Category Archives: grilling

Grillfry!?

Posted on August 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

the quest for new ways to use my grill never ends. i like to roast peppers on it, cook sauce on it, and now i also like to stir fry on it- or essentially pre-cook my veggies and then sauce them with asian inspired flavors post-grill. either way, it keeps me out of a stuffy kitchen and lets me take in the beautiful weather after a long day in the salon. i have tons of thai basil growing in my garden, and i whipped up a thai-inspired pesto that i used to blanket crunchy squares of grilled tofu, and crisp vegetables from the farmers market.

Thai Basil Pesto

makes about 1 1/4 cups

2 cups packed Thai Basil

1 shallot

1 clove garlic, on the big side

1 tbs gluten free soy sauce

1 tsp chili paste, like sambal olek

2 tbs toasted sesame oil

canola oil

black sesame seeds

combine the basil, shallot, and garlic in a food processor. pulse until coarsely chopped. add the soy, chili paste, and sesame oil and turn the machine on. stream in enough canola oil to make a saucy paste. saucy paste?! i have no other way to describe it. it wont be smooth and saucy and heavy on the oil, but it wont be dry either. transfer to a bowl and fold in 2 tbs black sesame seeds.  use asap.

thai basil pesto

thai basil pesto

 

dan's secret sauce

dan’s secret sauce

my hubby makes a killer spicy sauce for green beans. one day i’ll shake it out of him so that we can all benefit from its presence in our lives.

p.s. for the best grilled tofu you need to first asses what kind you have before you; it it super water logged, even for extra firm- like naysoya? you’d know because when you make tofu scramble it shrinks considerably in the pan. or, maybe you have the giant bricks of wildwood exta firm tofu, that could double as a door stop it’s so dense?

if you have the former, it’s best to freeze it until solid, followed by thawing, and finally pressing the daylights out of it. all it’ll need is a light mist of cooking spray before getting slapped on the grill. i never marinate tofu because i enjoy it’s flavor, and the freezing method renders it way too absorbent to be marinated.

if you have the latter, just slice and grill! if you try to flip it too soon it’ll tear, but give it a solid 5 minutes and it will release. oh, still give it a light mist of cooking spray first.

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Posted in food porn, Gluten Free, grilling, whats for dinner?

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Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

Posted on July 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

Dan hit up the farmers market last saturday and came home with a wealth of cheap produce, including about 5 pounds of small waxy potatoes that needed to be put to use! We normally just split, season, and grill them, but I was craving something cool and creamy. We also had a bag full of basil left over from a friends CSA share, so I thought I’d combine them to make a creamy, pesto spiked potato salad! We’ve been  eating this for a few days now, and I think it had the best flavor on day 1, so whip this up when you have a potluck to go to!

Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes

2 c loosely packed basil

1/4 c finely minced white onion

1/4 – 1/2c veganaise

2 tbs water

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 c sesame seeds- or whatever nuts you have around

1 tbs sunny paris blend, or similar type seasoning

2 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Halve your potatoes and place them in a pot with enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and cook until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, rinse gently under cool water, and chill while you make the dressing. Place the onion, and the Sunny Paris blend in a large bowl. In your food processor, combine the sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, and the basil, and pulse until a coarse paste forms, adding the olive oil to help bring it together. *Normally i’d use pine nuts, but I was out of everything but sesame seeds, so i just used those. They were subtle but delicious! Now, with the machine running, add in the first 1/4 c of vegan mayo and combine. If you want a lighter calorie count, thin to your desired consistency with water- it won’t kill the flavor. Otherwise, if you want a pronounced mayo flavor, add the other 1/4 c of veganaise in. Or, if you want to saucy, do both! Add salt and pepper to taste and fold into the cooled potatoes. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

grill-a-thon!

grill-a-thon!

i forgot to take a picture of the potato salad on it’s own, so here it is swimming in a sea of delicious grilled food!

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Posted in Gluten Free, grilling, side dishes, Uncategorized, whats for dinner?

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Barbecue Madness!

Posted on July 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’ve decided that I’m going to try to capitalize one post and see if it kills me. :)

As you read earlier, I love having new spices to play with; I also love condiments of all kinds, but some i think never need to be purchased as long as you have a few   simple ingredients kicking around your pantry. I always make barbecue sauce on the fly, utilizing either ketchup (ghetto style) or tomato paste, vinegar, and sweetener as my base, but this is one of the first times I’ve documented the ingredients. It’s one of the simplest and most praise-garnering additions you can bring to your next cookout or gathering, and it makes a great gift for newlyweds. My newest incarnation is sweet, smoky, and tangy thanks to tamarind paste and blended chili powder, and it dresses up tofu and veggie burgers like a pro without overwhelming. If you like your sauce extra spicy, add 1/4 TSP or more of cayenne pepper- it’ll add heat without adding heavy flavor.

