Hot weather on the weekend means one thing, it’s barbecue time! We all know the ins and outs of a traditional BBQ spread – burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings. However, there is no room to overlook the abundant flavors of vegan and vegetarian cuisine.
With BBQ’s being so traditionally meat-orientated, it may be hard to think of some creative vegan options for the BBQ, aside from the grilled peppers and halloumi!
We spoke with some vegan foodie experts for their advice on hosting the best plant-based BBQ you’ve ever tasted…
Veggie or not, we know you’ll love this Zing Foods, East African Spiced BBQ Aubergine recipe. Talking us through the recipe, founder of Zing Foods, Rina Meneghini, said:
Ingredients
· 1 eggplant split in half lengthways
· 3.5 oz. brown rice
· 1 red onion cut into 8 segments
· 1 tbsp cashews
· 1 tbsp flaked almonds
· A handful of cherry tomatoes
· Coriander
· Zing Foods pepper spiced coconut oil
Method
“Split the aubergine lengthways in half, score and sprinkle liberally with salt and leave in colander for 30 mins. Then wash the salt off with cold water and pat dry.
“Cook on the BBQ skin side down for 15 to 20 minutes – make sure not to burn the flesh side. Dot a ball of Pepper Spiced coconut oil over the two halves to melt.
“Cook your rice and strain, ready to serve.
“In a frying pan, melt a heaped tsp of Pepper Spiced, add the red onion and gently sweat for five minutes.
“Add and gently color the nuts (be careful as they burn easily) and then tip in the cooked rice. Season as required.
“Cut the cherry tomatoes and add to the rice, along with the roasted red onion and chopped coriander. Finally, place your aubergine onto the colorful bed of food.
“I like to add some rocket on top of the rice before I put the aubergines. I then enjoyed it in the sunshine!”
Alongside her aubergine go-to, Rina’s Paprika Spiced Roasted Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Hummus is always a family favorite,
“I love this dish and it doesn’t last very long once husband and teenagers tuck in!”
Serves 6-8
Prep time 10 mins – Cooking time 15mins
INGREDIENTS
· 2 red peppers
· Juice of 1 lemon
· 2 tbsp Paprika Spiced coconut cooking oil
· 8 whole sundried tomatoes in oil
· 14 oz. Canned chickpeas drained
· Salt and pepper to season
METHOD
“Slice the red peppers and roast at 400F for 10mins.
“I roasted them with half a tablespoon of the Paprika Spiced oil on a lined baking tray. Add the sundried tomatoes and chickpeas and cook for further five minutes.
“Add the hot ingredients to blender and top with Paprika Spiced coconut cooking oil and bend for two minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue to blend for another 3-5 minutes until smooth – season with salt and pepper.
“Serve at room temperature for the best flavor!
“I served these with Paprika Spiced roasted pitta chips – simply spread a thin layer of spiced oil onto the pitta and slice into eight or so pieces. Then bake in the oven for about three minutes until the pitta is slightly hard and the oil has melted.”
For all of Rita’s cooking oils, visit her online at https://www.zingfoods.co.uk/
For something a little sweeter, we spoke to Jaqueline Matthews, owner and chef at Seriously Good Brownies, who said:
“I’m vegetarian and swear by the Moving Mountains vegan burgers – they are great for grilling on the BBQ and are bigger than other veggie burger alternatives.
“I love to put lettuce, burger sauce, cheese and fried or caramelized onions on mine.
“Halloumi is awesome for grilling but make sure it’s actual halloumi from Cyprus. When I lived there, there was a woman in our village that made it just for us and seven other families, it was the best.
“You can still buy incredible quality halloumi in the UK these days but check it’s actually produced in Cyprus, not just a squeaky cheese replica. It makes the world of difference.
“Jacket potatoes are great for BBQs – pop in the microwave for nine minutes, then wrap in foil and pop on the grill, turning occasionally. The crispiness of the skin and the flavor is fantastic, top with some grilled vegetables and some sour cream – heaven!
“Don’t forget the brownies for dessert – our brownies are naturally vegetarian but we also do a great selection of vegan brownies.
“We serve ours with locally-made gelato from Noel’s of Warwickshire; they do the best hazelnut gelato I have tasted outside of Italy! Their vegan chocolate hazelnut is amazing too.”
