When I think of Father’s Day, I think of my father’s famous BBQs. He loves grilling meat on a grill, but ever since I’ve been vegan he’s been more open to grilling veggies as well. In fact, he has perfected the art of grilled broccoli, so much so that even my teenage step-brothers beg for seconds of this homemade barbecued broccoli. So, keep reading to discover his amazing recipe and find out how easy it is to put together a vegan barbecue this Father’s Day.
The classic staple in any barbecue is the burger. And trust me, vegan burgers do not disappoint. In the words of my husband, the best vegan burger is by Beyond Meat. With 20 grams of protein, 25% of your daily intake of iron, zero cholesterol, and only 5 grams of saturated fat, this burger is beyond healthy without all the fattiness and cholesterol of a normal beef burger. Beyond Meat keeps the whole experience of cooking a burger as similar as possible.
They’ve worked very hard to create a burger that changes color as you cook it, just like animal protein, by using beets as one of the primary ingredients for the color and for its ability to “bleed”. The beets give the patty a red-meat appearance and provide the juice for it to cook just like an animal protein burger would normally cook in its own juices and fat. And, while your dad is cooking up these amazing burgers, you can easily prepare the toppings like lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, etc.
Another item you can throw on the grill are veggie kebabs. You can make these yourself, or you can buy them in the deli section at your local grocery store. Most kebabs come with pieces of meat stuck between pieces of bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions. However, you can ask the deli to prepare the kebabs with only the veggies if they don’t have any prepared. You can just simply place them on the grill plain, or you can dress it up in a vinaigrette-based marinade. My two favorite marinades are Lawry’s Lemon Pepper Marinade and Lawry’s Teriyaki Marinade with Pineapple Juice.
Another delicious grilled veggie is corn. Grilled corn is one of my favorite barbecue essentials, plus corn is super affordable and in season during the summer. I like to top my grilled corn with vegan butter, sea salt, pepper, cilantro, lime, and a hint of cayenne pepper.
And now the recipe for my dad’s grilled broccoli…
Ingredients:
- 1-2 large heads of broccoli
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
Directions:
- Set oven to broil.
- Cut off broccoli florets from the stem and rinse under clean water.
- Make a small bowl out of tin foil and prepare sauce by mixing 1-part Worcestershire sauce, 1-part soy sauce, and 2 parts brown sugar in it.
- Place sauce on top shelf of oven and broil until the brown sugar begins to bubble.
- Take sauce out of oven and place broccoli florets into the tin foil bowl. Cover the bowl with more tin foil to have it fully encapsulated so the sauce can steam into the broccoli.
- Place broccoli on the grill for about 15-20 minutes.
- Take off the grill and enjoy.
I hope that this Father’s Day you can share and enjoy a vegan barbeque with your dad, grandpa, or any person who’s been a father figure in your life.
