Killer Vegetarian and Vegan Barbecue Food Recipes.

Hosting a barbecue. Great tasting recipes for Vegans and Vegetarians

Why should vegetarians and vegans miss out on all the fun during the long hot summer when there are such great tasting bbq recipes out there? Outdoor eating in the garden is one of the best things about summertime and a barbecue can be a wonderful social event. If, like me, you have a mixture of veggies and carnivores in your household, or coming to your barbecue then why not buy a couple of throwaway, one use barbecues to cook on so that you can keep meat products away from your veggie ones. As an added bonus you will find that using vegetarian ingredients for your barbeque will save you money too. Meat is more expensive than ever and has pretty much become a luxury item that many families can only afford occasionally.

There are a few basics to remember if you want to have a successful bbq. Always provide one or two bowls of mixed salad leaves, a variety of different sauces and mayonnaise. Cut French sticks and pitta bread are a good idea too. Don’t forget to provide non-alcoholic drinks as well as the usual wine and beer. A good fruit punch with slices of orange and lemon floating on the top and lots of crushed ice looks very tropical. Or why not make a nice big jug of iced tea or coffee. Remember to buy or make some extra ice cubes, you will be surprised just how many you can get through on a hot day.

There are a great many commercial makes of veggie and vegan friendly sausages and burgers available in supermarkets now and most of them are excellent, but some of them at least can be a little bit on the expensive side, they do save you time and effort of course.

But if you fancy having a go at making a few home made burgers then this is a very good recipe that tastes wonderful and can save you money, it is quick and easy to make and simple enough for you to get the children involved in them as well. Which is a good way to get them to give them a try, kids love to eat the things they have helped make.

These burgers stay nice and juicy as they cook, and smell wonderful as they roast away on the hot coals. They are so good you really won't miss the meat!

If you don't have the time to make veggie burgers, then why not simply grill large Portobello type mushroom whole and place these in a good quality bun with salad and onions. Peel them if the skin looks tough or is damaged, then brush with oil and season well with salt and pepper before cooking.

Grilled halloumi cheese also works really well as a burger, cut the cheese into thick slices and marinade in seasoned oil for twenty minutes before grilling. Serve with warm ciabatta bread, with rocket salad and slices of grilled beef tomatoes for an extra special burger.

Cut aubergines lengthwise into I/2 inch thick slices, baste with olive oil and sprinkle with course sea salt and cracked black pepper. Grill for three or four minutes a side. Serve in grilled pitta bread with sliced raw white cabbage, slices of tomato and raw onion.

Potato salad.

Pre-cook small or new potatoes and allow to cool slightly. Leave whole or if they are on the big side cut into chunks, but do not peel. Toss in a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper and chopped chives.

Corn on the cob.

Place one corn on the cob per person into a large bowl of cold water and soak for an hour to prevent the cobs burning when you put them on the grill. In a bowl mix together softened vegan margarine with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and a few chopped mixed fresh herbs. Remove the cobs from the water and allow them to drain. Put each cob on a square of baking foil and add a knob of the oil mixture, wrap up and put on the grill. They should take around thirty minutes to cook, remember to turn them occasionally. Open these parcels carefully as the steam inside is very, very hot.

I small white cabbage shredded

½ small red cabbage shredded

2 large carrots grated

I red onion finely chopped

1 white onion finely chopped

3 sticks of celery finely chopped

Large handful of roughly chopped walnuts

Black pepper

Salt

Vegan mayonnaise

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.

Savoury.

Cherry tomatoes

Red onions

Button mushrooms

Courgettes

Red and green peppers

Kebab sticks

Sweet.

Strawberries

Pineapple

Bananas

Mango

Orange

Or any firm fruit available.

Kebab sticks

Method.

Soak the kebab sticks in cold water for around ten minutes to prevent them burning when you place them on the grill. For the savoury kebabs cut the onions, peppers and courgettes into chunks roughly the same size as the mushrooms, thread the food onto the sticks, leave the mushrooms and the tomatoes whole. Brush with olive oil and grill remembering to baste with more oil and turn them as they cook. They should take around ten minutes depending on how hot the barbecue is. For the sweet kebabs simply makeup kebabs by skewering your assortment of fruit onto large kebab sticks. Baste with maple syrup and cook over the coals turning and basting frequently. Allow one-two per person.

Ingredients.

Bananas, allow one per person

Grated coconut

Coconut cream

Rum

Brown sugar

Lime juice

Method.

Cut each banana in half lengthwise and sprinkle brown sugar and grated coconut on the cut sides before reassembling the fruit. Wrap tightly in foil adding a splash of rum and some more brown sugar, place on the barbecue and cook for around ten minutes, serve by carefully opening the foil using it as a plate to hold the banana and the juices, add a little more rum and top with coconut cream.

Always remember to keep a bucket of water handy and position the barbecue away from your guests especially children. Happy grilling!

I hope that you enjoy these recipes and ideas for vegetarian and vegan barbecues as much as my family do.