Tamarind Laced Barbecue Sauce

1 6oz can tomato paste

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/4 c  + 2 tbs agave nectar

1 tbs molasses

2 heaping tsp tamarind paste- I use Tamicon in the yellow jar

1  tbs  Arizona Dreaming or similar chili powder blend

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp + freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a saucepan and place over low heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Let cool before pouring into a glass mason jar, use within one week.

Tamarind Laced Barbecue Sauce

Tamarind Laced Barbecue Sauce

Another summer staple that’s sure to please; garlicky herbed ‘butter’ thats a step up from your usual grilled corn topper. This also makes  great croutons/toast, and is delicious over potatoes and broccoli too! We also shook a little Rawmesan over the top and it was divine!

Herbalicious Garlic Butter

2 TBS earth balance

2 TBS olive oil

1-2 large cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1 TSP Penzey’s Sandwich Sprinkle or similar seasoning blend

1 TSP nutritional yeast

2 pinches dill

black pepper

Start by combining the earth balance, oil, and garlic in a small sauté pan. Heat until just bubbling, and simmer until the garlic just barely turns golden. Remove from the heat, and let cool for ten minutes. Strain out the garlic, and mix in the rest of the spices, adding pepper and salt to taste. Use a basting brush to spread over hot ears of grilled corn, or other veggies.

Herbalicious Grilled Corn

Herbalicious Grilled Corn

I couldn’t really take a satisfying picture- dried herbs don’t turn everything green like fresh ones do, so i’m going to attempt this again when my garden it extra frilly!

Speaking of, look at my grocery store!

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Posted in dips and such, Gluten Free, grilling, spices, Uncategorized, whats for dinner?

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Arepas stuffed with BBQ Jackfruit!

Posted on June 5, 2012 | Leave a comment
bbq jackfruit arepas

bbq jackfruit arepas

people!- i totally wrote the BEST post ever about yesterdays dinner and i accidentally deleted it. i am so bummed right now! ugh. it was something about how arepas are the new tacos, and how i was trying to replicate a pull pork and avocado torta that the hubby used to eat as a child, and then WHOOPS, deletesville, population 1. excuse my lack of wit as i try to re-type the recipe without going bonkers. the arepa dough is the same basic recipe as viva vegan’s, and pretty much the same recipe on the bag of masarepa that i bought- i think all you need to shoot for is a texture similar to “heavy mashed potatoes”. now if only i had another stuffed arepa to shove in my mouth to take away the agony of my first ‘lost’ post!

xoxoxo

jen

BBQ Jackfruit Stuffed Arepas

makes 6

you will need

2 cups masarepa- i use harinaPAN

2 c warm water

1/2 tsp salt

2- 20oz cans young green jackfruit in brine- rinsed, gently squeezed, and rinsed again

1/2-3/4 c vegetable stock

1 c of your favorite barbecue sauce

hot sauce, avocados, veganaise, and limes for assembling.

first, make your jackfruit! start by heating a few tablespoons of oil in a large cast iron skillet. add the jackfruit and brown on all sides. now, add in the vegetable stock and simmer while mashing with a potato masher or a fork until it shreds and begins to resemble pulled pork. pour in enough barbecue sauce to coat and simmer until completely absorbed and set aside.

now for the arepas! preheat the oven to 35o and start heating a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. place the masarepa flour and the salt in a large bowl. pour in the water and mix either by hand or with an electric mixer until a slightly sticky, heavy dough forms. if needed, add extra flour or water to achieve the proper consistency. divide the though into six balls, and flatten each one into a ‘biscuit’. lightly oil your skillet before placing the arepas in it, and cook them until browned on both sides, turning once. when finished, pop them in the oven and bake for roughly 10 minutes per side- you’ll know they’re done when they sound hollow when tapped. you can also take this time to put the jackfruit shreds on a second baking sheet and put them in the oven too to help firm up the texture by drying out extra moisture.

when the arepas are barely cool enough to handle, split them open 3/4 of the way through and give them a little smear of veganaise before stuffing with avocado slices and jackfruit. sprinkle with lime, salt, and hot sauce before devouring.

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Posted in Gluten Free, grilling, mexican, sandwich, sexay nom nom nom, whats for dinner?

