When thinking of a summer barbecue, I know I think of someone in shorts and flip flops standing over an outdoor grill, possibly with an apron with the words “grill master” printed across the chest. I don’t know how many cook outs or BBQs I get invited to over the course of the summer, but I know it’s quite a few. They’re great, being outside ad being surrounded by friends and family is one of the best ways to spend a summer evening. However, for someone like me, a vegetarian, food options are limited.
Typically, Grill Master offers two options as your main course: hot dogs or cheeseburgers. None of which are vegetarian friendly. So what now? If you have time in advance, you can reach out to the host and ask what will be served. If the answer is, again, your standard hot dog and cheeseburger, see if they’ll make a small side of grilled vegetables, such as zucchini, or peppers and onion. If this seems like it might be an inconvenience, grilled veggies are super easy, and only take around five minutes to grill until slightly charred and softened. Before that, all that has to be done is to toss the veggies in a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
If you feel uncomfortable asking the host to make a separate meal for you, don’t lose hope. You can talk to the host and offer to make something to bring for everyone. Ask how they feel about a meatless side such as a bean salad, a summer veggie pasta or a quinoa and greens salad. Bring something that you would be ok with eating as your meal. In addition to this, there will probably be other sides that you can eat as well. Typical barbecue sides include corn, pasta salad, coleslaw, and baked beans (although check to see if there are bits of bacon mixed in! It’s a common way to prepare baked beans).
You shouldn’t leave a barbecue hungry! There are ways to avoid eating meat without feeling like an inconvenience. Plus, if someone is offering to make dinner for a large group of people, they probably love cooking, grilling and eating! Your happiness is most important to the hostess!
If none of the above interest your taste buds and you are wondering what else you can indulge in, check out a few delights below you should try.
- Individual Grilled Veggie Pizzas
- Black Bean Veggie Burger
- Grilled Cauliflower
- California Grilled Veggie Sandwich
- Marinated Veggies
Make sure to reach out to us on our social media with any questions for the recipes above on any of these delicious dishes! @fabulousfoodsevents
