-sizzle-

July 25, 2008 6:53 AM

What [vegetarian or fishy] foods can I grill?

Living on the street filter: After moving out of my apartment I'm staying with a friend until she has to move out, too. She has a big gas grill that we want to use as often as possible. We paid to replace the propane tank near the end of last summer so the tentative goal is to grill enough to use it all up!

In the past I have made naan, salmon, tofu kabobs, portobello mushrooms, and corn on the cob. What other vegetarian or fishy recipes are there that can be made on a gas grill? I definitely like cooking projects so recipes can be as complicated as necessary.

posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel to food & drink (33 answers total)

Mmm.. Grilled Veggies
posted by alcoth at 6:57 AM on July 25, 2008

Eggplant! Grilled eggplant that then gets all smooshed up is so good.
posted by k8t at 7:02 AM on July 25, 2008

grilled tofu...

my favorite way to prepare asparagus is as follows:

take a sheet of aluminum foil, put fresh asparagus shoots on the foil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, olive oil, seal up foil into a pack.

grill for 10-20 minutes depending on crunchy-soggy ratio desired.
posted by jrishel at 7:06 AM on July 25, 2008

Whole trout. Whole mackerel. Etc.
posted by OmieWise at 7:08 AM on July 25, 2008

There is a recipe at Everyday Dish for vegan Italian sausages. You can make those, and then brown them up on the grill and serve them in a roll with some sauteed peppers onions and marinara sauce. They're absolutely incredible.

Veat also makes for good kabobs. I like to marinate Veat chunks in a mix of orange juice, peanut butter, shoyu, ginger and garlic.

You can slice a sweet potato thickly, marinate that, and grill it up just like a steak.

You can prepare an artichoke, then slice it in half lengthwise, and slap it face-down on the grill for about 15-20 minutes or so. When it's tender enough to eat, flip it over, pile it with something like a mix of goat cheese, shallots, and herbs, put the lid on the grill, and let all that melt in. Or simply douse it with some white wine and butter, and sprinkle it with minced garlic.
posted by kaseijin at 7:09 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Veggie hot dogs and burgers, especially Morningstar Farms brand (they taste best to me), grill wonderfully. Not much of a challenge, but with grilled corn on the cob it would make for a nice summer meal.
posted by SamuelF at 7:11 AM on July 25, 2008

Grilled zucchini with just a little bit of Parmesan cheese is amazing.
posted by lilkeith07 at 7:16 AM on July 25, 2008

PEACHES!!!

Peel peaches, slice them in half (or in big chunks). Brush them with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Grill them for a few minutes on each side, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 7:16 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Grilled pineapple slices get so sweet and carmelly that it's almost sinful.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:23 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Amy's burgers beat the pants off of Morningstar and then spank it and insult it's mother for good measure. They're that freakin good. In all fairness Amy's are hard to find someplaces, and Morningstar is my #2 favorite. But still, try Amy's Texas Burgers.

But it sounds like you might be looking for a challenge. Tuna steaks are easy enough just to cook, but to get them right (rare-medium rare) is a skill worth working on. Swordfish, Kingfish, and Grouper are also great grilling fish.
posted by piedmont at 7:24 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Fish (and veggies) are great en papillote, although you ought to do it in foil for the grill. Some kind of white fish, a little olive oil, some salt and herbs, a lemon slice or three, wrap tightly in foil and grill until the fish is done... delicious. Not a lot of grill flavor, but good for variety.

Also pizza. Make a slightly dry pizza dough, though, so it's less likely to stick or fall through the grates. (America's Test Kitchen did a version that apparently works well on the grill.)
posted by uncleozzy at 7:25 AM on July 25, 2008

My mother would always boil zucchini for a few minutes to make it a bit soft, and then marinate it in olive oil, garlic and rosmarin, and then put it on the grill. I've done this too and it's delicious.

