Grilling Vegetables on Outdoor Charcoal Grills

[adt]

I must admit that for me, barbecuing is about meat fat falling onto hot charcoal and making smoke, etc. etc., but I have vegetarians coming to a barbecue, and am after inspiration for some things I can do that are more imaginative than vegeburgers and meat-free sausages.

I reckon aubergines (eggplants) might have some good barbecuing potential, as well as chillis, peppers etc., and smoked paprika could be a good complementary flavour.

Any advice from experienced vegetarian barbecuers much appreciated...

[Milagai]

I must admit that for me, barbecuing is about meat fat falling onto hot charcoal and making smoke, etc. etc., but I have vegetarians coming to a barbecue, and am after inspiration for some things I can do that are more imaginative than vegeburgers and meat-free sausages.

I reckon aubergines (eggplants) might have some good barbecuing potential, as well as chillis, peppers etc., and smoked paprika could be a good complementary flavour.

Any advice from experienced vegetarian barbecuers much appreciated...

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Do they eat dairy products?

Paneer chunks alternated with various veggies,

all marinated in something good makes a great veggie BBQ.

Baste with ghee, and voila! you get all the animal fat falling

onto coals and making smoke.

Mushrooms are very good too.

Baste anything in ghee or butter, and you'll get that smoke.

Milagai

[CharityCase]

I must admit that for me, barbecuing is about meat fat falling onto hot charcoal and making smoke, etc. etc., but I have vegetarians coming to a barbecue, and am after inspiration for some things I can do that are more imaginative than vegeburgers and meat-free sausages.

I reckon aubergines (eggplants) might have some good barbecuing potential, as well as chillis, peppers etc., and smoked paprika could be a good complementary flavour.

Any advice from experienced vegetarian barbecuers much appreciated...

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Sigh...what do to what to do right?

At the last barbecue I grilled Japanese eggplants that were first flash-baked, hollowed out and filled with eggplant mash/garlic/chili oil and tvp. The result was quite positive but as a carnivore I was enjoying a "Real" sausage and couldn't be bothered with praise.

Depending on the crowd grilled veggies go over well, but some people get pretty damn tired of the same thing over and over. You could always do portabello mushroom burgers (marinate with soy, sesame oil, rice wine..or something like that).

Last but not least buy the best quality veggie burgers and offer lots of good condiments: corn relish, sauerkraut, sauteed onions, roasted garlic mayo, etc.

[lexy]

Tempeh can be nice on the barbeque. Make sure it's oiled, and I find it needs some seasoning, either before (as a marinade), or afterwards (as a sauce or condiment).

I hav'nt tried this myself, but you could barbeque halloumi cheese (I've run across a number of references to grilling it).

Ears of corn go on the barbeque nicely, although I don't think they taste any better (or worse) than ones that have been boiled, so it might not be worth the bother.

I would recommend vegetarian kabobs - you can let people choose what they want to have on their kabob, and then offer a selection of dips. A good option if you're not certain what 'level' of vegetarianism your guests adhere to (or if you have a mix of different kinds of vegetarians).

edited to add: I just read Milagai's post, and I second mushrooms. Stuffed and grilled portabellos can be really excellent.

Edited August 3, 2005 by lexy (log)

[origamicrane]

Fresh shiitake mushrooms.

Skewer and grill them, brush with a little soya sauce and sesame oil.

Aubergines, courgette, peppers, butternut squash, sweet potato, sweetcorn,asparagus, etc

Head to a chinese supoermarket and look for some mock meat or egg tofu.

[adt]

cheers all. flash baking aubergines - how long and how hot? and yes, they do eat dairy, so covering stuff in butter/ghee is doable.

[adt]

Isn't tofu a bit, er, fatless, for barbecuing? I guess if I can get enough oil to stay on it...

[Jason Perlow]

If another British person refers to Grilling as "BBQ" one more time I'm going to fly over that pond and seriously start kicking some Limey ass.

[MelissaH]

This is where pizzas on the grill can be great: everyone gets their own, with whatever they choose on it!

MelissaH

[origamicrane]

If another British person refers to Grilling as "BBQ" one more time I'm going to fly over that pond and seriously start kicking some Limey ass.

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po-tay-to

po-tah-to

hohohoho!!

we speak english, you speak american

[lperry]

Third on the portabellas. You can do a nice balsamic marinade and then top with some cheese (swiss, fontina etc.). With a nice toasted roll, this one can add to a really nice grilled meal.

Also good are individual pizzas on the grill. Get some dough from a restaurant and then grill one side, flip, top with veggies and cheese, close the lid for a few, and you have a great smoky pizza. For some reason, the dough never sticks to the grill - even without oil. I guess it's the high heat? You can do them as small as you need to.

A really nice dish is to take some new potatoes, evoo, salt, pepper, and any herbs you may have, wrap it all up in some foil, and throw the package on the coals under the grate. Mmmmmmmm.

Happy grilling!

-Linda

[adt]

If another British person refers to Grilling as "BBQ" one more time I'm going to fly over that pond and seriously start kicking some Limey ass.

Please do rename my thread, but you'll have to call it "outdoor charcoal grilling", or us Limeys will think you're talking about broiling.

At least I remembered about eggplants...

[origamicrane]

Isn't tofu a bit, er, fatless, for barbecuing? I guess if I can get enough oil to stay on it...

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oh, that where the sweet chilli sauce comes in.

Egg tofu is a mix of egg and tofu (not the same as japanese tamago tofu)

it comes in plastic tubes and you can cut them into rounds.

You not really grilling the tofu

just grilling the edges to give them a little crisp

and caramelising the thai chilli sauce

although usually it gets burnt cause of the sugar in the sauce

but when didn't you eat some carbon at a bbq?

