First Vegan BBQ

[multipoodles]

This is my first year as a vegan, we have some friends coming to a BBQ in June and one is a vegan, she has limited cooking skills (she says) and is looking to me to inspire her in the BBQ dept (big mistake). As the only vegan in the family, I am not too bothered, I'll take a kebab of veg, a veggie burger and sweetcorn, but now I am looking for inspiration, I want the make the sweetcorn more interesting, the veg kebabs special, I want to push the boat out here and show everyone else that vegan does not = boring!

Any tips, advise or recipes very great received :)

Teriyaki marinade for some of the veg, perhaps? I'm not vegan, so I make the marinade and use it on chicken, but it would be very tasty on veg too, I think - especially onions, peppers and mushrooms.

My recipe for teriyaki marinade is a thumb sized piece of root ginger finely grated, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and some runny honey, all mixed up together, and it is lovely as a marinade or as the sauce on a veg stir fry.

Or maybe veggie sausages made into a kebab, with a satay sauce? I make the one from Jamie's 30 minute meals, and can look it up if you want me to - though from memory, it is peanut butter, oil, soy sauce, lime juice, root ginger, red chilli (I roast this first to take a bit of the heat out), all blitzed up together, and then blitz in some water to make a sauce consistency.

We often make veggies bbqed aubergene that has been thinly sliced lengthways then marrinated bbq sauce and served in a bap with friend onions. Our version is not vegan (as it has honey) in it, but you can find bbq sauce recipes online. Always goes down very well with meat eaters as well.

Thank you, the teryiaki sauce is the same recipe I use (agave instead of honey) so that is a good start. I like the idea of the peanut satay as it will be a change rather than doing the sausages plain. I know my friend loves aubergines so that is also a great idea. Great start thanks, :)

For me the secret of a good BBQ is no processed foods - I'd stay clear of sausages they ruin the taste of everything else. Focus on getting some top quality bread or BBQ the tortillas, lots of interesting salads, home made chutney/sauces - the satay sounds good maybe on a Sweet potato, shallot & tofu kebab - add a fresh zingy one too like a tomato salsa and marinade lots of different veg in oil, thyme, lemon & garlic. I like aubergine, courgette, peppers, asparagus, onion. The key is a variety of flavours and textures and everything as fresh as possible.

How about some stuffed stuff... ? Peppers and big flat mushrooms are really good. Stuff with your choice of grain, veggies, nuts/seeds and some gutsy flavourings like tabasco and garlic, wrap in foil and bake on the BBQ until everything's nicely done. Unwrap and everyone will want some!

Sweet potato wedges in foil.

Seared Tofu with Date BBQ sauce

In advance, make up some polenta in a terrine or loaf tin with some roasted veg mixed in (pepper, mushrooms, red onion, courgette, crushed garlic etc). Cool. Then on BBQ day, slice into 2cm slices, brush with oil and grill over the hot coals. Or cut plain cold polenta into chunks and thread onto skewers with veg inbetween.
Chargrilled aubergines are always good, with maybe some kind of garlicky dressing to pour over. I imagine the aubergine slices would be good with the teriyaki marinade.

A few differqent types of veggie burger. Adapted if necessay to make them vegan?

I like a good chunky, spicy beanburger or falafel burger.
This carrot and sesame burger is good, too

the vegan ribs off the fat free vegan site are delicious for bbqing. Although you need vital wheat gluten but they are so yummy.