Jul 7, 2013

happy fourth + "grills gone vegan"


Harissa Seitan Burger



Roasted Corn with Chipotle Butter and Basil-Caper Butter



Happy Independence Day! 

Fourth of July in America, the celebration of the birth of the nation, is observed with fireworks, parties and cookouts. And cookouts mean grilling. If grilling season has escaped your attention thus far, the Fourth brings it into the foreground and prominently into your view. 

 For the past few years, I have reached for some lackluster vegetarian grilling cookbooks, ones laden with dairy and eggs. For years I suffered through replacing ingredients, changing up recipes and, I am sure, altering the flavors that the authors originally had in mind. A lose-lose situation.

 Luckily, I do not have to endure another blah grilling season since Tamasin Noyes has written the most amazing grilling cookbook, Grills Gone Vegan. I tested for this cookbook and have had a giveaway for the book, but now Tami is hosting a contest for a bunch of goodies and I couldn't resist participating. I am not entering the contest because I'd love for some lucky vegan to receive the bounty of her talents, but since I was cooking from the book anyway, I figured taking a few pics wasn't too taxing. 

Our first cookout in San Diego included my American Potato Salad and Tami's Harissa Seitan Burgers and her Roasted Corn on the Cob with Flavored Butters.  Those butters are amah-sing!! So easy to make, but adds so much flavor to the corn. 

That burger is packed with flavors, too. And if you can't find harissa, Tami has a recipe for that too. I made the harissa from her book and was quite impressed with the recipe. I would blend it in a blender in lieu of a food processor, but that was my only hang up. 

Since grilling season has just started, don't delay and get your own copy of Grills Gone Vegan. It will knock your socks off, I promise. And don't miss the recipes that Tami has posted on her blog from the cookbook.