I have already confessed to you that I love to grill food. It is a primal urge that can only be satisfied with the smell of burning flesh. Now don’t get all excited, the flesh of crisp vegetables grilling can be just as gratifying as meat. Besides, I would bet that most early cultures ate more grilled vegetables than meat. Vegetables move slow and are easy to hunt with a flint-tipped spear. I mean come on, how often did a caveman or woman whip up woolly Mammoth steak?? It’s not like you could just drive up and order a plate of brontosaurus ribs and have some car-hop bring them to you only to have the ribs tip over your car?? Oh wait; you could do that in Bedrock. I mean, over a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, I spent many a Saturday morning watching Fred Flintstone getting his rib on. But I was never able to find Bedrock on a map, and I understand that brontosaurus ribs are high in trans-fats. So my primal urges need to be satisfied with something else. Instead, this next recipe, or group of recipes, can satisfy that need for charcoaled goodness. It is carnilicious because it satisfies in a way that makes you forget the need for grilled animals. You can get all the smoky flavors you desire without the added fat and cholesterol. It is simple to prep, doesn’t cost a whole lot, and clean-up is pretty quick. Plus, you will be able to make the neighbors crazy with envy as the smell of grilled vegetables wafts over the fence. Anybody can grill a steak, but it takes finesse to perfectly grill a vegetable. Make sure you make extras because you might find someone knocking on your door looking for a free dinner. So with that being said, I present GRILLING OUT – VEGAN STYLE.
Ingredients
- 1 Large Tomato (top cut off, leaving about ¾)
- 1 Tbs. Rice Parmesan Cheese
- ½ Tsp. Dried Thyme
- 1 Tbs. Panko Bread Crumbs
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Large Vidalia Onion (peeled and quartered)
- 1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube
- 2-3 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (sliced thick)
- 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp. Dried Thyme
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Water
- 1 Lbs. Fresh Okra
- 3 Tbs. Olive Oil
- 2 Tbs. Greek Seasoning
Instructions
First, you need to tackle the onion. The goal is to get it baked down nice and soft. To do this, take the onion and place it on a sheet of aluminum foil. Crumble the bouillon cube over top of the oven. Then wrap up the onion tightly. I then use an extra sheet of foil to double wrap it. As it bakes, the onion’s liquid will seep out, mix with the bouillon, and create beautiful onion gravy. If you don’t seal your foil properly, all that juice will leak out. Once you are wrapped up tight, place the onion in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. If you can squeeze the onion then it is done. If the onion feels a bit firm let it cook a bit longer.
Next par-boil your potatoes. Place your potato slices in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place them on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Once you see the first bubbles in the water, remove the pan from the stove and drain off the water. Allow them to cool. Then drizzle them with olive oil and season with garlic and onion powders, thyme and salt and pepper. I just put everything in a large zip-lock bag and toss to coat. Plus it makes clean-up a breeze. Set aside.
Now go out and start your grill. You will want medium high heat to cook the rest of the veggies. From here take your okra and place it in a zip-lock bag. Add in the oil and Greek Seasoning. Close the bag and toss to coat the okra with oil and spices. Set aside.
Now take the tops off your tomatoes. I usually make a small cavity in the top of my tomato to ensure that all the toppings stay on it. After cutting your tomatoes, mix the cheese, thyme, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside for later.
Now get to grilling. First place your potatoes on the grill and cook them about 2-3 minutes a side. Once the spuds have nice grill marks on both sides, set them on the coolest spot on your grill. You can leave them here and let them bake so to speak while you cook everything else. Then add the tomato, open side down on the grill. Cooking for 2-3 minutes on this side, then flip the tomato (skin side down) to the cool spot on the grill along with the potatoes. Sprinkle the tomato top liberally with the cheese mix. This mix will get nice and browned as it bakes with the potatoes.
All that is left is the okra. Place them on the grill carefully as you don’t want them to fall into the fire. Rotate the okra about every 1-2 minutes until you get them nice and golden brown. A little blackening around the tips is not a big deal as this just adds more flavor…I promise.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/vegan-grilling/
Bring everything back into the house. Serve each person a tomato, some okra, some potatoes, and a quarter or two of your onion. As I said, make sure you make extras because if the neighbors don’t come over, your family just might ask for seconds. Longer Letter Later. Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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