Tattooed Watermelon

Yes, it's a thing. It's what happens when you grill watermelon; it makes it look likes it's been tattooed. But it's delicious. You can't see the tattoos on ours in the picture, but the faint lines are there!

Tattooed Watermelon

Slice a watermelon into thick slices. Brush with some olive oil (but not too much! You don't want it greasy!), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium high heat about 2 minutes per side. Watch it carefully. If it gets too hot, the liquid will gush out, and nobody wants that! Serve. Enjoy!

Fruit Kabobs

I'm not sure anyone in my family is partial to cooked fruit, but these kabobs changed their minds.

Fruit Kabobs

Apples, bananas, kiwis, peaches, and pineapple, all peeled and cut into chunks
Strawberries, stems removed
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. lime juice
1 t. cinnamon
Brandy, optional

Thread fruit onto skewers (if wooden, soak first). Mix the oil, sugar, lime juice, and cinnamon together, and brush on the fruit. Grill over medium until just starting to brown. Watch closely, because they can burn quickly! Once they are off the grill, if you are so inclined, drizzle on some brandy. Serve. Enjoy!

Grilled Tofu with Mango

If you've never grilled tofu, you really need to try it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Grilled Tofu with Mango

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed in boiling water, pressed dry, sliced into triangles
1 T. dark sesame oil
2 T. tamari
1/2 t. black pepper

Place tofu in a shallow dish and rub both sides with black pepper and brush both sides with the tamari and the sesame oil. Cover and let marinate overnight. Over a medium hot grill, grill the tofu about 3-4 minutes each side. Serve with a mango slaw.

Mango Slaw

1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 T. tamari
3 T. sugar
1 T. sambal oelek
1 t. mirin
2-3 mangoes, peeled and sliced into strips
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Mix the vinegar, tamari, sugar, sambal oelek, and mirin together until blended. Let set about five minutes for flavors to blend. Add mangoes and cilantro and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve alongside grilled tofu.

Jerk Kabobs

Summer's here and the time is right for...grilling. Gosh how my family loves to grill! They often go for the tried and true, but every now and then I can convince them to try something new or different. Like these kabobs...

Jerk Kabobs

One red onion, cut into chunks
One yellow, green, or red bell pepper (or all!), cut into chunks
One zucchini, sliced into thick coins
Whole mushrooms
Cherry or grape tomatoes
1 t. thyme
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. cayenne
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. black pepper

Mix all the spices together. Thread the vegetables on skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, like we do, soak them in water first. Once all the skewers are threaded, brush the kabobs with olive oil, then sprinkle on the spices, being sure to to coat well. Cook over a hot, oiled grill, about five minutes per side, or until done. Serve. Enjoy!

Fruit and Pasta Salad

My husband Loves. The. Beach. If we owned a beach house, I'd probably never see him for most of the year. When we go, we spend the day, so naturally food is an issue. We like to pack picnic type foods, and plenty of them. This one was particularly tasty.

Fruit and Pasta Salad

One package noodles (I used seaside shaped pasta)
2 c. cooked chick'n (I just used one package of Delight Soy Nuggets), cut into bite sized pieces
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. grapes, halved
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
1 11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 8-oz can diced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 c. vegan ranch dressing
1/4 c. vegan mayonnaise
1 t. Beau Monde seasoning

Cook the noodles according to the package, drain and rinse. Mix the pasta in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix well to coat. Cover and chill overnight. Stir again before serving. Enjoy!

Cauliflower and Pea Salad

Holidays are the perfect time for potlucks and picnics. And salad dishes are well suited to hot weather get togethers. This one was a big hit with my family recently.

Cauliflower and Pea Salad

One head of cauliflower
One package of frozen green peas
Onion, to taste (I took a red onion and chopped it up, then divided into thirds)
1 t. dill
1 c. vegan mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Cook the peas in boiling water, briefly (about one minute), drain, and rinse in cold water, drain again. Mix the cauliflower, onion, dill, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Gently stir in the peas until well coated. Chill several hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Grilled Lemon Chick'n

I love tofu. I really do. I've made some absolutely scrumptious dishes with it. But sometimes I like to try using some of the meat substitutes.

Grilled Lemon Chick'n

One package chick'n of choice
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. lemon zest
1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. paprika

Place all ingredients in a ziploc baggie and marinate overnight. Grill the chick'n until heated through. Serve. Enjoy!