Summer. Sun. Sea. Mountain. Holidays. And outdoor barbecue. There really are few things more summery than a barbecue with family or friends. Enjoying an appetizer in nature is one of the delights of this season. But many people who follow a plant-based diet and are concerned about their health wonder if barbecuing is really a healthy technique, Not to mention how to reconcile one’s vegetarian diet with the menu of other people who may have a completely different diet…
Barbecues and barbeques have a bad reputation among health-conscious people, but can be prepared in a healthier way. To make a healthy barbecue you should pay attention to both the way of preparing the food and the menu that we will present to you.
How to make a healthy barbecue
when you cook The most harmful to health is cooking meat with a high fat content and this, moreover, is marked by the grate. If you are cooking meat, it is best to choose lean meats and pre-cook them in an oven or pan to give them just a hint of doneness.
A healthier option is choose a vegetable menu: it will not contain harmful saturated fat, will be lower in calories and will provide more fiber and nutrients.
To make a healthy barbecue there are many possibilities, beyond simply grilling vegetables:
- Of course, to make a healthy and complete vegan barbecue menu, the barbecue must contain a lot of vegetables in the form of salads and vegetables prepared on the grill, but also vegetable protein.
- If we want or want to prepare a stronger barbecue, some carbohydrates in the form of a potato or baked sweet potato or a grain salad such as quinoa, rice or couscous. Another option is to include the whole grain in hamburger form vegetables. Below I will tell you how to make it. homemade veggie burger perfect for BBQ, more compact so as not to break.
- If we are going to cook for a group of people who follow different diets, preparing a grill with different types of vegetables, such as zucchini, peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli or cauliflower, will ensure that even the most carnivores will enjoy it. To make the menu more complete, we can accompanied by creamy sauces rich in protein such as different types of hummus, tofu or cashew mayonnaise and pesto made with nuts. Also we can prepare full salads with boiled potato, chickpeas, beans, quinoa, nuts and various kinds of fruits and vegetables.
- Another option is the preparation of vegetable proteins such as e.g tofu, tempeh, seitan or patties made with beans. Instead of choosing pre-flavored or prepared proteins from the supermarket, which even though they are vegetables are still a processed product, it is better to use simple variations of proteins and prepare marinades with spices such as ginger, curry, garlic, paprika, soy sauce, miso, fresh herbs… This way we can ensure that we consume quality ingredients and enjoy a truly healthy and nutritious dish.
- Include different salads It is another way to add variety to the menu and ensure the presence of raw foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
- To finish the barbecue, we can prepare various types of grilled fruit, such as peaches, watermelon, pineapple, pear, banana or fig. The sugars in the fruit caramelize and it has a very strong taste. we can accompany with coconut yogurt or other vegetable yogurt, homemade banana ice cream or some cashew cream, tofu or custard. This is how we truly enjoy company, time and family in the healthiest way.
Vegetarian BBQ Recipes
Here are three healthy barbecue recipes to hit the whole family.
1. Pineapple Tempeh Skewers
Prep: 15 minutes – Contamination: 30 minutes – Cooking: 16 minutes
Skewers are a big hit at barbecues. these are few different but with a lot of flavor. The combination of sweet and salty makes them irresistible.
Materials (2 people):
- 250 g of tempeh
- half a pineapple
- 1 red onion
For the soaked:
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 cm grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- half a teaspoon of cumin
For the cilantro avocado sauce:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 bunch of coriander
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 clove of garlic
- half a teaspoon of cumin
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- half a tablespoon of nutritional yeast
Friday:
- dip the chopsticks for the skewers in the water.
- We clean the pineappleslice it, discard the hard center and cut it into 3 cm cubes. Reserve the juice.
- Prepare the soaked Grind all the ingredients until we have a paste and pour them into a bowl.
- chop the tempeh Carefully cut about 3 cm, add to the bowl with the soaked and cover carefully. Leave soak for about 30 minutes.
- Clean and chop the onion and cut into quarters.
- Prepare the cilantro and avocado sauce grinding all the ingredients. Guard.
- Alternate the skewers diced tempeh, pineapple and onion. Brush with the rest of the marinade and grill on all sides until the onion and pineapple caramelize and the tempeh begins to brown. It will take about 4 minutes per side, about 16 minutes total.
- Serves with cilantro and avocado sauce.
2. Vegetable fillet with Romesco sauce
Preparation: 15 minutes – Cooking: 10 minutes
Vegetable barbecue is something very common that we have all eaten and even the smallest and most traditional restaurants offer it. These vegetable grills usually always include the same vegetables: zucchini, pepper, mushrooms, onion. Why not grill some kale? Dare and try this crunchy delight that will surprise you.
Materials (4 people):
- 1 head flat cabbage
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- black pepper
- Salt
For the romesco sauce:
- 2 red peppers
- 2 tablespoons roasted almonds
- 2 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- a pinch of black pepper
- half a teaspoon of salt
At your disposal:
- 2 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts or almonds
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
Friday:
- Start with the romesco sauce. You need roasted peppers. You can use some canned peppers or cook whole red peppers in the oven at 260 degrees about 20 minutesuntil they start to turn black. Then cover with a plate and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the skin and seeds.
- Once it is done, mix all the ingredients of the romesco sauce until they become creamy. Reservation.
- To make the cabbage fillets, heat the barbecue over medium high heat. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage if they are a bit dry. Cut off the bottom of the stem and place the cabbage on a cutting board, facing the way it grows. Slice the whole head from top to bottom, making large fillets 1-2 cm thick. Leave the stem inside, to support the fillets and prevent the leaves from falling.
- In a bowl mix the olive oil with salt, pepper and chopped garlic.
- Paint the fillets with the mixture and grill for about 5 minutes on each side. You can also bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes, turning them halfway through.
- Serve with the sauce, chopped nuts and parsley.
3. Vegan BBQ Burgers
Preparation: 20 minutes – Rest: 20 minutes – Cooking: 15 minutes
Many homemade vegan burgers are very delicate and break easily. These burgers made with real and natural ingredients bring one together perfect texture for barbecue. Try doing them next time.
Ingredients (6-8 burgers):
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 100 g of mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- half a teaspoon of herbs de Provence
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
- 300 g cooked black beans
- 150 g cooked brown rice
- 80 g fine oat flakes
- 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
- Pepper
- Salt
Friday:
- in a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water and let it stand. You already have your “linseed”.
- peel and chop onion and garlic. Clean the mushrooms and chop them. Chop the parsley.
- In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 7 minutes until translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and boil over medium-high heat, stirring for about 5 minutes, until cooked. Add the paprika, cumin and fine herbs and give it a few turns in the pan.
- pieces sunflower seeds and oat flakes until a coarse flour is obtained.
- Drain the beans well and put them in a bowl. Mash with a fork until you get a smooth puree.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: flax egg, sofrito, rice, oats and seeds, soy sauce, nutritional yeast. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Let it stand for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator until the oats absorb the moisture.
- Using wet hands, make hamburgers.
- Heat the barbecue or a griddle to medium-high, brush the burgers with a little oil and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
- Serve with your favorite sauce and vegetables.