Beyond Burgers: Exploring Creative Grilling with Unexpected Ingredients
BBQ is a summer staple and everyone should be able to enjoy the tasty deliciousness that the BBQ brings, regardless of their dietary requirements. Vegetarians sometimes find it challenging to fully embrace the BBQ season because, for the most part, BBQ enthusiasts seem to embrace animal-based proteins as their go-to for their masterpieces.
However, this is not the case for everyone! The tide is turning and more and more people are embracing vegetarian options that are cooked as the main dish instead of just a side to be enjoyed with another protein. Plant-based protein and meat substitutes have come a long way since they first came onto the scene and they are great tasting options for the vegetable-inclined.
Best Unexpected BBQ Ingredients for this Summer’s BBQs!
- Miraculous Mushroom
Mushroom steaks and mushroom burgers have long been a classic and a favourite of the vegetarian crowd. Portabella are particularly good for this type of grilling as they are large, juicy, and can be seasoned to perfection. Using olive oil, herbs, and spices, you can transform the already delicious portobello into an out-of-this-world BBQ powerhouse at your next grilling extravaganza.
- Beyond Burgers
The start of all plant-based protein options, the Beyond burger gives plant lovers all of the benefits of a beef burger, without any of the perceived downsides. They are juicy, packed with flavour and even have a similar texture and appearance as beef. Made with pea proteins, olive oil and a handful of other plant-based ingredients, they deliver what was once thought impossible… a sumptuous, delicious burger, without the beef.
- Sumptuous Seitan
Seitan is a chewy, delicious wheat-based meat substitute that is a wonderful option as well. It grills exceptionally well, holds flavour, and marinades beautifully and can be added to a number of dishes to add depth, flavour, and texture. Kebabs, BBQ’d chilies, stir-frys, and straight grilled seitan are great choices for your next summer supper get-together.
- Terrific Tofu
A classic ingredient for vegetarians, tofu can be transformed into a delectable BBQ dish with some marinade and a little BBQ love. Whether you choose to go spicy, tangy, sweet or smoked (or some other delicious combination) tofu does a great job of holding flavours and can provide a delicious alternative main for vegetarians at your grilling event. Remember to watch the cooking time on this as it can go from juicy to dry quite quickly.
- “Probably-the-Best” Pizza Pie
If you have never tasted BBQ’d pizza, you need to stop reading right now and go do that immediately. There is no substitute for the flame-broiled crispy crust that is the result of a BBQ grill. You can put your pizza pie directly on the grill or on a silicone baking sheet and get some of the best pizza you have ever tasted. Thin crust recipes tend to work best for the BBQ but when it comes to grilling pizza on a BBQ, there aren’t really any rules!
Think Beyond Burgers This Summer
BBQ season continues to evolve and there are more options than ever to explore, giving BBQ enthusiasts an expansive culinary canvas to work with, creating BBQ masterpieces that will be talked about for years to come.