Summer's Comin': Time to Get Grillin'!!!

You probably have a friend who threw a barbecue and told you something like "Sorry.  Barbecue's aren't for vegetarians." (with a stupid grin on his face, no less)

Well, your friend is a filthy liar!

Sorry for my righteous vegetarian indignation, but fire cooks vegetables just like anything else.  The only challenge for vegetarians at a barbecue is getting your carnivorous friends to keep their carcass kabobs off of the clean foil...and, of course, having the right recipes.

Now, I'm not going to list a bunch of grill-ready recipes here, but I have posted some links below, and there are plenty of resources online.  As for my barbecue experiences, I've made some delectable veggie burgers, baked potatoes, sweet onions, portobellos, and even eggplant.  I've heard great things about grilled tofu, tempeh, and Gardenburger brand riblets.  So, don't be shy and have fun!

http://www.vegparadise.com/cookingwith57.html
http://www.theundergroundbootcamp.com/nutrition/how-to-host-a-healthy-vegetarian-barbecue/
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/barbecue-tofu-sandwiches/Detail.aspx

BBQ Tofu Sandwich

I ate bacon.

Let me tell you a little story. I went to Outback Steakhouse the other day and ate bacon. That's it. I told you it was a little story.

Well, I guess I can elaborate a little bit. It was a business lunch and the person paying with their business card wanted to go to Outback Steakhouse. So, we went to Outback Steakhouse. Anyways, I had heard that they had a nice veggie burger. LIES! They had nothing of the sort. So, I decided to order some vegan kryptonite (a quesadilla). Of course, it was a chicken quesadilla, hold the chicken. I did inform the waitress that I am vegetarian. I find this to be very helpful, just in case something you order has some hidden meat products or are cooked with chicken broth or something.

So, there I was, expecting Brittney to bring me a yummy quesadilla while I talked business. Little did I know, they were cooking up some carcass with my name on it. When I bit into what looked like heaven, I didn't feel anything unusual. Lucky for me, I tasted the bacon way after the fact. The waitress apologized for forgetting that they put bacon in their quesadillas and brought me a new one, meat-free. Now, I'm not militant. I didn't complain to the Manager. I didn't argue or make a mean face. But, I won't be eating at Outback Steakhouse anytime soon. And, I won't be forgetting my own rule. READ THE MENU and LOOK AT YOUR FOOD! Otherwise, you may be in for a surprise.