Have you ever heard the term “Meatless Monday?”

Let me tell you, I hadn’t, until recently. I grill. I grill a lot. My favorite season to grill is “warm.” In other words, if it’s warmer outside than I want my house to be inside, I’d rather grill and leave my house cool. That being said, I will grill at any time as long as it’s not pouring down rain.

Wikipedia defines Meatless Monday as “an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet.”

Here are a few general rules about vegetarian grilling.

Tofu
Tofu is a great meat replacement. With its hearty consistency, you can highlight it on the grill and not miss the meat you’re avoiding.

• Purchase firm or extra firm varieties of tofu for the grill.
• Always press the tofu to remove excess moisture.
• Marinate tofu in any sauce you like from bbq sauce to soy sauce to salad dressing -overnight in the fridge is best. A sauce with sugar will create some yummy caramelization when you throw it on the grill.
• Brush your grill grids with oil because tofu will stick as you cook it.
• Try using shish kebabs for an easier way to cook tofu on the grill.

 

Veggies
You’re probably used to slicing up some onions and throwing them on the grill packaged up in tin foil. Keep your vegetables out of aluminum on Meatless Monday so they can be grilled heroes of the night.

• Slice your veggies in a uniform manner, but keep their surface area as large as possible. This will help them have a similar cooking time but also make it easier to flip them.

• Use olive oil sparingly so your vegetables won’t stick but you don’t have oil dripping into the grill either.
• Season with salt and pepper or your favorite grill seasoning mix.
• For denser vegetables like potatoes, sear them on the main cooking grid and then allow them to finish cooking on the warming rack so they cook all the way through without getting burned.
• Use kebabs or grid toppers to make the job easier.

 

Fruits
Throw some fresh fruit on the grill to bring out the sweetness and add a perfect healthy end to your Meatless Monday

• For the easiest fruit dessert, turn to hard fruits like apples, pears, pineapples and citrus.
• Slice the fruit in the same manner as vegetables – thinly with large surface area.
• Leave the skin on – it will keep the fruit in one piece and be easy to remove after it’s done cooking.
• Soak in cold water with a drop of lemon juice for 20-30 minutes before grilling to keep in the moisture.
• Brush the fruit sparingly with a light cooking oil to keep it from sticking to the grill (the flavor of olive oil is too overpowering).
• Clean the savory bits (from the meat or veggies) off your grill before throwing on the fruit and spray the grid with a light cooking oil.
• Fruit needs no seasoning or addition- just cook on medium until your desired tenderness and serve warm.
• A dollop of ice cream is a perfect end to that hot fruit.
• If you’re feeling adventurous, experiment with nutmeg or cinnamon and alcohol instead of the lemon water marinade. You’ll have a big flare up once you throw the fruit on the grill so beware if you like how you look with eyebrows.

There are so many recipes available for vegetarian meals but not as many that offer meals you can actually cook on the grill. I’m always on the lookout for a good grill recipe to try and you can follow my Pinterest board here. 

For today, though, I’ve compiled some meatless recipes that look absolutely delicious.

Two options for an entree:

Grilled Eggplant and Pesto Burgers

Tofu Kebabs with Cilantro Sauce

Outside the box take on grilled sides:

Caramelized Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salsa

So, how does Meatless Monday sound now?

Think you might try it? If so, let us know!

Happy Spring!!

-GG

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