[carswell]

Charcoal-Grilled Vegetables: a Primer.

[origamicrane]

If another British person refers to Grilling as "BBQ" one more time I'm going to fly over that pond and seriously start kicking some Limey ass.

Please do rename my thread, but you'll have to call it "outdoor charcoal grilling", or us Limeys will think you're talking about broiling.

At least I remembered about eggplants...

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aubergine

"we can get some tinnies and chuck a few shrimps on the barbie, mate"

[adt]

Egg tofu is a mix of egg and tofu (not the same as japanese tamago tofu)

it comes in plastic tubes and you can cut them into rounds. 

ah, I see. all I know about is silken tofu and firm tofu (the latter being the kind the man brings to borough market in his bicycle trailer!), are these both forms of tamago tofu??

are there any other names the egg tofu goes by, to help me find it in an oriental supermarket?

[chantal]

Gosh there's been like 10 posts and no vegetarian bashing yet ? That's gotta be a record! How about some entertainment value?

How about tofu satay. Marinate and grill it then make a nice Peanut butter coconut milk sauce. Better yet, here's a linky.

Grilled Jerk Corn is always good. The satay with rice and grilled corn, and maybe a few grilled onions. Sounds good to me anyway.

[origamicrane]

Egg tofu is a mix of egg and tofu (not the same as japanese tamago tofu)

it comes in plastic tubes and you can cut them into rounds. 

ah, I see. all I know about is silken tofu and firm tofu (the latter being the kind the man brings to borough market in his bicycle trailer!), are these both forms of tamago tofu??

are there any other names the egg tofu goes by, to help me find it in an oriental supermarket?

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There's actually a thread about siken tofu in the japanese and chinese forums.

Basically tofu firm and soft is the same thing just different states rather like water and ice

Tamago tofu isn't tofu at all its actually just steamed egg whites.

Where as egg tofu is a blend of egg whites and tofu and is a little firmer then normal tofu.

It called Egg tofu in the london chinese supermarkets i should have a picture somewhere i post it once i located it.

[DTBarton]

Some of our favorites:

small to medium zuchinnis and yellow squash. Cut in half, brush with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill. Serve with fresh basil.

Vidalia onions. Peel onions and cut a cone shaped hole at the root end. Fill the hole with butter and Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Wrap in foil and bake in the oven for at least an hour at 350, until onions are getting soft. Finish on the grill with more butter and Worcestershire to get nice grill brown. You can cut these in half (a whole one is a big serving) but it's harder to keep them together on the grill. You do get more browning area, though.

I think grilled corn is worth the trouble if you have good sweet corn. Roll the shucked ears around over hot coals until they get nice and toasty brown at the tips of the kernels. Serve immediately with melted butter, lots of salt and pepper, and crucially, fresh lime wedges to squeeze over. The more adventurous might like chili powder as well.

Fresh tomatoes. Cut small to medium tomatoes in half and gently get out some of the juice and seeds without mushing the tomato halves. Brush with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill to get nice browned places and serve with chopped basil, grill toast and fresh mozarella

[therese]

Agree, sweet corn the grill's the bomb.

Also made of corn, if not what most people think of as a vegetable, is polenta: sliced into slabs big enough to not fall through into the heat source, of course.

Eggplant and onions (choose broad ones and slice in half) both easy and tasty.

Okra can be skewered (thread them onto two skewers to keep them from spinning) and grilled. Only if you like okra, of course.

[chantal]

Some of our favorites:

small to medium zuchinnis and yellow squash.  Cut in half, brush with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill.  Serve with fresh basil.

Vidalia onions.  Peel onions and cut a cone shaped hole at the root end.  Fill the hole with butter and Worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Wrap in foil and bake in the oven for at least an hour at 350, until onions are getting soft.  Finish on the grill with more butter and Worcestershire to get nice grill brown.  You can cut these in half (a whole one is a big serving) but it's harder to keep them together on the grill.  You do get more browning area, though.

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That sounds great but worchestershire sauce isn't vegetarian. It's got anchovies in it. Some vegetarians eat fish, but a lot don't.

[carswell]

Just remembered a tasty, vegetarian-friendly grilled sandwich published in the Globe and Mail a few years back. It appears that's not the only place, as Googling the title turns up several hits. Here for example: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Spread.

[Pam R]

If another British person refers to Grilling as "BBQ" one more time I'm going to fly over that pond and seriously start kicking some Limey ass.

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What about a Canadian? I often say I'm going to BBQ something... not grill it.

I don't think I have much more to add to this. Grilled corn is fantastic - but take the husks and silk off first - that way it gets all caramelized. Mushrooms tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh garlic are always good... zucchini (corgettes?), onions, asparagus, bell peppers, endive, fennel - it's all good. I often toss all the prepped veggies with salt, pepper, olive oil, fresh herbs and sometimes an acid (vinegar or lemon juice) and let them marinate for a little while before grilling.

Edited August 4, 2005 by Pam R (log)

[sanrensho]

What about a Canadian?  I often say I'm going to BBQ something... not grill it. 

Invariably, I find that my fellow Canadians refer to a gas grill as a BBQ. Now, maybe it's because my family never used an outdoor grill (just a tiny hibachi), but I've never referred to it as anything but a grill.

Jason, time to drive north and teach these people something about BBQ.

[Episure]

In addition to meats, this is what I make for my vegetarian guests. Some of them are so finicky that I have to cook their stuff before I 'contanimate' the grill with animal stuff.

Paneer, Onion, Green Pepper chunks in tandoori marinade.

Other options are Potatoes, Aubergines, Okra, Cauliflower (my fav! )...

Couldnt take the picture after grilling as the stuff didnt have time to pose.