Lately, I’ve been reminiscing about the golden years of magazine publishing. I grew up (career-wise) on the tail end of those golden years, but when I got my first job as a recipe tester at Martha Stewart Living, it still felt like the most glamorous thing in the world. With magazines dropping like flies and being replaced by SEO-driven digital content, I find myself missing those editorial packages that once found a home on actual paper. We would pitch, develop, and style stories that combined recipes with real story-telling, bookended by some of the most beautiful food photography to ever exist. What I miss these days is just that — the whole package. These stories usually contained full menus centered around a specific ingredient or season.
I admittedly haven’t been posting as often as I did when I started this newsletter. This is in part because your girl is busy, but it also has something to do with the fact that churning out individual, non-cohesive recipes was becoming tiresome. So I’m going to try something a little different, and I hope you like it. I am starting with today’s grilling guide. I might not be able to go into as much depth as you’d see in a cooking magazine in the early aughts (this is a one-woman show), but below you’ll find three delicious plant-based recipes and some guidelines for vegan grilling.
Most of the time, grilling revolves around burgers and franks. Nothing changed for me on that front when I went plant-based! Luckily for us, technology is wild, and there are a lot of amazing vegan substitutes. Here are my picks:
Burgers: Impossible. Beyond patties are good too, but I don’t recommend using the Beyond ground mixture to make burgers. There’s something different about it. I’m not sure what it is, but I digress. Impossible continues to live up to its name, making burgers that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
Hot Dogs: Also Impossible! These are the real deal. My only gripe with vegan hot dogs is their lack of that snappy texture, but if it saves a life, it’s a trivial thing that I’m more than willing to sacrifice.
Cheese: GOOD PLANeT Sharp Cheddar Slices. These are olive oil-based slices. The texture is perfect and it’s the closest thing to the real thing that I’ve tasted yet. Follow Your Heart’s American cheese slices are a close second. To me, American cheese doesn’t even really taste like cheese anyway, so… this ticks the boxes, so to speak.
Tofu is another plant-based protein that does well on the grill. The key is to remove as much moisture from the tofu block as possible. A great way to do this is with a tofu press. The less moisture, the better the overall texture. For this recipe, I made a super flavorful marinade for planks of tofu — it has Tajín, chipotle chile sauce, lime and orange zest, and lots of fresh garlic. Once grilled, I like to serve it with a quick chunky salsa. To make the salsa, I grill some corn (keep the husks on — you’ll still get a subtle chargrilled flavor without the color), poblano chile, and red onion, chop everything up, and toss it with some fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a spoonful of dairy-free sour cream. The sour cream melts into the warm salsa and mellows out the spiciness from the poblano chile and the Tajin marinade.
Obviously, any and all vegetables can be thrown onto the grill. They cook quickly and they’re a perfect way to round out any plant-based menu. These days, I like to grill seasonal vegetables, such as zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, peppers and chiles, tomatoes, corn, and onions, and fruits, such as pineapple and stone fruit (peaches, plums, and nectarines). I’ve incorporated a few of these vegetables into two side dishes that I’m sharing today. Corn on the cob is grilled and the kernels are stripped and added to a fresh and herbaceous tabbouleh salad. Zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, and red onions take a quick turn on the grill before being finished with a marinade dressing while they’re still hot. This way, you maintain all of the fresh marinade flavors that you might otherwise lose if they were added before grilling. I kept this one simple, with champagne vinegar, two kinds of mustard, grated garlic, and red pepper flakes, but you can play around with any other flavors you like, depending on what else you’re serving with your menu.
Tajín-Grilled Tofu with Poblano Corn Salsa
Serves 6
Tofu:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the grill
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Tajín seasoning
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon Morton)
2 (16-ounce) packages firm tofu, drained and pressed
Salsa:
1 ear of corn
1 large poblano chile
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick things
Vegetable oil, for brushing
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons dairy-free sour cream
Pinch of kosher salt
Make the tofu: In a shallow dish, whisk together the vegetable oil, lime juice, orange juice, adobo sauce, sugar, garlic, Tajín, coriander, and salt.
Slice the tofu crosswise into 1/2-inch planks. Use the tines of a fork to pierce holes in the surface of each piece of tofu. Add the tofu to the Tajín mixture, turning to coat. Let marinate, flipping the planks occasionally, for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 day in the refrigerator).
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high and brush the grates lightly with oil. Lift the tofu from the marinade and add to the grill. Cook over direct heat, turning occasionally and basting with the leftover marinade, until well charred all over, about 3 minutes per side.
Make the salsa: Pull back the corn husks and discard the silks. Fold the husks back over to cover the corn and add to the grill. Cook over direct heat, turning occasionally, until the husks are charred and the kernels are tender and bright yellow, 8 to 10 minutes. Strip the kernels from the cobs and transfer to a medium bowl. Drizzle the poblano and red onion lightly with oil and add to the grill. Cook, flipping occasionally, until tender and charred all over, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Remove the skin, ribs, and seeds from the chile, then roughly chop the poblano and onion. Add to the bowl with the corn and toss with the cilantro, lime juice, sour cream, and salt.
Spoon the salsa over the grilled tofu and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Charred Corn Tabbouleh
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Plant Based: In Practice to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.