My 2 Favorite Vegetarian Barbeque Dishes

The Weber Gas Grill hubby ordered off Amazon.  DH and son put it together in a snap!

Thanks to our relatively-new Weber gas grill, we've been having fun barbequing this summer. Now, this weekend, we have a dear friend coming over and he happens to be a vegetarian. At first, I was a little flummoxed. I mean, outside of kabobs and salads, what other veggie-only dishes are there, especially ones that can be grilled? I searched files old and new and came up with these two that are sure to please vegetarians and meat-lovers alike:

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:

4 portobello mushroom caps                       

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon each of dried basil & oregano

4 slices provolone cheese (although swiss is fine)

salt & pepper to taste

Place the mushrooms, smooth side up, in large Ziploc bag. In a bowl, mix together the vinegar, oil, and spices. Pour over the mushrooms and let marinate, at room temperature, for about 15 minutes. Make sure you turn the bag every once in a while so the marinade seeps into the mushrooms.

Preheat the grill on medium-high and brush the grate with oil. Place the mushrooms on the grill and save some of the marinate for basting. Grill the caps for between 5 and 8 minutes on each side until they're nice and soft, brushing often with the marinade. Just before you take the caps off the grill, top with the cheese and let it melt for a minute or so.

Winnie's Brussel Sprouts (named for my aunt)

Ingredients:

12 – 15 medium brussel sprouts (I've used frozen ones instead of fresh - see below)

½ teaspoon onion powder (optional)

5 tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons salt

Clean and trim the sprouts by cutting the ends back. Score the bottoms by making an X. If using fresh sprouts, place in boiling water for about 4 minutes. If using frozen ones, just prepare according to directions. Drain and place in a bowl; drizzle with oil before tossing with onion powder and salt. Then place them on a hot grill and turn them every 3 minutes for a total of 12. Place back in the bowl and add the parmesan cheese. Honestly, if meat-lovers are present, I'll add some bacon bits(jarred – I'm too lazy to make them) just for them. LOVE the bacon!

Will the kids eat these? Well, my veggie-hating son really likes the portobello burgers while my cheese-loving daughter enjoys the sprouts. I'm also grilling halves of iceberg lettuce which I'll top with blue cheese dressing (with bacon bits, again, for meat eaters). Lastly,a dessert of grilled pineapple topped with vanilla ice cream...or just ice cream since my kids won't touch pineapple.  

These are easy dishes which let me visit with my company, not just serve them. Summer is supposed to be fun for the hosts and well as visitors. These recipes are simple, nutritious and mean we can spend time outside...and with each other. Bring on the weekend!