Vegan Cooking Tips
Quick and Easy Ideas for Quick and Easy Ideas for Grilling
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
Backyard barbecue, hibachi on the patio, electric grill on the stove\u2026 Who doesn't like some sizzle? Select your ingredients to be grilled, choose your flavor profile, gather your utensils, preheat your cooking equipment, and you're ready!
There are many ready-to-grill vegan options, such as burgers and roasts. If you'd like to use your own ingredients or ingredients in season, here is a fast guide.
Tofu or Seitan
Purchase extra-firm tofu for grilling; other tofu varieties won't hold up well on the grill. Plan ahead and press the tofu for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. (This can be done overnight, in the refrigerator, if you like.) Pressing extracts water and makes tofu firmer. If you would like to marinate the tofu, do this after the pressing. To prevent crumbling, cut thick slices (about 3 inches) or large cubes. Preheat your grilling surface, spray or rub with a small amount of oil, and then grill away! This technique works with seitan as well. If using seitan, the pressing step is not needed.
Vegetables
Grilling vegetables brings out the sweetness and adds a smoky dimension. Make a double batch when grilling vegetables and store in the refrigerator to use in soups, pastas, rice and grains, or sandwiches and wraps.
Slice vegetables of choice if they are large or thick, such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, or Italian eggplant. Smaller vegetables, such as Asian eggplant, cherry tomatoes, green onions, or mushrooms, may be grilled whole. Rub with an oil, and herb and spice mixtures. If you would like a softer grilled vegetable, create foil packets and allow the veggies to steam on the grill.
You can grill corn on the cob, too. Pull the silk away from the cob, leaving the husk on. Ensure the husk covers the corn. Soak whole ears of corn in cold water for about 10 minutes. Shake off excess water and place corn on the grill. Allow to grill until one or two of the kernels burst. Husk and enjoy!
If you would like to "kebab" vegetables, select small, whole vegetables, such as button mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Cube or thickly slice larger veggies, such as summer squash or onions. Bell peppers and chilies can be deseeded and then sliced to add to a kebob. Try to have all the vegetables on one skewer close in size so they cook evenly.
How about a grilled salad? Remove the outer leaves from a head of romaine, cut in half lengthwise, and brush or spray with oil. Grill, cut-side down, for about 3-4 minutes, until pleasantly charred. Serve hot, with your favorite dressing, or cut into a summer salad.
Grilled Dessert
Ripe but not really soft peaches and nectarines can be grilled. Preheat the grill and have a metal pan and foil ready. Cut fruit in half and remove the pit. Place halves, cut-side down, on the grill and cook for 2-4 minutes, until just hot. Place in metal pan, cut-side up, cover with foil, and allow continuing cooking on the grill for about 10 minutes. This completes the cooking without having the fruit burn.
Purchase fresh pineapple slices, or peel, core, and slice your own. If you like, you can brush with a cinnamon-maple syrup mixture. Grill each slice for about two minutes, flip, and grill for one more minute. This works well with just-ripe mangoes, as well. For a bit of "sweet and savory," you can sprinkle a very small amount of chili powder on the grilled fruit.
