Vegan Barbecue Bonanza: Make It Pretty!

When you have a barbecue, decorating is often best left simple. Since you typically spend your time outside, you really don't need to improve Mother Nature. Also, the focus is on the food, so you can keep everything else clean & simple.

A perfect example is a banner using clothes pins. I created this one using cardstock, chipboard letters, ink, paper & faux flowers.

The clothes pins were painted & distressed before I added glitter to one side. You don't have to fancy them up, though. Plain wood clothes pins are just as delightful for displaying a banner.

Instead of a word, you can hang your special notes for your guests or recipes that you want to share with them.



And definitely bring nature into your decor! Place mason jars with freshly cut herbs on tables. Not only is it pretty, but guests can add them to their foods or just enjoy their fragrance. Small bouquets of flowers tied with twine are lovely and guests can keep them as a little gift.

{ Helpful Links }

Here are links to other ideas for decorating your next barbecue. Most are quick, simple & even the kids can help out.

Summer Party Ideas By Kathleen
DIY Party Ideas By Julie

Clean & Simple Party Decor By Jen

Outdoor Decor Ideas By PurpleTrail
Paper Firewords by Landee See Landee Do
Easy DIY Decorating (Part I) By JenTatorTots
Easy DIY Decorating (Part II) By JenTatorTots

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You could win prizes by participating in this event!

Rosy Radish Relish, Navy/White Nautical Turban & Raw Vegan Chocolates

(Click here for prize details.)

{ How To Win VBB Prizes }

You must be a follower of this blog if you are not already.

Add your name to the linky list provided. You do not need to include a link.

If you have your own vegan recipe, you can enter an additional time - Just make sure to link directly to your blog post about it.

NOTE: Linky list will be on every VBB post. If you enter on one, it will show up in the others. You can enter only once unless you create a blog post with a vegan recipe.

Vegan Barbecue Bonanza: A Few Tips & Ideas At Random

{ BYOC }

Introduce your guests to BYOC, or Bring Your Own Cup, It is a fantastic eco-friendly way to save lots & lots of those red plastic cups from ending up in our landfills. Guests will know which cup is theirs because it is theirs! It also adds an eclectic, homey feel to your barbecue, too.

For added fun, turn it into a "party game." This helps you feel less awkward at asking people to bring their own, too :) Whoever brings the ugliest cup wins a treat, such as a special batch of cookies or jar of homemade barbecue sauce that they can take home.

Bonus: You don't have to wash any cups except your own. Simply have your guest rinse them out before they leave & they can wash them at their own homes.

{ Say "No" To Aluminum Foil }

When grilling corn on the cob, did you know that you don't actually need aluminum foil? Leave the husk on the corns, soak in water for at least 15 minutes, then toss on the grill. Cook as you normally would. So, the next time you decide to cook corn, forgo the aluminum foil & keep it natural.

If you would like a full tutorial on how to do this (along with step-by-step photos), go to Grilled Corn On The Cob.

{ Add Some Unique To It }

If you are like me, you have friends that aren't vegan. I am lucky that many of them are open to trying new things & meat doesn't need to be in every meal. However, this is not the case for everyone. That's why I like to include fun & interesting things to my menu. It's always good to offer something different but is still similar to the well known version.

Fruit is one of the great things to include. Most people will try fruit without hesitation. I like to find fruits that I haven't tried or seen before, such as these Donut Peaches. They are flatter than the standard peach & shaped just like donuts!






For those that need a little meat, try these vegan versions by Field Roast:

Smoked Tomato Roast Loaf: Thickly slice & grill before serving.

Mexican Chipotle Sausages: Simply grill it as you would other sausages.

Field Roast is the absolute BEST! They have great texture, delicious flavors & offer a wonderful variety of products, including Herbed Chao Cheese & White Truffle Pate. I know this sounds like an advertisement, but I have tried so many alternatives to animal foods much to my disappointment (& sometimes disgust.) When I find something this tasty, I just have to share it :)

Do you have any ideas or tips? I'd love to hear them!

