• Home
• Books
• Order
• Trade
• Media
• Contact

The Thrill of the Vegan Grill (and Picnics, Too!)

The backyard grilling season officially runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Falling in between is Independence Day, and what better way to have a happy Fourth, than to celebrate your own independence from meat and dairy products in your diet.

You can create a perfect outdoor celebration in your own backyard with a cookbook that’s made-to-order: American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyes. It’s the first book to offer excellent vegan versions of America’s favorite comfort-food treats that you can make in your own kitchen: burgers and fries, po’ boys, diner brats, and ribz that cook great on the grill, and are so tasty, even omnivores will like them.

Tami Noyes is always looking forward to grilling season. “Grilling can be wonderful for a casual meal," she says. "Eat in stages as the food is ready, while sipping your favorite beverage, whether it’s lemonade, iced tea, a chilled beer, or summery white wine.”

She’s got lots of ideas for grilling and offers several from her book, American Vegan Kitchen:

• Sweet Garlicky Ribz
• All-American Incrediburgers
• Grilled Seitan with Heirloom Tomatoes
• Red Eye Tofu and Vegetables Skewers
• Portobello Popeye Sandwiches

For a quick-and-easy appetizer, grill some marinated Portobello mushrooms. When done, slice them thinly while grilling a lightly oiled laterally sliced baguette. Top the bread with the grilled mushrooms. Other grilled vegetables (such as eggplant, peppers, or zucchini) may be added. Another delicious and easy course is sliced eggplant, seasoned and grilled, topped with a traditional tomato bruschetta topping. This is flavorful side dish will satisfy your gluten-free guests, as well. You can also tempt your taste buds by grilling sugar snap peas threaded on a skewer and basted with equal parts tamari and olive oil.

For a salad course, chop your grilled vegetables and toss with an assortment of lettuces. Grilled cauliflower can be served as a salad course (dress it with your favorite dressing while still warm) or a side dish.

Interested in a pasta course? Toss precooked noodles (the best choice is a sturdy pasta, such as rigatoni) with oil, chopped garlic, herbs, and tomatoes. Wrap in oiled foil packets and grill 3 to 5 minutes for the flavors to combine and heat throughout. Other grilled vegetables make a great addition to the pasta, depending on your preferences.

If you have extra grilled vegetables, save them for pizza toppings, sandwiches, or pasta salads. Skewer precooked chunks of potatoes and baste with barbeque sauce for an easy side dish. Speaking of barbeque sauce, thread chunks of seitan on skewers and serve with a side of the sauce or an Asian-influenced sauce. All these dishes can lead to a main course of ribz or burgers, or be served as a meal in themselves.

And don’t forget dessert! Lightly grilled slices of vegan pound cake with chocolate chips for a sweet finish. Be sure to cover the section of the grill you will be using with foil so the slices don’t absorb onions or other vegetables. Serve with fresh sliced strawberries.

American Vegan Kitchen offers other recipes that can be adapted for the backyard grill, including Smokin’ BBQ Portobello Sandwiches and Old-Fashioned Tempeh Burgers . For the Portobello sandwiches, just baste the mushrooms with the sauce as you’re cooking so they don’t dry out. Reserve a small amount of the sauce to properly coat the mushrooms right before taking them off the grill. In grilling the tempeh burgers, cover part of the grill surface with oiled foil, to prevent the burgers from sticking and falling through.

Tami points out that grilling vegan food items is different from ordinary grilling and provided some helpful grilling tips.

Grilling Tips for Vegan Foods

“By their nature, vegan food items have no cholesterol,” she explained, “so the protein recipes generally have less fat than their meaty counterparts. Be sure to oil the grill well to prevent sticking. Cooking requires less time but a higher heat, which allows the food to retain moisture and still get that wonderful, deep grilled flavor.”

If you’re grilling at the park or a meat-eating friend’s house, Tami says to be sure to take foil with you, in case you'll be using the grill after someone who has recently grilled meat. Be sure to bring your own utensils for grilling, too.

She advises, “In cooking any vegan protein on the grill, you’ll need to marinate and baste it, unless the recipe says otherwise. Also, to accelerate cooking, be sure to close the grill cover when cooking, except when basting.”
Some vegetables, such as mushrooms, cook quicker than proteins. It’s a good idea to skewer the vegetables and proteins separately to maintain the most control in cooking.

To get those fancy grill marks, Tami advises to let the food item cook without moving it until the marks appear. (Peek at the edge to make sure the marks are present.) Turn the ingredient ninety degrees to get the cross hatch.
“A super easy side dish is to take a whole head of cauliflower and rub it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper,” she continued. “Wrap the pieces in foil and grill 20 minutes to half an hour, depending on the size of the head.”

She also reminds summer grillers that if you’re cooking with propane, always have a back-up tank. If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before grilling, too.

A Picnic Basket, a Bottle of Wine, and Thou

What could be better than enjoying your feast out under the canopy of nature and dining with the flora and fauna of park or forest? American Vegan Kitchen provides many recipes that you can make ahead and take with you on a picnic.
Tami suggests the Southern Fried Seitan, Deli Potato Salad, Mustard Mac Slaw, and the Three Bean Salad as top choices to pack and bring with you. Others include Spicy Balsamic Maple Wingz, Baked Beans, Italian Deli Pasta Salad, Midwest Vinegar Slaw, and Portobello Popeye Club Sandwiches.

Food always tastes better outdoors, especially when enjoyed with family and friends. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard this summer or enjoying your favorite picnic spot, the recipes in American Vegan Kitchen make it easy to celebrate the great outdoors, and bring your favorite comfort food with you.

-30-