Three vegan barbecue recipes that will convert even your carnivorous guests

From irishexaminer.com

Mushroom and black bean burgers, crispy gnocchi and barbecued potatoes

Catering to vegetarians and vegans during barbecue season can be daunting to the uninitiated, but thankfully, Rukmini Ayer is here to help. Her book The Green Barbecue has 75 easy to follow recipes that promise to pique interest in even the most committed meat-eaters. “I’m not sure there’s anything nicer than cooking and eating outside,” she says. “With good company, perhaps a dog or two, or even just contemplatively cooking a dish for yourself, it’s incredibly satisfying to break cooking down into its simplest components – one heat source, and a bit of food."

Recipes extracted from The Green Barbecue (Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In) by Rukmini Iyer (Square Peg. Photography by David Loftus

Crispy Gnocchi on a stick with charred peppers and basil pesto

Forget about threading just plain old vegetables on a stick – here, you intersperse veg of your choice on skewers with just-blanched gnocchi for crisp, flavoursome perfection

Servings 4

Preparation Time 15 mins

Cooking Time 4 mins

Total Time 19 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1 x 500g packet of gnocchi

• 3 mixed peppers, chopped into gnocchi-size pieces (don’t use green peppers)

• 2 tbsp vegan basil pesto

• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing

• a pinch of sea salt flakes

• a good amount of freshly ground black peppercorns

• 8–12 skewers, soaked if wooden

• For the dressing:

• ½ lemon, juice only

• 4 tbsp vegan basil pesto

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• a pinch of sea salt flakes

Method

1. Tip the gnocchi into a bowl of just-boiled water, and leave to blanch for 2 minutes, then drain and run under cold water to cool.

2. Put the gnocchi into a large bowl with the chopped peppers, vegan pesto, olive oil, sea salt flakes and freshly ground black peppercorns, and mix well to coat. At this point you could refrigerate the gnocchi until you're ready to barbecue.

3. Thread the gnocchi and pepper alternately onto the skewers. Once your barbecue is good and hot, brush one side of the skewers with oil, then lay them over the barbecue at a slight angle (this stops them falling through) and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the gnocchi are crisp and brown. Brush the tops with oil, then turn over and repeat with the other side.

4. Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, pesto and extra virgin olive oil with a pinch of sea salt flakes to taste. Once the skewers are cooked through, serve immediately, with the basil dressing alongside.

5. Note: There’s really no limit to the number of things you could pair with gnocchi on a stick – try cherry tomatoes and halloumi or tofu, or cubes of fresh fennel and halved figs. And you could use red pesto or harissa or mustard mixed through with olive oil as a marinade.
   This recipe is from Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Barbecue (Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In) 

Chipotle mushroom and black bean burgers with peanuts and lime

These burgers with a hint of peanut butter are ridiculously moreish and can be served in buns with mayonnaise and pickles for enhanced flavour

Servings 4

Preparation Time 20 mins

Cooking Time 25 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course: Main

Ingredients

• 50g smooth peanut butter

• 1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained, but not rinsed

• 2 small cloves of garlic, peeled

• 2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 heaped tbsp rye flour

• 1 lime, zest only

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

• 250g chestnut mushrooms

• To serve:

• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

• a handful of chopped salted peanuts

• a handful of chopped fresh coriander

• 4 burger buns

Method

1. Put the peanut butter into a food processor with 60g of the black beans, the garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, olive oil, rye flour, lime zest and sea salt flakes, and blitz until you have a very thick paste.

2. Tip it into a large bowl and stir in the rest of the black beans.

3. Tip the mushrooms into the processor – no need to wash it – and pulse until you have a dry mushroom mince. Stir this into the black bean mixture. With damp hands, form it into four thick burgers and arrange them on a lined baking sheet.

4. Bake in the oven at 180°C fan/200°C for 25–30 minutes. When they’ve got 10 minutes left, gently flip them over so they can crisp up on the other side.

5. They’re ready to serve straight from the oven, but for a nice bit of smokiness you can let them cool down, then finish them on a medium barbecue for a couple of minutes per side.

6. Squeeze over the lime wedges and top with a handful of chopped peanuts and coriander, then sandwich them into lightly grilled burger buns.
   This recipe is from Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Barbecue (Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In)

Simply barbecued new potatoes with tarragon, peanuts and chipotle

The dressing for this dish is unusual – smoky chilli peanuts combined with tarragon – and somewhat addictive, especially when paired with crisp barbecued potatoes

Servings 4

Preparation Time 15 mins

Cooking Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course: Side

Ingredients

• 600g new potatoes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

• For the dressing:

• 10g fresh tarragon, leaves finely chopped

• 30g unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• a pinch of chipotle chilli flakes

• a pinch of sea salt flakes

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 7-8 minutes, until just cooked through. Drain well, then mix with the olive oil and sea salt flakes.

2. Mix together the tarragon, peanuts, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, chipotle flakes and sea salt flakes to make the dressing. Taste and adjust the salt as needed, then set aside.

3. Once your barbecue is good and hot, griddle the potatoes for 5-8 minutes per side, until nicely charred.

4. Halve the barbecued new potatoes, mix with the tarragon dressing, and serve hot.

5. Note: If you have time, you can leave out the boiling stage and just cook the potatoes on the barbecue, in which case they will take about 1 hour.
   This recipe is from Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Barbecue (Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In)

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