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

Green Wave Cafe...Raw, Vegan, Delicious!!!

This weekend, I got to experience a real treat.  I had lunch at Green Wave Cafe, in Plantation, Florida.  Now I am not necessarily a raw food person.  I'm not even a vegan.  But I must say, if I could prepare raw foods like they do at Green Wave Cafe, I would be.

It was voted the Best Raw Food Restaurant 2010 by the New Times.  However, it's not easy to find.  It's not big.  It's not fancy.  It's not cheap.  But, when you eat raw, vegan, organic food, you just feel good.  I had every color on my plate and a smile on my face.  I tasted the black bean soup, the creamy asparagus soup, the burrito and the open-faced hummus sandwich.  Neither of them looked at all like I expected.  There were lots of veggies and sprouts and beans, and I didn't even know how to pick it up.  What a delicious mess it was.

After all of that nutritious yumminess, I decided to order the chocolate banana pie.  Wow!!!  It is so, so good!  I don't want to spend a lot of my blog time talking about local spots, but Green Wave Cafe earned it.  Go there and eat a lot.  You'll thank me later.  I hear they have raw food preparation classes.  I have a strong suspicion that I'll be in one before long.

Here's their info:

Green Wave Cafe
5221 West Broward Blvd
Plantation, FL  33317
954-581-8377
www.greenwavecafe.org

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.