Grilling green: move over, meat. Fresh vegetables are the safer centerpiece for your next barbecue

Natural Health, Sept, 2007 by Andrea Chesman

NOTHING SAYS LABOR DAY quite like the aroma of food grilling over an open flame a gentle breeze riffling the red-and-white checked cloth on the picnic table. Add a glass of chilled white wine and some good friends and the living is easy.

Or it was. Until news reports told us that high heat, dripping fat, and even the beloved aromatic smoke involved in grilling meat, poultry, or fish exposes the food--and whoever eats it--to such carcinogens as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Now the latest research out of Mount Sinai School of Medicine links grilling animal products with another acronym: AGEs (advanced glycation end, products), a class of damaging compounds that build up in the body over time and increase the risk of developing diabetes or Alzheimer's. Food cooked over a flame may awaken a primitive hunger, but evidence suggests that those grilled meats don't love us back.

Don't hang up your tongs just yet, though. Skip the meat and use fresh vegetables instead. They lack the fat and protein necessary to form carcinogens, so you can satisfy your primordial cravings without possibly endangering yourself or your guests.

It's easy to build an entire menu with barbecued vegetables and other vegetarian options such as tempeh, tofu, tortillas, and even fruit. And the season begins early, when ramps or wild leeks are abundant. Simply brush them with olive oil, grill, then lightly dust with coarse salt for a delicate treat. Next up is asparagus, which deserves the same no-fuss treatment. When summer arrives and the garden is brimming with fresh produce, break out the grill rack (a flat plate with a grid of holes placed over the grate), and grab a mix of whatever happens to be ripe (green beans, summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, baby carrots, broccoli), dice it up so it cooks evenly, and toss it on the rack. Without a grill rack, use longer, sturdier vegetables such as asparagus, sliced eggplant, portobello mushrooms, and corn on the cob.

For a late-summer menu, add grilled zucchini to a Greek salad, barbecue some tempeh for sandwiches piled high with homemade coleslaw, or layer lasagna with diced grilled onions, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and broccoli instead of ground beef. And as the shadows lengthen into September, remember that barbecue season doesn't end when the weather turns chill: Wrap potatoes, winter squash, rutabagas, and beets in foil and grill them, too.

Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Serves 4 to 6

These appetizers are perfect with a cold
beer or a glass of chilled white wine. You
can also serve them as lunch along with
a green salad.

1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 jalapeno, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,
plus more as needed (or substitute
nonstick cooking spray)
6 10-inch flour tortillas
6 ounces goat cheese, at room
temperature
3 tablespoons salsa
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely
chopped

1. Prepare a medium fire in the grill.

2. Brush bell pepper and jalapeno with
1 tablespoon olive oil.

3. Grill bell pepper and jalapeno until
tender and lightly charred, about
7 minutes, turning as needed. Remove
to a cutting board and chop finely.

4. Cool grill to low by spreading out coals
or reducing the flame.

5. Very lightly coat one side of 3 tortillas
with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
Place tortillas, coated side down, on a
work surface. On each tortilla, spread
2 ounces of goat cheese, followed by 1/3
of the chopped vegetables and 1 tablespoon
each of salsa and cilantro. Place
another tortilla on top of each and press
together firmly. Very lightly brush the
top tortillas with olive oil or mist with
nonstick spray.

6. Grill each quesadilla until cheese is
melted and tortilla is lightly toasted,
about 4 minutes. Flip and grill on the
other side for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from grill and keep warm.

7. Cut warm quesadillas into wedges.
Serve at once.

Per serving: 352 calories, 16 g fat (6 g
saturated), 39 g carbohydrates, 11 g
protein, 3 g fiber, 623 mg sodium
(26% Daily Value).

Greek Salad with
Grilled Zucchini
Serves 4 to 6

Thyme-scented grilled zucchini
replaces cucumber in this classic
salad. To turn the salad into a
rewarding meal, stuff into pita
pockets and add grilled slices of
eggplant.

2 medium vine-ripened
tomatoes, chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Greek black olives
5 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine   vinegar
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
tablespoon fresh thyme or
lemon thyme, chopped
2 zucchini, cut into 3-inch
spears
1 head romaine lettuce, leaves
torn into bite-size pieces
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1. Combine tomatoes, onion,
olives, 3 tablespoons oil, and
vinegar in a large bowl. Season
to taste with salt and pepper.
Set aside to marinate at room
temperature for at least 1 hour,
up to 6 hours.

2. Prepare a medium fire in
the grill.

3. Combine remaining 2 table-
spoons olive oil and thyme in a
large bowl Add zucchini, season
with salt and pepper, and toss
gently to coat.

4. Grill zucchini for 8 to 10
minutes, turning as needed,
until tender.

5. Mound lettuce on a platter
and spoon marinated tomato
mixture over it. Arrange grilled
zucchini spears on top and
sprinkle with feta cheese. Serve
immediately.

Per serving: 222 calories, 19 g fat
(5 g saturated), 10 g carbohydrates,
5 g protein, 3 g fiber, 486
mg sodium (20% Daily Value).

