This year has been spectacular so far, and we still have half a year left to go! For a major holiday, Matt and I hosted a barbecue for local family members… and we had a BLAST.
Best thing? The meal (at least on my end) was entirely vegan!
Of course, we had your normal barbecue fare as well — Matt grilled up some carne asada and chicken sausages for himself and just about everyone else — but I was easily able to have a fulfilling and festive meal while maintaining this vegan experiment.
(I did slip up once… more about that later today or tomorrow.)
Anyway, here are some of the recipes I used during this, my vegan Independence Day BBQ!
Mini Portobello Tacos
(To create your own taco “bar,” set out some of your favorite taco toppings and allow your guests to dive in. Of course, you can add/omit anything you want, but be sure you have enough for your guests to “make it their own way”! This recipe is suited specifically for vegans, but I had some other family members eying my mushrooms… 
)
Ingredients
* soft tortilla shells (make sure they’re vegan)
* portobello mushroom caps, pre-marinated with some olive oil and minced garlic
* guacamole (you can always make your own!)
* pico de gallo
* thin-cut lettuce
Method
1. Grill your mushrooms on medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. You’ll know one side is done when there are defined grill marks and the mushrooms are browned.
2. Slice each mushroom into strips.
3. Prepare your taco: Fill a tortilla shell with portobello mushroom strips and your desired amount of guacamole, pico, and lettuce.
4. Wrap up and dive in! (That’s what she said…)
Cucumber Dill Salad
(SO fresh and light for summer. Your guests will go crazy for this one!)
Ingredients
* 4 cucumbers, cut into 1/2″ cubes
* red onion, julienned
* dill (fresh is best, but dried will work, too)
* 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
Method
1. Place cucumbers and red onion in a large bowl, stirring to incorporate. Add dill to your liking (a fine dusting will typically do), then the lemon juice, and stir again to incorporate.
2. Allow to marinate in the fridge about 30-60 minutes. Stir before serving.
Grilled Pineapple with Coconut
(Those of you with a major sweet tooth will love this recipe. It’s sweet, savory, and just a hint of POW ALCOHOL that is bound to make anyone roll their eyes back in delight.)
Ingredients
* 4-5 slices fresh pineapple (we ended up using a whole pineapple!)
* 2 tbsp. dark rum
* 2 tbsp. agave nectar
* 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
1. In a bowl, whisk together rum, agave, and lemon juice until well blended. Toss pineapple in until well coated, and allow to marinate for about an hour in the refrigerator.
2. Fire up the grill on medium heat and place down some aluminum foil.
3. Coat the pineapple with coconut on both sides, then place them on the grill, flipping once. Each side should be grilled about 8 minutes or until coconut is well toasted.
Red, White, and Blue-berry Dairy-Free Ice Cream Pops
(These were a huge hit. HUGE HIT. Seriously, I got compliments all over the place for them. Too bad I can’t brag and say they were zOMG SO DIFFICULT.)
Ingredients
* vanilla soy ice cream, left out a bit so REALLY soft
* 1 pint fresh strawberries
* 1 pint fresh blueberries
* vanilla Joe-Joe’s (or equivalent)
* agave nectar
* Dixie cups and popsicle sticks, for assembly
Method
1.Place the Joe-Joe’s in a Ziploc baggie. With a rolling pin (or a fist!), pound the cookies until they are pretty crumbly. Add the cookie crumbles to the ice cream and stir to incorporate.
2. In the Dixie cups, add a small layer of vanilla ice cream with cookies to the bottom. Stick in the freezer to freeze for about 30 minutes.
3. In that time, puree the strawberries, adding a touch of agave (if needed, for additional sweetness) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it a bit creamier. Remove the cups from the freezer and add a layer of strawberry puree. Allow to freeze for about 30 minutes.
4. Remove the cups from the freezer and add a layer of vanilla ice cream/cookies. The strawberries will likely be frozen at this point, so you can stick a popsicle stick through that layer. Allow to freeze for 30 minutes. (See a pattern here?)
5. In that time, puree the blueberries, adding a touch of agave (if needed, for additional sweetness) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it a bit creamier. Remove the cups from the freezer and add a layer of blueberry puree. Allow to freeze for about 30 minutes.
6. Finally, remove the cups from the freezer and add a final layer of vanilla ice cream/cookies. These can finally freeze until guests arrive and their mouths are watering.
7. To remove the pops from the cups, warm the cups a bit with your hands, and pop ‘em right out!
Surveying the awesomeness!
OMG! Mmmmm!
The only thing I wouldn’t eat is the pineapple things, and that’s because I don’t consume alcahol; any ideas for a non-alcaholic substitution?
Oh, and do you mind if I grab recipes you post to put on my recipe blog (http://ziglerrecipebook.blogspot.com)? I find them easier to find if they’re all in one place, so I typically grab recipes I like and stick them on there, but I thought I should ask first.
Oh, absolutely! I imagine that just having the agave and lemon juice would work; the alcohol is simply to make it that much sweeter. (FTR, I’m not a huge fan of dark rum, and that flavor did stick around. It was delicious and everyone loved it, but I thought it was a mite bit overpowering. Buuuuut, since I don’t like it too much anyway…
)
And of course you can!! I saw the other day that you had one, and many of them look INCREDIBLE. I can’t wait to try some of them, and you can add as many from here as you’d like!
Thanks!
And a wonderful time it was, with very good food and wonderful company. Thank you!!! Hugs. (I think I was one of the ones eyeing the mushrooms!)
Everything was wonderful Honey. I am going to keep these recipes along with the one you gave me for the tofu stir fry. YUM!! Best of all, dad and Matthew will eat it too.
Thank you, and Matt, for the wonderful visit.
Love you two.
Mom
XOXO