Light Up the Grill!

There are few things in life more exciting for a foodie, than the first lighting of the grill. Actually, we lit the grill many times before this beautiful meal you see here to your left, but you know what I mean!

It's funny to think that for so many people, grilling and BBQ = meat, because there are soooo many more fun things you can do with veggies and other protein options on the grill than meat!

For instance, take this gorgeous dish, Orzo with Lemon-Grilled Asparagus and Tofu Feta. I made this from our yummy book, The Vegetarian Grill. I haven't made a bad dish out of this yet, but perhaps that's because I bought it for my husband, and I have just too many cookbooks! At any rate, this included a wonderful citrus-olive oil marinade for the asparagus, which were grilled to perfection, along with a red pepper, roasted over the grill until black and then peeled. I NEVER buy jarred roasted red peppers! They are just too easy to make, especially in the oven. This dish was the perfect melding of flavors, especially with the tangy Tofu-Feta that I made the night before, using a recipe from How it All Vegan! Thank you, Sarah!
My weekly protein and veggie-packed lunch consisted of a nice, mild white bean spread, which contained the secret ingredient of raw cashews. This was from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan (ED&BV). I have tried almost everyone one of her hummus and spreads! I had to add some liquid to get it to more of a spreading consistency.








Here it is, hidden underneath a pile of carrots, red peppers, green leaf lettuce and summer squash strips. I then wrapped it up in the biggest lavash bread wrap I have ever seen. I love to buy these at BJ's, because they have no funny chemicals in them, and actually contain some good stuff like flax!










Now, with my husband out of town for a little bit, I will have some time to play around with more exciting dishes.... For instance, here is tonight's meal, Dreena's Thai Chik-Un Pizza from ED&BV.

Can I tell you just how easy and amazing this was? I used a whole grain Rustic Crust, then topped it with the spicy peanut sauce, followed by smushed chickpeas, red peppers, fresh pineapple (soooo much better than canned, don't you agree??), and then after it had cooked a bit, green onions. Out of the oven, I sprinkled on cilantro, bean sprouts, and chopped raw cashews (didn't have any peanuts on hand).

Now, you tell me - do vegans eat well or what?? Keep checking in for more tasty temptations this week, as I continue having fun with meals on my own (meaning, I can have coconut milk and fruit in hot dishes!) as well as some desserts for my monthly Veg Group. Here's to my last two weeks of teaching...at least for now!