| Yes, it's true, vegetarians can enjoy barbecues | | | | barbecue taste though, it is a good idea to cook |
| too! If you are a meat-eater with some | | | | for a few minutes without foil at the end, until it |
| vegetarian guests coming round for a barbecue, it | | | | looks char-grilled. This is one way of cooking corn |
| is very easy to rustle up some tasty vegetarian | | | | on the cob, an essential part of any barbecue for |
| food. There are also some more challenging | | | | meat-eaters and vegetarians. |
| options for the vegetarian host or the brave | | | | Lots of other vegetables, such as mushrooms, |
| carnivore!Option number one for vegetarians is to | | | | peppers and onions, work well on a barbecue, but |
| cook some shop-bought veggie burgers or | | | | can be quite fiddly to work with. The classic |
| sausages. If it's a 'bring your own meat' barbecue | | | | option is to thread vegetable pieces on to |
| this is probably what vegetarians will bring. Now, | | | | skewers to make vegetable kebabs. A quicker |
| some people hate meat substitutes, but most | | | | way is to use a barbecue 'wok' or grill pan (try |
| vegetarians quite like them, and will be quite | | | | Lakeland), which you can place on top of the |
| happy with a veggie sausage, particularly with | | | | barbecue and keep all your vegetable pieces |
| some good relish and salad in a bun. | | | | together. Then you can easily cook smaller |
| However, there are lots of other things you can | | | | vegetables without them falling through onto the |
| cook for vegetarians which will be a little more | | | | barbecue, while retaining that barbecue flavour. |
| impressive - and more than likely the meat-eaters | | | | This is also a simple way of keeping vegetarian |
| will like them too. Halloumi cheese is always | | | | food separate from meat. |
| popular, and very easy to cook. This is a firm | | | | A good accompaniment for all your guests is to |
| cheese that doesn't melt when cooked, so you | | | | brush some slices of baguette or ciabatta with |
| can slice it, or cube it and stick it on skewers, and | | | | olive oil and seasoning, and grill on each side until |
| cook over the barbecue until browned on the | | | | golden brown. If you wrap a whole garlic bulb in |
| outside, and soft on the inside. If cooking on | | | | foil and barbecue until the cloves are soft, you |
| skewers, you could alternate cubes of halloumi | | | | can squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves |
| with cooked new potatoes. | | | | and spread it on the bread. Garlic roasted like this |
| Grilled vegetables are another good option, as | | | | becomes much milder and sweeter. |
| they really taste of 'barbecue'. For something | | | | For the really ambitious, why not try making your |
| slightly unusual, try brushing thick asparagus | | | | own veggie burgers? Then you can have |
| spears with olive oil and grilling for about 5 | | | | complete control over the ingredients and will feel |
| minutes, until browned in places. You can also | | | | very satisfied with your creativity. There are |
| easily grill aubergine or sweet potato slices (1-2 | | | | loads of recipes for different kinds of veggie |
| cm) or courgettes (halved lengthways), having | | | | burgers, but typically you could use mashed beans |
| coated them in olive oil and seasoning. You can | | | | or lentils as a base, and add any kind of cheese, |
| also grill whole aubergines on the barbecue, having | | | | chopped onions, nuts, herbs or spices for |
| pierced them in several places with a fork. When | | | | flavouring, breadcrumbs to help make it a bit |
| they are soft you can scoop out the inside and | | | | more solid, and beaten egg to help bind it. Then |
| spread it on some bread, or use it to make an | | | | simply grill it! You may have to experiment to get |
| aubergine dip. | | | | a burger that doesn't fall apart too easily - if you |
| Wrapping vegetables in foil prevents charring, so is | | | | are worried, start by cooking it on foil or a baking |
| useful if your vegetables tend to burn on the | | | | sheet, and finish up with a few minutes directly on |
| outside but are raw inside. For an authentic | | | | the barbecue. |