3 easy vegetarian BBQ dishes

As the weather starts getting better and more days are bright and sunny we naturally start thinking about enjoying the great outdoors and taking advantage of the beautiful countryside.

One of the best ways to do this is to hold a barbeque where you can get friends and family together to enjoy great food and celebrate the good weather. Unfortunately as a vegetarian being invited to a BBQ can be a bit of a worry, especially if it’s an invitation from someone who might not realise that I don’t eat meat.

Luckily there are lots of great meat-free options for vegetarians which can be cooked or prepared for such an occasion, like these three recipes from Real Foods, which use bold flavours and fresh ingredients to make delicious dishes that even meat-eaters will enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy BBQ Tofu

• 300g plain firm tofu, sliced into 1cm slices
• 200ml BBQ sauce
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp chilli sauce
• 1 tsp crushed chillies

1. Whisk together the BBQ sauce, tamarind paste, chilli sauce and crushed chillies to create your marinade.
2. Place the tofu slices in the marinade making sure to coat both sides well.
3. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
4. Put the tofu on the BBQ and grill for 4 or 5 minutes on each side.
5. Serve hot with a side salad or grilled vegetables.

BBQ baked sweet potatoes

• 8 medium sweet potatoes
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 spring onion, sliced

• Prepare your potatoes by rubbing each one with little oil and salt, then wrap them in foil.
• When the coals on the BBQ are glowing red, put the foil-wrapped potatoes directly on them.
• Cook for 30 minutes, turning half way through.
• Test the potatoes are cooked all the way through before peeling back the foil, cutting each potato in half.
• Top with a spoonful of yoghurt and a few spring onion slices.

BBQ Grilled portobello burgers

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 large portobello mushrooms
• 2 toasted ciabatta rolls
• Sliced red onion
• Sliced tomato
• Rocket leaves

1. Make your sauce by combining the mustard and vinegar.
2. Brush half of the mix over the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
3. BBQ the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes on each side.
4. Grill the tomato slices on the BBQ for around 1 minute.
5. Apply the rest of the mustard sauce over the buns.
6. Build your burger by stacking the tomato slices and mushroom followed by the red onion and rocket.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Whether you eat meat or are plant-based like me, there are some BBQ safety tips to remember when cooking over fire. Take the time to be safe!