Also you can always wrap potatoes in tin-foil and throw them in among the coals. Then fish them out at the end. Be careful, they'll burn the shit out of your mouth when you eat them.
posted by creasy boy at 7:35 AM on July 25, 2008

Since it's high grilling season, you can buy grilling planks made from various delicious woods and make some home-grilled smoked salmon. This stuff is just incredible. Just buy a pack of the planks, soak them in water (or wine) for about an hour, and grill the fish on top of it with the lid closed. It's especially delicious if you can let it sit overnight before serving, but this isn't strictly necessary. The planks are usually good for more than one use, too.
posted by baphomet at 7:40 AM on July 25, 2008

Also, I LOVE the following grill recipe:
All you need are jalapenos, olive oil, and feta cheese. Cut the stalk off the jalapenos and remove the flesh from the inside. Stuff them full of feta cheese, then oil and salt the skin. Grill them until you get a nice char on all sides and either cut into slices and serve on crackers or just eat 'em like an apple. The spiciest part of the jalapeno is the flesh/seeds from the inside, so if you rinse them out well after de-fleshing they won't be overwhelming.
posted by baphomet at 7:43 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Artichokes! Take any leftovers and let them sit in vinaigrette overnight and served chilled.
posted by TedW at 7:47 AM on July 25, 2008

I have these fishy recipes on vegan-food:
- The Best Fish and Chips
- Seitan Seafood
- Veggie Tuna Raw

I'm also really really excited about trying this Vegan Champagne Scallops recipe from Hezbollah Tofu, previously featured on mefi
posted by mincus at 7:53 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Grill fruit. Pineapples, bananas or peaches are my favourites.
Pizza, on a pizza stone is easier.
posted by jeather at 7:54 AM on July 25, 2008

Beets.
posted by Wet Spot at 8:20 AM on July 25, 2008

halloumi cheese.
posted by methylsalicylate at 8:42 AM on July 25, 2008

I made quesadillas on the grill the other day, and it was delicious! Just brushed a couple of tortillas on one side with olive oil, put pepperjack and cotija cheese, sauteed red onions, zucchini, and corn in the middle, then grilled them over low heat. I'm sure it made them at least 200% more delicious than regular quesadillas.

I like to grill potatoes, too. Cut russet potatoes in half lengthwise, brush with olive oil and salt and pepper them, then put them in the upper racks of a grill or on verrrrry low indirect heat until they get all soft and puffy. My dad calls them "marshmallow potatoes" for whatever reason, but they're delicious.

You can also make onion potatoes. Slice a few potatoes into 1/2" strips lengthwise, like shoestrings. Put one whole potato into a foil packet and do this with several of them. Mix a packet of Lipton's onion soup mix with a stick of melted butter, then spoon a couple of tablespoons of that mixture into each potato packet and grill them until they're soft, salty, and delicious.

Tofu and cremini mushrooms are another favorite. I use really firm tofu from San Diego Soy Dairy and marinate the tofu and mushrooms for a day or so in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Yum.
posted by booknerd at 8:42 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Cut up sweet potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Cut up some onion and peel some garlic cloves. Toss in some olive oil, salt and pepper, and some herbs (rosemary works, also lemon thyme). Wrap in foil and throw on the grill. Done in about 20 minutes, depending on size of chunks and amount of stuff in the foil. Delicious, and good as cold leftovers too. Squeeze some fresh lemon on it when you take it off the grill and unwrap the foil.
posted by rtha at 9:20 AM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Stuffed sea bass. Get some steaks and marinate in white wine/garlic/soy sauce (about half and half for liquids, garlic to taste) for at least half an hour. I find overnight to be too long. Cut long strips into the steaks and fill with arugula, tomato, and a bit of lemon or lime juice. Hold the steaks together with a toothpick and grill to perfection.

This is seriously the best dish ever and worth the not insubstantial cost of ingredients.

I can also seriously second the sweet potato idea and pizza. Super good on a grill.
posted by shownomercy at 9:24 AM on July 25, 2008

shrimp!
posted by tomcochrane at 9:24 AM on July 25, 2008

all good suggestions so far. salmon on cedar planks is really delicious.

i grill shrimp on skewers, after marinating them in salt, oil, garlic and spices. same goes for scallops. i also have a cheap fish grilling basket i picked up at home despot - incredibly easy to grill up tasty thin fillets of white fish like tilapia.
posted by gnutron at 9:58 AM on July 25, 2008

Sweet potatoes straight on the grill, not in foil, (slice them long-wise into planks) are amazing. Let them get nice and charred and the charred parts have this sweet carmelized almost campfire-burnt-marshmallow flavor to them. YUM.

You can then slice them up and toss in a salad with grilled scallops, greens and a dressing made from orange juice, olive oil, shallots, salt/pepper, and your herb of choice (sage, rosemary, or thyme would be good).
posted by misskaz at 10:39 AM on July 25, 2008

Jerk Halibut is sooo good.

