An Easy Elegant Spring Meal Idea

There is nothing better at this time of year than reaping the benefits of the season with lots of fresh spring fruits and vegetables. Our omnivore counterparts will barbeque their desired fish and meats, sometimes year round, but often forget that meats and fish are not the only foods that can be grilled.

Vegans barbeque vegetables; lots of them and our selections vary depending on the time of year. Because Canada imports foods from all over the world, we too can enjoy the flavourful grill year round but especially as we come into the finer weather which brings with it local produce.

When we are rushed for time, there is no need to haul a slab of meat from the freezer to thaw; we just look in our crispers to see what we have in there that is fresh and barbeque worthy. Some of my favourites for grilling are asparagus, mushrooms, peppers of every colour, zucchini, tomatoes, Belgian endive, eggplant, onions (green or white), carrots, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, corn and squash.

The easiest way to cook these is directly on the grill (depending on how they are prepared), skewered or in a grill basket (available at most retailers who sell barbeque supplies). Personally, I don’t overly season or sauce my veggies because I like to savour the taste of them without being overpowered by barbeque sauce. I will lightly season them with smoked salt or gently marinate them in an Italian salad dressing or light teriyaki sauce. We usually only use four or five veggies at a time, depending on what’s available, on a lightly oiled grill and pretty quickly we have a feast fit for any palate.

I keep skewers available to make shish kebabs with mushrooms, chunks of zucchini, peppers and onions all lightly basted in Italian dressing and served alongside a quinoa pilaf and a couple of beefsteak tomatoes halved and grilled with smoked salt. Tasty and nutritious! Remember, variety is king and less is more when it comes to marinades and sauces.

For dessert a fresh fruit salad topped with a dollop of CocoWhip (available from Spud) and you have a delicious, complete meal worthy for any calibre of dinner guest!

Susan Hollingshead

Susan is our resident vegan. She’s been a vegetarian for 20 years, and a vegan for 3. She has researched both lifestyles extensively and is constantly exploring new recipes, add her own twist. She is a long time Spud customer, and now our very own resident vegan blogger!