VEGAN BARBECUE FOR JULY 1ST AND 4TH

Happy Canada Day (July 1st), and Happy 4th of July! (I can celebrate both, as a dual citizen!) Both holidays are often celebrated with a barbecue. What can a vegan serve (or bring) that will knock the socks off the omnis? Read on! I'm sharing an idea for a vegan kebab, two homemade killer barbecue sauces, and a yummy vegan burger.



Breast of Tofu Kebabs with peppers, mushrooms and onion. I had soaked the extra-firm tofu cubes in the Breast of Tofu marinade for several days, anticipating a meal such as this. I just threaded them on skewers with the veggies, slathered on my Bourbon BBQ Sauce (see recipe below) and grilled them, serving them on a bed of Basmati rice. (Or, alternately, you could serve them in some sort of flatbread, such as pita.)

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SO GOOD (AND EASY) BOURBON BARBECUE SAUCE
Yield: About 3 1/4 cups
Jack Daniels is vegan, by the way!

2 cups ketchup (can be organic kind)
1/2 cup molasses (your favorite)
1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbs vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs Indonesian or Chinese or Thai chile sauce (no fish)
2 Tbs cider vinegar
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic granules
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. liquid smoke

Mix all of the ingredients together in a pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Place in a covered jar and refrigerate.

Servings: 13

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 96.1 calories; 2% calories from fat; 0.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 92.9mg sodium; 399.1mg potassium; 21.0g carbohydrates; 0.6g fiber; 15.9g sugar; 20.4g net carbs; 0.9g protein; 1.8 points.

© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2005

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PS: Sorry about the poor quality of the pics-- used an old camera.

Now, if you are in the mood for burgers, here's a good one:


If you prefer to serve these on a bun, check out the homemade vegan bun recipes at this blog post.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S MUSHROOM-TEMPEH BURGERS
Makes 9 burgers

DH ordinarily dislikes tempeh, but he loves these. They are moist and tasty. I usually double this recipe and freeze leftovers. I use a food processor and/or mini-chopper to mince everything finely, which saves alot of time. The pre-steaming of the burgers cooks the gluten and keeps the burgers moist. After they are cool they can be browned in a non-stick pan or a flat sandwich grill. I have been working on this recipe off and on for a few years, and it first appeared in my newsletter, the Vegan Feast.

TVP Mixture:
1 cup textured soy protein (TVP) granules
7/8 cup boiling water mixed with a vegetarian broth cube, powder or paste for 1 c. broth
1 Tbs soy sauce

Steam-Fried Mixture:
1/2 Tbs olive oil or roasted (Asian) sesame oil
water, broth or dry sherry for steam-frying, if necessary
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
6 oz raw mushrooms, minced finely
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs yeast extract (Marmite, Vegemite, etc.) OR 2 T. red or dark miso
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Tempeh:
8 oz tempeh (I prefer the milder 5 or 7 grain tempeh), thawed and crumbled
1 Tbs soy sauce

Additional Ingredients:
1 cup well-cooked cooked bulgur wheat (preferably fine or medium or #1 or 2)
(See Cooking Tip below)
1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme and marjoram, or other herbs or spices that you like
1/3 cup pure gluten flour (Vital wheat gluten)
1/2-1 tsp liquid smoke (OPTIONAL)

1.) In a large bowl, mix the textured soy protein with the boiling water, broth cube, and 1 T. soy sauce. Let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.

NOTE: FOR THE STEAM-FRIED MIXTURE, I mince the garlic in a food processor, then add the onion, chunked and mince it well. After I empty that out, I mince the halved mushrooms in the same processor container-- you don't need to wash it first.

2.) STEAM-FRYING
Stove-Top Option: Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic til the onion starts to soften, adding a bit of water, broth or sherry as needed to keep the mixture from sticking.

Add the mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in the tomato paste and Marmite or miso, and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool quickly for a few minutes.

Microwave option: This saves time and effort, so it's the one I use. Place the onions and garlic in a microwave-safe pie with the oil, and cover. Microwave 5 minutes. Stir in the minced mushrooms and microwave 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Marmite or miso, and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool quickly for a few minutes.

3.) Crumble the tempeh into a bowl and stir in the 1 T. soy sauce. Mash it with the tines of a fork, mixing well.

4.) Add the bulgur, herbs, and optional liquid smoke, if using, to the soaked TVP mixture. Mix in the tempeh and the cooled sautéed mushroom mixture. Mix well.

5.) When the mixture is on the cool side (you can spread it on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer for a few minutes for a quick cool-down), add the gluten flour (don't add it to a hot mixture, or it will be” stringy"). Mix well again.

6.) Divide the mixture into 9 / 1/2-cup balls and pat into patties (4" across) with wet hands. I pat them down on a parchment-covered cookie sheet to get an even shape.



7.) Steam over simmering water for 20 minutes. (See photos of steaming arrangements below. I line the steamer with cooking parchment, with holes poked in it with a bamboo skewer.) Place on cookie sheets and chill thoroughly before stacking with sheets of waxed paper in between and refrigerating or freezing in a rigid plastic container with a tight lid.






The steamed burgers before they are browned.

8.) To brown, use a non-stick pan with a bit of olive or toasted sesame oil, or a flat nonstick sandwich grill. Serve on buns, or on their own with a favorite sauce or gravy.

Serves 9

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 138.9 calories; 22% calories from fat; 3.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 221.3mg sodium; 329.5mg potassium; 13.4g carbohydrates; 1.5g fiber; 1.4g sugar; 14.7g protein, 2.8 points.

Cooking Tip:

To cook bulgur wheat-- use a fine or medium grain bulgur. Bring 1 cup bulgur to a boil in a small saucepan with 2 cups water and a little salt. Turn down to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Use leftovers for a dinner grain side dish, like rice.
© Bryanna Clark Grogan; Jul/Aug/Srep 06 Vegan Feast

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Now, if you want a delicious barbecue sauce on your burger, try this one:



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SOUTH CAROLINA GOLD BBQ SAUCE

I didn't know about this sauce until I read a mystery novel by Kathy Reichs (I'm a life-long and avid mystery novel reader), whose character resides both in South Carolina and Montreal. She mentioned bringing the precious golden mustard-based BBQ sauce to Montreal with her. That intrigued me. I found many recipes-- all different. This is the one I worked out for myself. I have nothing to compare it with (no one's ever heard of it in my neck of the woods!), but everyone who tastes it goes crazy over it!

NOTE: The character in the show "Bones" is supposed to be taken from the one in Ms. Reichs' novels, but, trust me, that show bears no resemblance to the books!!

1 Tbs roasted (Asian) sesame oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 jar (8 oz. or 250 mg) smooth Dijon mustard
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup veggie broth
1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce (or more to taste)
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried crumbled thyme
freshly-ground black pepper to taste


Heat the sesame oil in a small skillet and sauté the onions, stirring frequently, over medium heat until softened.

Combine all the other ingredients except the bay leaf in a medium saucepan with a whisk. Stir n the onions and add the bay leaf. Bring to boil. Turn down and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf. Pour into a jar, cover and refrigerate.



Servings: 10
Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/4-cup serving): 108.3 calories; 20% calories from fat; 2.6g total fat; 0.1mg cholesterol; 481.6mg sodium; 146.8mg potassium; 21.3g carbohydrates; 1.0g fiber; 16.3g sugar; 20.2g net carbs; 1.6g protein; 2.2 points.

© Bryanna Clark Grogan; The Vegan Feast/ Aug/Sept 05

Enjoy the holidays!