Let me tell you about how much I love vegan bbq: A LOT. OK, that’s not so eloquent. We’ve just moved to a new city, for the second time in less than a year, and I’m a little tired. We also just had a dinner in honour of my husband’s 26th birthday, which was the perfect opportunity to haul out my vegetable grilling skills! Grilled vegetables are the most delicious way you can imagine eating a vegetable – and so easy too! I use an all purpose seasoning mix, a good olive oil and an even better balsamic vinegar and everything is works out lovely.
How do you pick a good olive oil and an even better balasamic vinegar? Look for olive oil in a dark bottle, preferably grown and bottled in anywhere but Italy (there’s a big thing with counterfeit olive oils there). As for the balsamic vinegar, it’s a bit like wine- they all taste very different. Try one, see if you like it. If you do – use that! If not, next time buy a bottle that’s a couple dollars more and keep doing that until you arrive at one you love. My favourite bottle (x) costs $10. I tried the next tier (x) up in price and it turns out the cheaper one is what I want. And by want, I mean I’d drink it by the glass if people didn’t look at me so strangely when I suggest that.
Today we’re going to focus on just vegetables, but as the summer goes on, we’ll talk about other things like tofu and veggie burgers and potatoes. It’s summer now (Sorry, Southern Hemisphere-ers) so let’s pull out the barbecue and get going! If there’s a vegetable you’re not super crazy about, but you want to be able to enjoy it, trying a drastically new cooking method is often the way to crack the code. My old nemesis radicchio is now a very good, delicious friend. I grilled red onions, asparagus, yams, radicchio, red peppers, eggplant and zucchini, but you can substitute pretty much any vegetable you like. All my recipes in this post will be for one of each vegetable, but easily increased for how many you’d like to grill!
Leafy Cauldron’s BBQ Spice Mixture
4 tablespoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons coarsely ground peppercorns
2 tablespoon dehydrated onions
1 1/2 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon coarsely crushed coriander seeds
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
In a resealable container, shake all ingredients together. Store sealed.
1 head radicchio, any kind
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tablespoon Leafy Cauldron’s BBQ Seasoning
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzling before serving
Peel away the first couple layers of leaves on the radicchio. Slice in half, lengthwise, making sure to leave the stem in tact. Cut each half into three or four wedges, depending on the size, through the stem so the leaves will stay together on the grill. Drizzle the oil, seasonings and balsamic vinegar over the insides of the radicchio, getting as much in between the leaves as possible. Place on a hot grill (400 to 500 F) for several minutes. Once it has started to wilt, flip and allow to start to char. Once off the grill, drizzle with more balsamic vinegar and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices on a bias
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Leafy Cauldron’s BBQ Seasoning
Balsamic vinegar, for a drizzle
Brush each slice of zucchini with olive oil, sprinkle with seasoning and place on a hot grill. A few minutes on each side, allowing each side to slightly char. Remove from heat, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
1 large eggplant (tips on picking a good eggplant are here)
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Leafy Cauldron’s BBQ Seasoning
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
Slice eggplant into half inch thick half moons. In a shallow baking dish, lay out the slices flat and salt on each side, then let sit for a couple of minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, on both sides until all bits of the flesh are covered. Sprinkle BBQ Seasoning evenly over one side. Place on a hot grill for about four minutes, flipping when the eggplant comes up easily and cleanly. Grill on the other side for several minutes, until the eggplant is soft and the grill marks are defined. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve hot, warm, at room temperature or even cold.
1 large sweet onion, ends cut off and peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
Slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick rounds and season. Brush with oil on each side. Place on a cooler part of the grill, such as the middle and grill on each side, about ten minutes, until caramelized and soft. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.