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Meaty or meatless, everyone loves a barbecue |
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Meaty or meatless, everyone loves a barbecue
Everyone loves a barbecue, including vegetarians. Barbecues (BBQs,
barbies or braais depending on where in the world you are) are almost
perfect social gatherings, where you and your favourite people hang out
in the fresh air, shoot the breeze and prepare to eat delicious food.
Any occasion can be celebrated with a BBQ:
• Major (or minor) sports events
• Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, home comings, going away etc
• The fact that it’s Friday or Saturday, or Sunday, or Monday …
BBQ aficionados develop specialised techniques that they swear by, and
won’t deviate from, under any circumstances. Some incorporate marinades
or spice cocktails, others will only use wood, or only charcoal, while
others combine the two. Wood users can be further subdivided by the wood
they choose. Hickory, maple, apple, cherry and oak are favourites as
they add to the flavour of the food cooked. Conifers also contribute to
the flavour, but in an undesirable way and are generally avoided.
Outside gas grills or barbecues are used quite frequently in the UK and
US, but tend to be shunned by Southern Hemisphere countries (Australia,
New Zealand, and South Africa). They’re viewed as too easy and clean,
and they don’t impart the full smoky flavour that is the essence of a
good braai.
The phrase, “You don’t know what you’re missing”, is one that
vegetarians hear all too often when it comes to outdoor cooking. Meat
eaters think that they own the BBQ market and pity those who can’t
appreciate a good piece of meat fresh from the barbie. In fact, people
dread inviting vegetarians to a BBQ because they don’t know how to feed
them. Vegetarians, meanwhile, roll their eyes and quietly go about
sorting themselves out.
The truth is that you can cook anything on fire. Vegetable skewers, made
from aubergines, courgettes, mushrooms and sweet peppers, are easy to
make, and taste divine when barbecued. Instead of roasting veggies, take
the same mix, wrap it in tinfoil and stick it on a fire for 40 minutes
and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Even brussel sprouts,
that much maligned vegetable, get a new, smoky twist that make them out
of this world edible.
Experiment with marinades and spices that can be applied to vegetables
as well as meats. When it comes to vegetarian barbies, your imagination
is your only limit, and if you’re truly stuck, try some old standbys:
stick a corn cob and a couple of potatoes (sweet as well as regular) on
the grill. Your veggie guests will appreciate the effort.
Braais needn’t only be reserved for main meals and savoury dishes.
Grilled pineapple and brown sugar is delicious, so is BBQ’d banana, you
can even leave them in their skins. Serve with a little ice-cream and
you’re laughing. What could be easier?
For fun in the sun (and rain) you can’t beat a good barbie. So raid the
fridge, light a fire and tap into the good life.
Recommended sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/cookingtipstools/qt/vegbbq.htm
http://www.toptastes.com/features/grill/veg.htm
About Author
Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers DeckPro deck and patio builders Leaders in
the field of decking and patio construction.
ArticleTrader.com |
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Braai recipes 
There’s nothing better than sharing a traditional barbecue with family
and friends. Meaty steaks, breasts of marinated chicken, spicy sausages
and delicious lamb chops … all sizzling over a glowing, charcoal fire.
Add to this a cold beer, a glass of wine or a fresh fruit juice and
you’re in heaven!