Tempeh Barbecue
Sandwiches
Serves 4

Tempeh is a fermented soy product that
originated in Indonesia. An excellent
source of soy protein, it's found in the
refrigerated cases of most natural-food
stores. You can use soy tempeh or tempeh
that has been combined with grains
for these delectable sandwiches.

COLESLAW

4 cups green cabbage, finely grated
2 medium-sized carrots, finely grated
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

SANDWICHES

1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon cider or red wine
vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
z teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced red onion
8 ounces soy or mixed-grain
tempeh
4 whole wheat Kaiser rolls, split open

1. Prepare the coleslaw: Combine cabbage,
carrots, onion, mayonnaise, yogurt,
vinegar, and sugar in a large mixing
bowl. Mix well. Season to taste with salt
and pepper and toss again. Let stand at
room temperature for at least 30 minutes
or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

2. Prepare a medium fire in the grill with a
well-oiled vegetable-grilling rack in place.

3. To make barbecue sauce, stir together
ketchup, vinegar, sugar, chili powder, soy
sauce, and onion in a shallow bowl or
baking dish. Taste and adjust the
seasonings.

4. Cut tempeh in half horizontally to
make two thin cakes. Slice cakes into 8
pieces about 1-inch wide, for a total of
16 pieces. Add tempeh strips to barbecue
sauce and turn to coat with sauce.

5. Grill tempeh until heated through and
crusty, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Lightly
toast rolls on the grill, about 2 minutes
per side.

6. Brush the inside of the rolls with
remaining barbecue sauce. Place about 4
tempeh slices on each roll, and top with
a generous dollop of coleslaw. Serve at
once, with plenty of napkins, passing
extra coleslaw on the side.

Per serving: 333 calories, 9 g fat (1.5 g
saturated), 49 g carbohydrates,
19 g protein, 9 g fiber, 1,028 mg sodium
(44% Daily Value).

Maple-Orange Peaches
Serves 4

Warm peaches atop vanilla ice cream
are spectacular. If peaches aren't available,
substitute nectarines; even canned
peach halves will work. Only one thing is
required: a meticulously dean grill grate
so your tender peaches don't soak up
other flavors, like onion.

4 peaches
tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Cointreau or other
orange-flavored liqueur

1. Prepare a medium fire in the grill.

2. Dip peaches into boiling water for
about 30 seconds to loosen their skins.
With a sharp paring knife, pull away
skin and discard. Halve and pit each
peach, and place them in a large bowl.

3. Pour butter, maple syrup, and Cointreau
over peaches, and use a rubber
spatula to gently and evenly coat them.

4. Lift peaches out of the mixture
and place on the grill. Reserve the juices
remaining in the bowl. Grill lightly
until heated through, about 5 minutes
per side.

5. Place peaches on serving plates and
drizzle remaining juices over each serving.
Garnish with cherries or berries, if
desired. Serve at once.

Per serving: 90 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated),
14 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein,
1.5 g fiber, 1 mg sodium (>1% Daily Value).

Grilled Curried
Cauliflower Kebabs
Serves 4 to 6

Cauliflower and bell peppers are
sturdy enough to stay on a kebab
without too much flopping or turning.
Thread the skewers through the
stem of each cauliflower floret and
use tongs to turn the skewers as they
cook. Don't skip the lime wedges;
the lime juice pulls all the flavors
together.

6 wooden kebab skewers
1 head cauliflower, cored and
separated into 2-inch florets
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
1 red onion, sliced in half and
separated into single layers
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into
2- to 3-inch squares
Lime wedges, to serve

1. Soak 6 wooden skewers in cool
water 1 hour prior to grilling.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water
to a boil. Add cauliflower to boiling
water and cook for 3 minutes.
Strain cauliflower in a colander and
immediately plunge into ice water to
prevent further cooking and to keep
cauliflower crisp. Once cool, drain
and pat dry.

3. Prepare a medium fire in the grill.

4. To make sauce, mix buttermilk,
cilantro, and curry powder in a small
bowl, then season with salt and
pepper to taste.

5. Alternately skewer cauliflower
florets, onion, and bell pepper on the
soaked wooden skewers. Brush with
sauce.

6. Place skewers directly on grill.
Slip a piece of aluminum foil under
exposed ends of the skewers to prevent
burning. Grill kebabs, basting
with sauce and turning occasionally
for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables
are lightly browned. Serve hot,
with lime wedges on the side.

Per serving: 49 calories, 0.35 g fat
(0.12 g saturated), 11 g carbohydrates,
2 g protein, 3 g fiber, 127 mg sodium
(5% Daily Value).

GRILLING TIPS

* Make sure your grill is adequately hot: When you can hold your hand about two inches above the grill grate and keep it there for only two to three seconds, your grill is ready.

* Work with small batches of food when cooking with a grill rack (about $15; available wherever grilling utensils are sold) so the heat circulates around the vegetables, allowing them to grill rather than steam.

* Stay with your vegetables as they are grilling. They should be nicely browned, not blackened.

* Keep in mind that cooking times in grilling recipes are only guidelines and will vary depending on the weather, the distance between the food and the fuel source, and the model of your grill. Ripe vegetables will cook faster than underripe vegetables, and vegetables high in sugar (such as carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes) will char quickly, so use your judgment to decide when a vegetable is done.