Vegetarians + bbqs = fun in the sun

With the Memorial Day weekend approaching, thousands of Americans will be heading out to the beach, the countryside or local parks. Amongst their number will be a good amount of vegetarians, and seeing as we don’t just hang out with each other, we’re going to have to find something that we can eat alongside our carnivorous companions. Here’s the thing, too; I don’t know about you, but I don’t find eating faux meat products, like soy burgers or the like, either terribly interesting or satisfying.  So, I’ve come up with a few ideas that you might want to try out. Watch out, though - everyone’s going to want to try these, vegetarian or not!

Green Onions and Aioli

One of the things I like about cookouts is the ease of preparation. This is a great one, as all you need is a large bunch of green onions (you’ll need about six – eight a person), some aioli (if your supermarket doesn’t sell this, normal mayonnaise will be fine) and some soft white rolls. Put some oil on the onions, slap them on the grill, turn them every few minutes so they don’t burn too much, and there you are. They’ll be done in five to ten minutes, depending on how hot your coals are, just cut one in half; it should be gooey and sweet in the middle. Put them on some bread, with the aioli, and there you are! You could also try this with asparagus; it’s a bit fancier, though, and you’ll need to use a lower heat due to the delicacy of the flowers.

Halloumi

Halloumi is a Greek hard cheese that will grill without melting. You can either cook it in half inch slices, or on in chunks on sticks of rosemary with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, or other vegetables of your choice. Either way, rub with a little oil first, and cook on the grill until the cheese develops a nice char. If you’re using the slices, either serve on a bun with some chopped parsley and some balsamic, or with a green salad.

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

Try to find a few that are the same size, so they they’ll all cook at the same rate. There are a few things that you can do with them; the most basic is to cover with a bit of oil, maybe putting some chopped garlic into the gills to add some flavor, and then just serve as you would a burger. Another idea is to get two smaller ones, and remove the stems. Take some grated cheese, something like fontina that will melt well, and some chopped garlic, and pile it into the cap of one of the mushrooms. Put in a very small splash of white wine, and then put the other mushroom on top. You can either wrap this in tinfoil, or, if you’re feeling more daring, just put them straight onto the grill. Careful when you turn them, mind!

So, those are three quick and easy suggestions. Share yours below!