Halibut fish tacos, too. Just cube halibut, toss in taco seasoning, grill in a basket, and stuff into tortillas with cabbage, pico, and mayo/lime/tapatio sauce.

Pita sandwiches wrapped in foil: I like rice, feta, olives, peppers and onions, but a good savory tuna melt that was would be wicked, too.

Chapatis!

Mussels! Oh they open up just beautifully. Then douse them with herbed butter and white wine right on the grill, and eat them with garlic bread. Which reminds me:

Garlic bread!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:30 AM on July 25, 2008

sake kama (salmon collar) is about $1-$2 a lb at the fish market. it's also the single tastiest, juiciest cut of salmon, but many people don't like the crispy skin, tasty fat or all the bones.

However, if you like hamachi kama (my favorite thing to order at any Japanese restaurant), you'll love it. rub a tiny bit of salt into the skin. place on grill, grill until crispy. Foil will keep it from sticking. Flip over. Make sure the skin and fins get all crispy. So freaking delicious.

Buy lots, grill it all, carefully debone and make patties / cakes / burgers with the leftover, some garlic and mustard, and a little bit of breadcrumbs.
posted by luriete at 11:39 AM on July 25, 2008 [2 favorites]

Assuming you have access to boiling water:

Grilled Squash with Spiced Coating
======================

2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
4 bird's eye chilies
1 tbs cumin seeds
1/2 tbs coriander seeds
1 butternut squash, acorn squash or similiar

Put the butter and oil and salt in a large bowl.

Grind the spices and add them to the oil.

Peel and chop squash into chunks.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and boil the chunks for just 1 minute.

Remove chunks with slotted spoon and place into butter mixture. Heat from squash will melt the butter.

Toss gently to coat the chunks evenly in the spices and oils.

Grill on bbq, turning occasionally.


Grilled wraps of artichoke paste, spinach and gouda
================================

14 oz can of artichokes
2 cloves garlic
some olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
14 oz spinach
1 red onion
7 oz Gouda (or similar mature, semi-hard cheese... coolea, gruyere, etc)
8 flour tortillas

Drain the 'chokes and rinse under cold water.

Put 'chokes in food processor with garlic and blend in brief bursts to get a puree.

Add a few tbs of olive oil and blend again for a few seconds. You'll get a slightly chunky mash.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Drop in the spinach and cook for just half a minute. Lift it out and plunge into cold water. Squeeze out all the excess water and chop coarsely.

Halve the red onion and slice it very thinly and mix with the spinach.

Season mixture with salt and pepper.

Slice cheese thinly with grater or veg peeler.

Open a wrap and spread on some of the artichoke paste. Cover most of it with maybe an inch around the edges not covered.

Place a layer of the spinach mixture about one thrird up and cover with a later of cheese.

Fold the near end of teh bread over the filling and and roll it up quite tightly. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Brush a little oil on the wraps and grill them on the bbq for a few minutes turning at least once until lightly colored and warmed through to melt the cheese.
posted by dobbs at 12:17 PM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Cook’s Illustrated has a great grilled shrimp recipe that calls for searing the shrimps on tightly-packed skewers over the hot side of the grill and then finishing them in a pan of sauce on the cooler side of the grill. (This recipe is from the July 2006 issue, and is also available on their website if you register.)
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 12:59 PM on July 25, 2008

Red cabbage is really good grilled. Cut into wedges, brush with olive oil, add S&P, grill until charred.

You can also make an excellent grilled cole slaw from the grilled cabbage. After it's grilled, shred the cabbage and toss it in a balsamic vinaigrette. For extra added bonus flavor, grill a halved Granny Smith apple, cut it up, toss it in. Also, sunflower seeds. Yummy.
posted by mudpuppie at 1:42 PM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Get a big portobello mushroom and marinate it in bbq sauce and italian dressing for a good hour. Slap it on the grill till it warms up, put it on a whole wheat bun with some vegan slaw (or regular slaw if you prefer) and I promise you it will be one of the best things you've ever tasted in your life. I hate mushrooms, but I absolutely love this.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 2:12 PM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Seconding haloumi. Grill, squeeze of lemon, magic.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:24 AM on July 26, 2008

At Thursday's New Orleans meetup, we had a tapas (tapa?) that was a grilled avocado. Oh man it was amazing.
posted by radioamy at 11:43 AM on July 26, 2008