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Random Dinners, aka explanatory food porn

Posted on April 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

hi! i’ve been busy this month planning The Hive Salon’s birthday party but i scrounged up a few decent pictures of dinners that i’ve had, and the random ingredient notes that accompanied them!

grilled portobellos and steamed veggies

portobello caps marinated in red wine and balsamic vinegar before grilling on a cast iron pan. cauliflower roasted with coriander, salt and pepper, steamed green beans and peppers, mashed sweet potatoes, and creamy onion gravy. to make the gravy i cooked down two minced yellow onions, and then pureed them before adding to equal parts vegetable stock and almond milk. i seasoned the sauce with a little dijon mustard, white wine, salt, and pepper. simple!

polenta, greens, grilled tofu, walnut mushroom mix

this was a more labor intensive meal- but so delicious! i made some polenta with vegetable stock and a pinch of turmeric to intensify the color, and poured it into square 9×13” cake pan to cool. after it firmed up i cut it into squares, brushed it with oil and then grilled them. i topped them with steamed kale, grilled tofu, and mushrooms that were cooked down with caramelized onions, walnuts, and thyme. while i did all the busy work i let a bottle of fig infused balsamic vinegar reduce by half, and then spooned it over the top.

potat

potato spinach leek soup

this was super easy as well. cube up 2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes and reserve half when done. to the pan add 3 large thinly sliced leeks, one large diced white onion, and a few cloves of garlic. cook until soft and add 4 cups vegetable stock. toss in 3-4 handfuls fresh spinach, and puree with an immersion blender. add 1-2 tbs nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, and a teeny bit of thyme/rosemary, or if you’re a fan, dill. don’t season too much or you won’t taste the leeks! now, add the rest of the potatoes back to the pan and add enough almond milk to reach your desired consistency. serve with fried leeks on top for crunch (rolled in chickpea flour).

yay! if you didn’t see my last post, i’m on instagram posting damn near everything i eat at Jendo612, and i pin on pinterest under thehivesalon!

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Posted in 3 part epic!, food porn, Gluten Free, grilling, sexay nom nom nom, soup, stew, whats for dinner?

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More Porn!

Posted on January 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

i guess there were more food pictures on my camera! enjoy!

stew!

delicata squash, kale, carrots, chickpeas, and leeks floating in a lightly seasoned broth

TLAT Salad!

TLAT salad, but with kale and smoky eggplant strips instead of lettuce and tempeh bacon. on the side are GF flax crackers with raw cashew cheese

4-part epic!?

tarragon and balsamic grilled portobello cap, roasted mashed sweet potatoes, grilled peppers and string beans. i marinated the portobellos in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, braggs, dijon mustard, and tarragon. i reduced the marinade with white wine to make a simple pan sauce.

 

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Posted in 3 part epic!, dips and such, food porn, Gluten Free, grilling, sexay nom nom nom, soup, stew

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food porn! the fall catch up series

Posted on December 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

winter has finally set in, and with it comes the lack of blogging motivation that only 4:30 pm sunsets and 9 degree winds can inspire. on the plus side, it also inspires the more laborious side of kitchen handiwork; i make raised breads, pounds of seitan, fresh pastas, and every roasted root vegetable i can get my little mitts on. with the hubbs working most sundays, i can cut loose in the kitchen for hours, hollering along to my favorite stations on pandora (today, willie nelson!) and cook up a weeks worth of meals while simultaneously keeping the house toasty warm. one a side note, since the hubbs is gone most sunday mornings, we make up for it by having brunch for sunday dinner! breakfast + dinner = dinfast? brinner?

lentil tacos and mexicali roasted veggies from 'skinny bitch, ultimate everyday cookbook'

tortilla rice soup- maybe from epicurious.com?

myself (r) and fellow seitan worshipper "Tanya Lasagna" (lol, image dimensions are 500x666, what a coincidence)

thanksgiving prep station, complete with half eaten bahn mi!

sexy cranberry, pecan, wild rice and breadcrumb stuffing

Tasagna's awesome slippers

stuffing and rolling our roulades

thanksgiving, vegan style

clockwise from lower center; maple glazed yams and sweet potatoes with pecans, green bean casserole with cream of onion soup and fried onion topping, seitanic roulade, herbed stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry raspberry relish.

tempeh tarragon, broccolini, cashew cream scalloped potatoes

tempeh tarragon, broccolini, cashew cream scalloped potatoes

barbecue tofu, cripsy polenta, and braised kale. yes, i routinely drink coffee with lunch :)

wild mushroom rissotto from 'skinny bitch ultimate everyday cookbook.

wild mushroom rissotto from 'skinny bitch ultimate everyday cookbook.

simply decadent.

coconut red curry with baked tofu

spiced delicata squash, tempeh sausage crumbles, braised kale and some sort of cranberry-leek-quinoa concoction

pickled hot peppers from our garden!

maple pecan pie from 'vegan pie in the sky'

tarragon seitan

Manhattans in my grandmother’s vintage glassware

rosemary rolls rising in my cast iron pan

seitan tarragon stew

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Posted in 3 part epic!, baked goods ect, casseroles, cookbooks, food porn, grilling, salad, sexay nom nom nom, side dishes, soup, stew, todays lunch, whats for dinner?