_________________________________________________________________________________

You could win prizes by participating in this event!

Rosy Radish Relish, Navy/White Nautical Turban & Raw Vegan Chocolates

(Click here for prize details.)

{ How To Win VBB Prizes }

You must be a follower of this blog if you are not already.

Add your name to the linky list provided. You do not need to include a link.

If you have your own vegan recipe, you can enter an additional time - Just make sure to link directly to your blog post about it.

NOTE: Linky list will be on every VBB post. If you enter on one, it will show up in the others. You can enter only once unless you create a blog post with a vegan recipe.

Vegan Barbecue Bonanza: Let's Get Saucy!

This recipe is a favorite of mine. I use it for everything! It is easy to make & you most likely already have the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

It can be a marinade, salad dressing, dipping sauce & seasoning for any savory dishes you wish to make. Brush it on Portobello mushrooms before placing them on the grill. Drizzle over chopped vegetables & leafy greens for a fresh salad. Place in a shallow dish & serve with crusty bread. Toss it with pasta for a delicious meal!

{ Ingredients }

1 cup Olive Oil

Any oil will work if you do not have olive oil.

Try using canola, sesame or sunflower oils.

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Like the oil, any vinegar will do in a pinch.

I've used apple cider vinegar & it doesn't effect the taste at all.

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

Soy sauce adds plenty of salt, so you will not need to add any.

It also offers lots of flavor and combines tastily with oil & vinegar.

Seasoning (To taste)*

Garlic, finely chopped or granulated

Herbs, dried or fresh

Nutritional Yeast (optional)

This recipe allows for you to create your own flavor. Pick seasonings that will suit your taste buds & the cuisine. If it's Mexican, add cilantro & cumin. For Italian, add oregano, rosemary & sage.

* I usually use an Italian herbs blend, 1 garlic clove, pepper & basil. I never measure my seasoning. I just go with instinct. Also, I taste & add more until I get the flavor I want.

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl & whisk together until mixed well.

{ Mushrooms }

This marinade is just made for mushrooms, whether they are portobellos or the classic white.

Here I add sliced mushrooms to the marinade (along with sliced zucchini.) Any vegetable will do, such as beets, onions & potatoes. Place the vegetables & marinade into a ziploc baggie. Move them all around (while it's sealed) to get the vegetables fully coated.

Store in your refrigerator until ready to use.

I recommended 24 hours because this will allow the marinade to be absorbed. However, you can use them right away & they will still be delicious!

{ Salad }

I did the same thing to watermelon radishes, slicing & allowing to rest in the marinade. Aren't those radishes beautiful? They have a green rind & the inside is a marvelous pink! I found them to be very mild, so if you don't like radishes a lot, you might give those a try.

I added them to a fresh green salad & used the leftover marinade for salad dressing.

This salad has arugula, carrots, mushrooms, red onion & tomatoes.

Yummy!

_________________________________________________________________________________

You could win prizes by participating in this event!

Rosy Radish Relish, Navy/White Nautical Turban & Raw Vegan Chocolates

(Click here for prize details.)

{ How To Win VBB Prizes }

You must be a follower of this blog if you are not already.

Add your name to the linky list provided. You do not need to include a link.

If you have your own vegan recipe, you can enter an additional time - Just make sure to link directly to your blog post about it.

NOTE: Linky list will be on every VBB post. If you enter on one, it will show up in the others. You can enter only once unless you create a blog post with a vegan recipe.

