to a sizable contingent of vegetarians (myself included) who find a giant slab of mushroom sort of weird. If you're going to offer this as a meat-substitute, marination is key (I suggest olive oil and balsamic, or olive oil, chiles, and soy sauce). Also, consider cutting the mushrooms into slightly smaller pieces to increase surface area and decrease that biting-into-a-huge-chunk-of-fungus feeling.

Bring a delicious side.
When you're a vegetarian, bringing something is always a good call if possible. And barbecues are a great time for delicious side dishes. Potato salad and pasta salad are obvious standbys (and you can make a really good potato salad with veggie bacon, if you swing that way).

I also like to make this really easy black bean salad:
One can black beans, rinsed
One can corn, rinsed
One red pepper, chopped
One-half to one green pepper, chopped One-half to one red onion, chopped
A whole mess of cilantro, chopped

For the dressing: 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon lime juice A whole mess of chili powder (seriously, a lot) Mix up all the veggies and cilantro, then make the dressing, then pour it over, taste, and pour on more dressing or chili powder if necessary. This is really good and filling and pretty and keeps really well for days in the fridge, and if you bring it to a barbecue you will definitely not go hungry.

A word on drinking. Remember that what you eat can influence the way alcohol affects you. So if you had a Gardenburger and your friends all had a big stack of hot dogs and ribs, you might get drunk faster than them, even if you're all pounding beers at the same rate. This is especially true if you are drinking during the day and in the heat, things that tend to fuck with your tolerance.

A good rule of thumb is that if you find yourself getting in belligerent arguments with your friends over food choices, things that happened when you were eight, or the Wu-Tang Clan, it's time to switch to water. Or just call it a night, and rest up for the next barbecue.

Kebobs with Pineapple and Red Pepper

from Vegans Know How To Party Cookbook by Nancy Berkoff which you can get at Amazon

Serves 10
1/2 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine or 1/4 cup white vinegar combined with 1/4 cup cold water 1/2 cup minced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound 1-inch chunks extra-firm tofu, seitan, or tempeh (about 3 cups)
2 cups 1-inch pieces red bell pepper
2 cups 1-inch chunks fresh pineapple

Combine soy sauce, oil, wine or vinegar and water, onions, and garlic in a large plastic or glass bowl. Add tofu, seitan, or tempeh and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove tofu, seitan, or tempeh from marinade. Save marinade. Preheat grill or broiler.

On skewers, alternate tofu, seitan, or tempeh with red pepper and pineapple. Place kebobs in a shallow pan. Drizzle with marinade. If using a grill, place directly on grill.

Grill or broil for 3-4 minutes, just until pepper begins to brown. Serve alone, on a bed of couscous or cooked bulgur wheat, or with a fresh spinach salad.

Total Calories Per Serving: 135 Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 13% Protein: 6 gm Fat: 8 gm Carbohydrates: 10 gm Calcium: 93 mg Iron: 1 mg Sodium: 518 mg Dietary Fiber: 1 gm

Walnut Mushroom Pâté

from: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/walnut-mushroom-pate.html

I made this very easy pate in advance to take with me to the cottage to have as part of a light lunch the day after we arrive. I think this would be a great picnic recipe as well as a party dish.

The taste definitely developed over the day, so it's a great make ahead thing. If you want, use regular button mushrooms, they would work just as well. Be careful toasting the walnuts, as they can burn quite easily.

Walnut Mushroom Pate

3 tbsp olive oil 1 cup onion, diced 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried tarragon 1/4 tsp salt Freshly ground pepper 1 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped 1 cup lightly toasted walnuts 3/4 cup cooked cannellini beans 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar Up to 1/4 cup cold vegetable broth, or water

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic, thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute. Next add the mushrooms and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until they are very soft, lowering the heat if necessary to prevent them from burning.

2. While the mushrooms are cooking, place the walnuts in a food processor or blender and process until very fine. Add the cooked mushroom mixture to the walnuts in the food processor, along with the balsamic vinegar, beans and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Process until smooth, adding the vegetable broth 1 tablepspoon at a time as needed. Continue to puree the ingredients until the pate resembles a smooth, thick and spreadable paste. Scrape mixture into an airtight container and chill for at least an hour before serving, to allow the flavours to meld.

Try Vegetarianism: Celebrate Vegetarian Week

from: http://topnews.us/content/2107-editorial-policy

For people who want to consider cutting back on their meat intake, National Vegetarian Week is suggesting that Americans introduce Meatless Monday to their week and abstain from eating any meat on this day.

In fact, cutting out meat on only one day of the week can lower a person’s risk to develop conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity or diabetes significantly while it reduces one’s carbon footprint and contribution to fresh water consumption.

Just in time for Vegetarian Week, the Vegetarian Society is holding vegetarian evening on Friday, May 27, at Highgate House in Creaton, Texas. Head chef of the restaurant, Lee Gaskins, will create vegetarian options that will convince even the hardiest meat lover that vegetarian foods are not only healthy, but can be delicious and exciting.