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Food Porn: Grillmania

Posted on August 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

summer’s coming to a close, and sad as it may be,  the dip in temps and humidity are allowing me to stay outside longer-which means more dinners on the grill. here’s a few goodies we’ve thrown together with minimal effort.

eggplant sliders!

eggplant sliders!

sliced baby eggplants dredged in toasted garam masala and smoked salt, grilled, and topped with grilled portobellos, tomato, hummus, and veganaise.

tempeh melt!

tempeh melt!

marinated and steamed tempeh finished off on the grill, covered in caramelized onions, green peppers, and cashew cheeze sauce.

thanksgrilling!

thanksgrilling!

i had acquired a field roast (funny how that happens), and a fridge full of collards so i  grilled a mini thanksgiving feast of sorts! i shredded my collards and put them in an aluminum baking pan, dressed them with garlic, liquid smoke, oil, red wine vinegar and ‘secret’ (aka i forgot what they were) spices. i put a foil lid on top, and let them sizzle away while i grilled my “log” roast (thanks dad).

log!

log!

QPTWBBBB

QPTWBBBB

“Quite Possibly The World’s Best Black Bean Burger”. soon to be known as “The Worlds Best Black Bean Burger”, once i tweak the recipe slightly. served alongside is my killer chipotle potato salad. recipes coming soon!

bbq seitan

bbq seitan

i dont remember what is in the foil, but i remember the seitan! i made a “white trash bbq sauce” out of pantry remnants: ketchup, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, brown sugar, tapatio- mixed to taste with some onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper.

tofu and zucchini

tofu and zucchini

my secret to grilling tofu is to cut it at least 1/2″ thick, and pressing it for 20  minutes before brushing with oil/marinade. letting grill marks appear around the edges before you attempt to flip it will also help prevent tearing or crumbing the tofu.

boo boo!

boo boo!

my bff boo enjoys a little sunbathing from the safety of his leash :)

so, what are your favorite vegan things to grill?

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Grilled Ratatouille

Posted on August 8, 2011 | 1 Comment

there have been two consistent occurrences in my life these past few weeks; one is that it’ll be hot as blazes with ridiculous humidity, and the second is that i’ll buy up everything cute at the farmers market on sundays.  you could set a watch to it. i’ve been maintaining by grilling out as often as my work schedule allows, and i’ve been trying to make as many different concoctions as possible. if there’s one thing i get asked besides “what do you eat?”, it’s “what do you grill?”, and “vegetables” as a response tends to get you the evil eye. most people, vegan or not seem to think that there’s no life beyond meat, seafood, corn, and potatoes when it comes to grilling- but i made tonight’s meal entirely (minus the pasta) on the grill, and not a single meat analogue was in sight. i highly recommend a la chamba pan, or a cast iron skillet with high walls in creating this smoky sauce, but the la chamba will be far easier to maneuver on the grill top. this also would have been exceptional with a couple grilled portobello caps mixed in, so feel free to go for it. i served mine over Pasta Alley Whole Wheat Itallian Herb Fettuccine that i picked up at the minneapolis farmers market- they have gluten free pasta, too!

Grilled Ratatouille

serves 6

5 small eggplants, peeled and halved (slightly smaller than a baseball)

8 whole heirloom tomatoes

3 medium zucchini, halved

2 red onions, diced

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 c tomato sauce, juice, or leftover gazpacho (i had the latter)

4-5 medium bell peppers, diced

This is super fun!

get your grill preheated. i have a charcoal grill and i used one overflowing chimney starter full of natural wood coals. dump them in the center and spread out a little. place your pan on the side of the grill, and toss in the onions with a tablespoon of canola oil. arrange the eggplant and zucchini around the pan. the onions will be alright with some inattentive stirring, so keep an eye on the char on the veggies. if they start to burn you can always close the vents a bit.

la chamba on the grill

once the eggplant and the veggies are looking deep brown with little bits of char, either remove them from the grill, or push them to the edge. by now the onions should be very soft, so add the bell pepper. stir often.

if you haven’t already removed the zucchini and eggplant, do so once they’re soft.

place your tomatoes over the hottest part of the grill and char each end and immediately remove to a cutting board. using a large fork and a bread knife, cut the stem ends off, halve, slice into quarters, and remove to the pan. i found it best to do 2-3 tomatoes at a time.it’ll give the previous ones time to caramelize a little before the next addition. once all of the tomatoes are in, stir them until they bubble and reduce a little. add the garlic.

giving the tomatoes extra flavor

saucy stuff

now you can toss in the tomato juice/sauce/gazpacho, season with salt, pepper, and any other spices you’d like.

chop up the eggplant and zucchini and stir in. simmer for 5 minutes and you’re ready to serve!

dinner!

^grilled baguette with cashew cheeze! nom!

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Posted in can be Gluten Free, Gluten Free, grilling, pasta, whats for dinner?

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