Vegan Barbecue Bonanza: Kabob It With Meesha

Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Kabobs

by Meesha

Dandy Nomad & Sweet Princess Dreams

Prep Time: about 1 1/2 hrs
Cook Time: about 10 - 15 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients For Teriyaki Glaze:

-1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
-1 cup water
-1 tsp. ginger 
- 2 Tbsp agave nectar
-1 minced garlic clove
-2 Tbsp cornstarch
-1/4 cup COLD water
-1 tsp soy sauce

Ingredients For Kabobs:

-1 package of extra firm tofu (I only used about 1/2 of the 14oz package)
-4 whole mushrooms
-1 medium to large sized red pepper
-1/2 medium red onion
-1 can of CUBED?CHUNK pineapple


Before cooking, drain tofu package. Wrap tofu in a towel and press between two cutting boards for at least 30 mins, (Carefully set a few canned goods on top of cutting board to help with pressure). While tofu is pressing, prepare glaze:

1. Combine 1 cup water, soy and teriyaki sauce, agave, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. 
2.Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4cup cold water. Add to sauce mixture.
3. Stir constantly to allow sauce to thicken.
4.If sauce is too thick add a little water or soy/teriyaki sauce to thin. Set aside.
5.Once tofu is done pressing, slice into chunks and place in a ziploc bag. Add teriyaki glaze and shake well. (Save a little glaze for later, you'll need it when grilling!)
6.Place bag in refrigerator to marinade for at least 1 hour, shaking bag every now and then.
7.While tofu is marinating, cut vegetables into chunks. 
8. When tofu is done marinating, take out of refrigerator. Place tofu, veggies, and pineapple onto METAL skewers, interchanging how you like.
9.Fire up the grill! Medium to high heat.
10. Cook on grill until lightly browned on all sides, turning kabobs occasionally. (About 10 mins or so, though cooking times will vary!) Baste with remaining glaze every once and awhile.
11. Remove from grill and enjoy! Add a side of white rice to make a meal.

_________________________________________________________________________________

You could win prizes by participating in this event!

Rosy Radish Relish, Navy/White Nautical Turban & Raw Vegan Chocolates

(Click here for prize details.)

{ How To Win VBB Prizes }

You must be a follower of this blog if you are not already.

Add your name to the linky list provided. You do not need to include a link.

If you have your own vegan recipe, you can enter an additional time - Just make sure to link directly to your blog post about it.

NOTE: Linky list will be on every VBB post. If you enter on one, it will show up in the others. You can enter only once unless you create a blog post with a vegan recipe.

Vegan Barbecue Bonanza: Eileen's Must Have Smoothie

Thanks for joining the virtual party! My name is Eileen from over at Love in Envelope and I've got your drinks at this barbecue!

You would normally find me gushing over my crafts, but today is an exception because I really, really wanted to share this Vegan Blueberry Smoothie recipe--I just love it! I personally really like using blueberry in the smoothie, but I've tried it with peach, strawberry, and raspberry and they were all fabulous! This is a wonderfully satisfying and easy to make drink, I promise! I must have made 20 different variations last summer to tweak the proportions to my liking, so if you try it I'd love to know what you think! :)

Ingredients List (makes about 4 cups):
- 3 cups light vanilla soy milk
- 2/3 cup of frozen blueberries (or your favorite frozen fruit)*

- 2 teaspoons matcha green tea*

- 4 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 cup of ice

Simply combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse it for about 2 minutes or until you don't see chunks of ice and serve! Enjoy!!!




* You are more than welcome to use fresh fruit, but I am spontaneous about when I want to make it so I don't always have them on hand and I also like that the frozen fruit acts as extra ice.
** Find matcha online or in Asian food markets. I bought mine on Amazon.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

You could win prizes by participating in this event!

Rosy Radish Relish, Navy/White Nautical Turban & Raw Vegan Chocolates

(Click here for prize details.)

{ How To Win VBB Prizes }

You must be a follower of this blog if you are not already.

Add your name to the linky list provided. You do not need to include a link.

If you have your own vegan recipe, you can enter an additional time - Just make sure to link directly to your blog post about it.

NOTE: Linky list will be on every VBB post. If you enter on one, it will show up in the others. You can enter only once unless you create a blog post with a vegan recipe.