Today is Memorial Day! It's freaking hot here and I believe that holds true for most of the country. For reasons unknown to me, holiday weekend and hot weather means cooking food on a scorching hot grill under the scorching hot sun in the thick-as-mud humidity. Yay?
It's also Meatless Monday. All Mondays are Meatless Mondays. Even if you aren't an awesome ova-lacto vegetarian like me, you can avoid eating meat for one whole day a week and make an impact in animal rights and environmental issues. If you follow Meatless Monday, you might see links like this one. It's pretty much the saddest barbecue ever. Most of their links and tips aren't this bad. I mean, really? Salad and grilled veggies aren't most people's idea of a good day.
Here's my idea.
Fruit + Salad. Not "fruit salad" in the traditional sense, but lettuce, mangos, apples, strawberries, carrots, and anything else you want to throw in. Depending on the blend of fruits and veggies you throw in, I'd do either a raspberry vinaigrette or an asian peanut sauce.
You could also toss either sauce on extra firm tofu and grill that shiz.
Or throw it on tempeh. I know, tempeh looks scary and moldy, but it's substantial and holds in flavors very well.
Tofu or tempeh are great as a main course with some grilled veggies on the side, or can be cooled and tossed in your salad. Hell, wrap it up with the salad for a summer wrap you can take on a picnic.
For desert? You know what's almost always meatless? Liquor. Take any leftover fruit and freeze it with some juice and put it in a blender. Liquor all over before serving. You know what makes you forget you haven't eaten meat even though you've been grilling all day? Being drunk.
Okay, okay, you wanted a burger? Make your own but for the love of god, it should involve black beans and rice, sweet potatoes, or some combination thereof. Boca Burgers taste gross.
