from Natural Life magazine,
July/August 2003
Where's the Meat?
Barbecuing Veggie Style
Hot summer days. Lazy deck
chairs. Ice cubes clinking in a big glass of fresh juice. Dinner sizzling
away on the grill, its delicious aromas wafting on the cooling evening
breeze.
Microscopic bits of polyunsaturated fatty acids floating in the air.
That’s what a study by environmental engineers at Rice University in Houston, Texas see when they
think barbecue. According to the scientists, who measured sources of
organic particulate matter in the atmosphere above Houston in 1997 and
1998, the residue of charred meat turned out to be an important component
of the fine particles in the city’s air, which ranks as one of the more
polluted American cities. It also has a reputation for being the barbecue
capital of Texas, if not the whole USA.
The researchers noted that
fine particles, such as those that come from cooking meat, are a health
concern because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and lead to
respiratory and heart problems. And of course, many people shun grilled
meat for its potentially cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,
the negative effects on the environment of using cattle for protein or
concerns about Mad Cow Disease.
So what are we health and environment conscious people to do all summer? Does your throat close up
at the mere thought of veggie burgers that taste more like cardboard than
the beef they’re supposed to mimic? Are you sick of settling for some
chopped greens and egg salad on the side? Are you starting to think that
the phrase “vegetarian barbecue” is an oxymoron?
Well, think again. The meatless barbecue is gaining popularity. Just think about how good that
corn-on-the-cob tasted when you were a kid and it was thrown unhusked onto
the campfire coals and grilled until juicy and tender. Aside from the old
standby corn, what else can a non-meat eater do come patio time? Here are
some yummy suggestions to acquaint friends and family to the vegetarian
grill.
Artichoke Kebabs
18 small artichokes
2 tablespoons lemon
juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon thyme
salt
and pepper
Combine lemon juice, olive oil, thyme and water. Trim stems
from artichokes and remove leaves until you get the pale inner leaves. Cut
off the thorny tips of the leaves and remove the fibrous parts from around
the bottom. If larger than about 1 ½ inches, cut in half lengthwise. Coat
with marinade. Thread onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers and place on
preheated grill (medium heat). Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the
bottoms become tender. Turn frequently. When done remove from grill and
pour remaining marinade over them with a little salt and pepper. Other
vegetables that work well as kebabs include mushrooms of all types
(especially portabello), onions (small boiling onions, chunks of larger
ones), cherry tomatoes, leeks, asparagus, and all manner of squashes,
zucchini and eggplant.
Grilled Vegetables
2 large ears fresh corn, husked,
each cut crosswise
1 small eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick
rounds
1 large red onion, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
3 large bell
peppers (various colors), seeded, cut lengthwise into strips
1 large
zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise
8 asparagus spears, trimmed
1
large carrot, peeled, cut on deep diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
In a
saucepan, make a basting sauce by combining ½ cup butter and ¼ cup olive
oil with some chopped onion or shallots, mustard, lemon juice, herbs and
grated lemon peel. Cool. Whisk over low heat to re-warm before using.
Arrange corn pieces, eggplant rounds and onion wedges in single layer on
large baking sheet. Arrange bell pepper strips, zucchini spears, asparagus
spears and carrot slices in single layer on another large baking sheet.
Transfer ½ cup sauce to small saucepan and reserve for dipping. Brush
both sides of vegetables lightly with some of remaining basting sauce.
Heat barbecue to medium-high. Grill corn, eggplant and onion until tender
and lightly charred, brushing occasionally with basting sauce and turning
with tongs, about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables to small platter as
vegetables finish grilling. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Grill
bell peppers, zucchini, asparagus and carrot until tender and lightly
charred, brushing occasionally with basting sauce and turning with tongs,
about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables to same platter, arranging alongside
other vegetables. Season all vegetables with salt and pepper. Garnish with
fresh herb sprigs and lemon. Serve vegetables, passing warm dipping sauce
separately.
Fire-Up-the-Grill Fajitas
Summer veggies sizzle in this
marvelous Mex meal that is perfect for backyard barbecuers. This recipe is
courtesy PETA. You’ll find many yummy veggie recipes on their website
www.peta.org, or call 1-888-veg-food for more recipes and a free
vegetarian starter kit.
Juice of 2 limes (4 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1
garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (for extra
heat, don’t seed the pepper before mincing it)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh
cilantro
2 tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you can
stand it)
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch strips
2 ears of corn
1
large red onion
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 green bell
pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
12 cherry tomatoes
4 large flour or corn
tortillas
Put the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, jalapeño pepper,
cilantro, chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting
lid and shake well. Put the tofu in a shallow pan, add the lime juice
mixture, and marinate in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, for
several hours. Meanwhile, remove the husks from the corn and soak it in
cold water for 1 hour. Drain the corn and wrap in aluminum foil. Grill
for 20 to 30 minutes, turning often, until the corn is lightly charred.
Cut the corn kernels off the cob. Parboil the onion and cut into
quarters. Thread the onion, bell peppers and tomatoes on skewers and
brush with some of the lime marinade. Grill, turning often, until
lightly charred. Place the tofu on the grill, cover with a lid or
aluminum foil and cook, basting occasionally with the marinade, until
the tofu is light brown. Heat each tortilla briefly on the grill. Divide
the vegetables and tofu equally among the tortillas, then roll them up
fajita-style.
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