We had a few friends over on Sunday afternoon to enjoy what might be the last dregs of summer…barbeque style in our garden (where there’s a grill and a picnic table). So what do vegetarians grill? And how do you do it so it’s not just a bunch of vegetables on a skewer without flavor?

The Indian version

time: best if marinaded over night

♥ equipment needed: a grinder, gallon sized ziploc, skewers

ingredients:

• 1 Yellow pepper
• 1 Red pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 portabella mushroom
• 1 Block of store bought Paneer* (feel free to make it yourself. I just didn’t have time)
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2T Ginger paste
• 1 T Garlic paste
  
• 1 T cumin
• 1 T corriander
• 1/2 T turmeric
• 1-2 dried chilis
• 1 T black peppercorns
  
• olive oil
• a squirt of honey*
  

♣ the method

Grind up the cinnamon, cumin, corriander, peppercorns & chilli in to a powder.  Throw into a ziploc bag. Add turmeric, honey and olive oil to the bag (enough olive oil so it makes a paste that will coat the veggies. The honey makes the marinade stick to the veggies).  Cut up the veggies & the paneer into large blocks (bigger so that they don’t fall apart when cooked) and throw those into the bag.  Zip the baggie, and shake, shake shake! Throw into the fridge over night.

The next day, skewer them and grill them until the zucchini starts to wrinkle, the paneer is brown, and the veggies are soft.

The Italian Skewers

♥ equipment needed: a gallon sized ziploc, skewers

ingredients:

• portabella mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 5 basil leaves
  
• 2 T garlic paste
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• a small squirt of mustard*
• splash of white wine (not required)
• a splash of orange juice*
• honey
• fake meat if you want (we like Field Roast “Sausage” cut up into bits).
  

Mix the balsamic vinegar (to taste), olive oil, mustard, garlic paste, orange juice, wine and honey into a baggie.  {it’ll be trial and error to get exactly the flavor you want from the marinade. just adjust). Cut up the mushrooms into chunks (or leave whole and don’t skewer).Put those into the baggie with the onions and the fake meat if you’re including that. Stick it all into the fridge.  Skewer, then grill.

* sorry, I know this sounds like a recipe an Indian aunty (or my mom) would give you in terms of not measuring…but I didn’t measure ;). I’ll try to do that next time.