The restaurant that always includes vegetarian option on its menu is working together closely with the Vegetarian Society to ensure that their dishes are 100% vegetarian. It excludes parmesan cheeses and wines that are not completely vegetarian from its menu.

On the menu for Vegetarian Week are breaded wild mushrooms and garlic risotto balls on rocket and pecorino salad, strudel with asparagus, brie and pine nuts served with garlic and herb cream sauce as well as beetroot falafel on red onion and coriander salad with mint dressing.

“Just think about it, if you are going to sit down and eat a meal without meat what am I going to want on the plate? What is going to make it enjoyable? I’m lucky, I have got a good team and I can spin it out to them as well”, Gaskins said.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

from: http://thewisevegan.blogspot.com/2011/05/jennis-macncheese-bake.html

Ingredients: 1 box of pasta. Shells or macaroni. (I used medium shells) 3-4 slices of bread, buttered (Earth Balance)

For the Sauce: 1 1/2 cups raw cashews 2 cups vegan chicken flavored broth. 4 tbs olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, minced 1/3 cup flour 2 cups almond milk (you can use soy) 1 package daiya cheddar 1 tsp tumeric salt and pepper to taste 4 tbs nutritional yeast 2 tbs lemon juice

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your pasta. In a food processor add your cashews and the broth. Blend until there are no cashew chunks left. In a cast iron skillet saute the garlic and onion in a tablespoon of oil until translucent. Set aside. wipe out your skillet and add the remaining olive oil. Heat on medium and add the flour. Mix well to form a paste. Add more oil if necessary. You want to stir this constantly for about 10- 15 minutes. It is ready when it is a medium brown toasted color and it smells fragrant. Whisk in the almond milk and then the cheese. Whisk constantly so the sauce does not form clumps. Add the broth and cashew mixture. Then whisk in all your spices and lemon juice. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. When done pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well. Pour into a 9x13 glass bake. Tear up the pieces of bread and place on top of the pasta evenly. This prevents it from drying out in the oven. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more. If you want the bread on top to be more toasted turn on your broiler for a minute or two. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Vegan Pinwheel Appetizers

I found this recipe and many more delicious vegan recipes here: http://realhealthyrecipes.com/
What really caught my attention was the hot coverboy!
Diana Keuilian's blog is an awesome collection of her recipes. Do check them out!

She threw this appetizer together when their good friend, and body transformation expert, Josh Carter stopped by. Josh is NOT a tofu-eating kind of guy. In fact, I thought about not telling him that these were made out of tofu. Well, he tried them (even after hearing they were tofu) and he really liked them. Now he may never actually admit that he enjoyed tofu (gotta protect that manly reputation) but trust me, it happened So go ahead and make this recipe for all those meat-eaters in your life.

Your guests will love this simple and vibrant appetizer

Here’s what you need:

Spinach tortillas
hummus or pesto
organic baby arugula
Tofurky Italian Sausages
toothpicks
Spread hummus (or pesto) on the tortillas.
Sprinkle a handful of arugula over the tortilla.
Place 1 and a half sausages across the center of the tortilla.
Wrap it up, slice and place a toothpick through each pinwheel.

Simple Avocado Enchiladas

Ingredients (use vegan versions):
1 bag shredded vegan cheese
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 1/2 large, ripe avocados, sliced
1/2 onion, finely diced
3/4 jalapeno or other mild pepper, finely diced
1 small can black olives
about 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
any other ingredients you want to add (green onions, etc)
12 tortillas

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. In a large pan, heat up enchilada sauce till bubbling. Lower Heat and place first tortilla in the sauce. When you lift the tortilla with a spatula and the edges sag, it's ready to be taken out. Place to one side of baking dish (be conservative with space, you have to fit 12!) and fill the middle with all your goodies - lots of cheese, hearty slices of avocado, olives, cilantro, chopped onion and jalapeno, and anything else your heart desires. fold two sides of stuffed tortilla together and viola! One down. I'll usually put the next tortilla in the sauce as I'm filling the cooked tortilla, but make sure it's not too hot or they will cook too fast. When you've finished all 12 enchiladas, smother them with any leftover sauce and top with any stuffing leftovers you may have. I like to put a big slice of avocado on top, too. stick in your preheated oven until cheese is melted, usually 10-15 minutes. Serve with black beans and Mexican style rice for a complete meal! enjoy! Serves: 12 Preparation time: about 45 minutes

Another fantastic recipe from VegWeb
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=19488.0

Potato Chip Frittatas

This recipe is from Time For Dinner by Pilar Guzman, Jenny Rosenstrach and Alanna Stang.

Potato Chip Frittata
5 eggs 1 1/2 tbsp milk salt and pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 1 leek, sliced 1/2 onion, sliced 1 carrot, shredded 4 tbsp shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar) potato chips

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper; set aside. 2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot; cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. 3. Grease a 6-cup muffin tin. Divide the cheese among the cups, then the vegetables. Pout in the egg mixture until each cup is three-quarters full. Add a few potato chips to each. 4. Bake until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

I found this interesting recipe on this website http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/weekday-vegetarian-potato-chip-fritta...