Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (10 page)

Prep:
Trim both ends of each leek, then slice-starting from the green end-to about halfway through the white part. Completely cover in water and allow to soak about 5 minutes, shaking to ensure than any sand or grit is washed away from the leeks. Coat liberally with olive oil.

Grill:
Grill for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and slightly charred. Sprinkle with salt after they are grilled.

Prep:
Slice off tops, remove the skin and cut into thick slices—a little under ½ an inch should do. Keeping each slice intact, brush with olive oil.

Grill:
Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and slightly charred. Flip often, using the tongs to keep the rings together.

Pineapple

 

PINEAPPLE is not a vegetable, you say (well, neither are tomatoes, but . . .). You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted pineapple fresh off the grill. No, really, maybe you’re a vegan zombie looking for BBQ tips or something. Anyway, to the humans out there, freshly sliced pineapple—coated with a little vegetable oil—is totally asking to be grilled, about 3 to 4 minutes each side. The sugars caramelize into a sweet heaven on the outside while the insides remain juicy. Serve warm, either with barbecue sauce-covered items or as a dessert with fresh berries and your favorite soy ice cream.

For some really good times, place a whole, peeled, unsliced pineapple on the outdoor grill. Lightly oil it and turn it occasionally to caramelize each side. This is especially a good idea if you have lots of hot, smoldering coals left over (after the main grilling) and don’t want to waste them. Better than a stupid roasted marshmallow, if you ask us. It’s fun to slice hot off the grill (use a big knife and pierce it with a fork so it doesn’t fly off the cutting board), kind of like a big old holiday roast made just out of, you guessed it, pineapple.

 

 

GETTING THE STEM OFF A PORTOBELLO

 

NOW, this is sort of an art, as many a portobello has been ruined by untrained hands that either rip or pull too hard or crush the delicate cap. So forgive us if this is just too much detail about how to remove a stem from a mushroom (but if you had seen all the carnage that we have you would understand our precautions). Place the portobello, stem side up, on a flat surface. Place your fingers gently on the underside just outside the stem, to secure it. Using your free hand (which should be your writing hand), place your fingers at the base of the stem and gently turn the cap inward. This may take a few turns until you feel it giving; it’s sort of like gently jiggling your key in a lock. When the stem gives, you should be home free and can just gently turn until the stem comes off. You don’t have to do this every time; once you get a feel for the portobello you will be able to just pull a stem off in the blink of an eye.

Prep:
Remove stem (see tip). Wipe clean with a damp towel. Brush generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Grill:
Place on the grill gill side down. Sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Let the portobellos cook for about 10 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 5, brushing with olive oil if they look dry. Depending on the heat of your grill and the size of your mushrooms, you may need to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, flipping every so often. The mushrooms are ready when they are soft and dark. The center should be tender and release moisture when you press down with a spatula.

Prep:
Cut off the stems. Slice on a bias (angle) into just less than ½ -inch slices. The reason for cutting on a bias is so that you get nice big slices that won’t fall into the grill, but it also has the added benefit of being a nicer presentation. Brush with olive oil.

Grill:
Cook one side for about 3 to 4 minutes. Check the bottom to see if your grill marks have appeared. When they have, brush with olive oil, flip over, and cook for a few minutes more. The squash should be tender but not completely falling apart. Remove from the grill and lightly salt.

Kebab Advice

 

MAYBE you didn’t ask for it, but we’ve got it. Our basic kebabs generally consist of: peppers, whole mushrooms, onions, and zucchini. Prep the peppers by blanching them, then cut them into inch-thick slices. Chop the zucchini and onions into ½-inch slices and leave the mushroom whole. If you need to add cherry tomatoes, fine, but make separate little skewers just for them. They cook far faster than other vegetables and will end up falling off the skewers and into the fire before the other vegetables are done.

For heartier fare, add chunks of seitan or pressed tofu. Place it all into a plastic bag or container, coat with olive oil and a few pinches of coarse sea salt, and squeeze a lemon over it. Or, use a marinade. For the professionally lazy, we’ll even let you use your favorite bottled oil and vinegar dressing as a no-effort marinade. Let them sit for about 15 minutes, then place on skewers, alternating vegetables and seitan. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, turning every few minutes and brushing with oil. Drizzle with Miso Tahini dressing (page 93) for optimal yumminess.