I ate vegetarian for a while, and perhaps the most annoying thing about it was going to a barbecue and seeing that a plain-Jane-veggie-burger-from-a-box was my only option for dinner. Now dont get me wrong, a veggie burger can make a mighty fine meal. But when my meat-eating friends were enjoying smoked ribs slathered with homemade barbecue sauce, I felt like my meal was simply an afterthought.
But thesedelicious vegetarian recipes for the grill are anything but afterthoughts. Who needs ribs when you can have Black Bean & Hominy Succotash with Barbecued Portobello Mushrooms (see recipe below) topped with its own delicious sweet-smoky sauce. Or a hearty Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich, with a fraction of the fat and calories you find in your standard breaded-and-fried eggplant Parm. My go-to vegetarian option is tofu in Pirate Marinade, fragrant with orange juice, allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Every time I make it I get requests for the recipe from vegetarians and meat eaters. For the best flavor, let it marinate overnight.
Black Bean & Hominy Succotash with Barbecued Portobello Mushrooms
Here smoky-flavored grilled mushrooms are served over a black-bean-and-hominy succotash. Serve with: Cornbread and an avocado-and-tomato salad.
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 large portobello mushroom caps, gills removed (see Tip)
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
1 small red bell pepper, cut into quarters
2 ears of corn, husked
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked or hot paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 15-ounce can hominy (see Shopping Tip), rinsed
1 10-ounce package frozen baby lima beans, cooked according to package directions
6 teaspoons prepared barbecue sauce
6 teaspoons toasted salted pepitas (optional)
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Brush tops of mushrooms caps and both sides of zucchini and bell pepper with oil. Grill along with corn, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes for the mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper and 8 to 10 minutes for the corn.
3. Whisk vinegar, brown sugar, paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large skillet. Add the grilled mushroom caps and turn to coat. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board.
4. Meanwhile, cut corn kernels off the cobs and cut the zucchini and bell peppers into 3/4-inch pieces. Add to the marinade in the pan along with black beans, hominy, lima beans and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the succotash is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Slice the mushroom caps and serve on top of the succotash. Garnish with a dollop of barbecue sauce and pepitas (if using).
Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 251 calories; 6 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrate; 10 g protein; 9 g fiber; 559 mg sodium; 806 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Potassium (23% dv), Selenium (17% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv).
Tip: The dark gills found on the underside of a portobello mushroom cap are edible, but can turn a dish an unappealing gray/black color. Remove the gills with a spoon, if desired.
Shopping Tip: Hominy is white or yellow corn thats been treated with lime to remove the tough hull and germ. Canned cooked hominy can be found in the Latin section of large supermarkets near the beans or at Latin markets.
By Carolyn Malcoun
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