Help! I need vegetarian ideas for cook-outs

[cheesepuff]

Summer is coming and for me that means a ton of cook-outs.  Sometimes its hard to find things I will eat.  I'd like some good recipes for side dishes especially or even ideas for grilled food and Something that other non-veg people would enjoy as well.  Everyone I know likes to try new things so any ideas are welcome.

[kmsmaverick]

put grilled portobello caps on your menu. they are super replacements for a hamburger. they have almost the exact same texture. i wish everyone who isn't diggin' the beef for health reasons would use portobello caps rather than turkey burgers.  then also put things like zucchinni and summer squash slices on that grill. deeelicious!  corn on the cob, too.

then there's old cookout classics, you can change up just by swapping the condiments ot main flavor- potato salad, cole slaw, salsa and chips and my personal favorites a bowl of bing cherries & fresh strawberries and fruit ambrosia that fantastic fruit salad from the 70's that needs to mak a new milennium comeback!

i love cookouts, perhaps you can tell?

[lucid501]

check out the website for reynold's aluminum foil: http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/
They have a ton of recipes which put food in foil  packets to cook, which is super grill friendly. There are of course a lot of meat dishes listed, but if you use advanced search you should find a lot of veggie-friendly dishes too (such as grilled zucchinni with dill and feta....mmmmm)

[jillianb]

Dips and pasta, bean or potato salads always go over really well.  I made a potato salad (w/soy mayo, would probably substitute olive oil & lemon juice if were going to sit for a while) when I visited my parents in California that even my cousin's veggie hating son, then three years old, liked.  In fact, I had none left.  I just added cooked edamame, fakin' bacon, onion & finely chopped greens to the potatoes.  Also, Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food might be good for a cookout.  Stuffed grape leaves, hummus, etc.

[RunsWithTrowels]

kabobs - marinate veggies, skewer them, throw them on the grill.
good grilling veggies:  mushrooms, squash, zucchini, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, onions...
add fruit to the skewer (or do a dessert kabob) if you want:  pineapple, apples, pears, strawberries, plums, nectarines (sugar them up for a crunchy exterior)
almost any marinade will do - homemade or store-bought.

the standbys of veggie burgers & veggie dogs work well, too.

 

[McAuliflower]

I love terriyaki grilled tempeh...




Grilled Teriyaki Tempeh

Teriyaki Grilled TempehIn a sauce pan over medium high heat combine:

    * 1 cup of mirin
    * 1 cup of soy sauce
    * 1/2 cup of sugar
    * 1/2 cup of sake
    * 1 inch of sliced fresh ginger
    * 3 cloves of garlic sliced

Bring to a simmer and lay in your servings of tempeh. Simmer the tempeh in the teriyaki marinade for 5 minutes. Remove the tempeh to drain slightly and continue to boil the teriyaki sauce till reduced to one cup of liquid.

Slightly oil a grill pan and heat. Cook the tempeh till grilled nicely on each side.
Remove the tempeh and brush with the reduced sauce.

May be served ontop of salad with a sprinkling of green onions, toasted sesame seeds and juicy mandarin oranges, or as a burger like slab on a bun with a slice of tangy pineapple.

Enjoy!

[beccabur]

kabobs - marinate veggies, skewer them, throw them on the grill.
good grilling veggies:  mushrooms, squash, zucchini, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, onions...
add fruit to the skewer (or do a dessert kabob) if you want:  pineapple, apples, pears, strawberries
almost any marinade will do - homemade or store-bought.

Seriously!  I usually don't like plain vegetables, but we made these on the grill and they were amazing!  Also, try adding cloves of garlic to the ends of them for more flavor. 

We also wrapped pre-made garlic bread in foil and put it on the grill.  Delicious!

[ultraviolet]

Blackened Tofu! It's in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison(?) and it's sooooo good. I've only made it once, on a stovetop, and the smoke alarms went off and we had to open the windows and it was the middle of winter - but now I have a yard and shall cook it on a grill as it was intended. I'd definitely recommend it!

[Strutter]

I really want to try and make vegan corndogs.

http://www.recipezaar.com/9039

But here's a recipe that I love.

Black Soy Bean & Tomato Chili Salsa

Ingredients:

1 can Eden Organic Black Soy Beans, drained
1 can Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes w/Green Chilies, drained
1/2 cup red onion, minced
2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 teaspoons Eden Organic Shoyu Soy Sauce
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon green onion, chopped

Combine all ingridents in a bowl. Mix, taste and add extra line juice and shoyu, if desired. Serve with Eden Chips or organic tortillia chips.

Pg. 54 from Readymade magazine (April/May 2006)

[Anna Trueblood]

Tabouli is good and DEAD EASY.  I bulghur wheat in mine, some folks use couscous. 

2 cups water, boiling
2 cups bulghur
1 small cucumber seeded and chopped
2 or 3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or quarter some cherry tomatoes)
2 or 3 cloves minced garlic
juice of a lemon
glurg of olive oil
handful of chopped mint
 
other options:  chopped red onion, garbanzo beans

Pour the water over the bulghur and let it soak while you do your chopping. Stir everything together gently and chuck it in the fridge to chill. 

I have been known to have summer spread that was tabouli,  hummus, pita wedges, feta cheese, and figs or dates.  Obviously, you can leave out the cheese if you're vegan.

[jillianb]

You can also sub quinoa for the bulghur or couscous.

[girlfriday]

I am going on an extended camping trip thing for memorial day weekend. Ease is the key for me. I think I'll be doing fake burgers (just throw some on the grill and everyone else can have regular burgers); veggie fajitas (beef fajitas are available for others): portabella strips, zuchini strips, and onions cooked on the grill and a can of pinto beans for some protein; some frozen soup I made recently (Summer Sisters Stew); maybe some veg dogs; and some stirfry veggies.

BTW, you can search recipezaar for veg or vegan (under dietary) recipes that are good for the grill (under preperation/equipment/outdoor/barbecue). Good luck on your cookouts.

[cheesepuff]

Thanks for all the good ideas yall!  This week I tried a recipe off of www.reynoldskitchen s.com It was called a corn and black bean packet.  I just put everything in the foil and heated it on the grill.  Then I decided it would be good in a tortillia, which i also heated on the grill.  I highly recomend it!  Even my daddyo ate some  and he usually don't like anything grilled besides meat.

[vegbee]

brushetta with fresh bread usually goes down well.  So does my favorite sidedish for picnics and summer potlucks is a simple rice salad (good for non-vegan/veggies because they can recognize all the ingredients and more likely to try it).  its usually a hit.
so simple, fast and very forgiving recipe:

-cooked rice (fridge leftovers are good)
-chopped green or red peppers, apple, raisins, black olives, cucumber, tomato, green onions, grated cabbage, or whatever else you have on hand
-sunflower seeds or chopped nuts
dressing:
-olive oil
-balsamic vinegar
-sesame oil
-braggs or soy sauce
-onion powder
-ground basil leaves
-dill
-crushed garlic

make ahead of time and cool until needed

[NLJ]

Here is a great salad recipe.  If you want to make it vegan just leave out the Worcestershire sauce.

Strawberry Spinach Salad I

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill.
Toss strawberries, spinach, almonds and dressing right before serving.

[sarchan]

grilling pizzas is really fun.  i haven't done it in a long time, and it does take a little prep and foresight, but it's kind of impressive

[Shaina]

Or just be really lazy and throw some Morningstar/Quorn burgers and hotdogs from your friendly local health food store on the grill. They're delicious and work well for vegetarians who hate vegetables. (Or was I the only vegetarian like that?)