grilled vegetables

What better way to kick-off August summertime than with a delicious grilled vegetable plate? Grilling veggies is such a taste treat! There is nothing like it. The sweetness of the vegetables is enhanced with grilling and the smokiness of them has no parallel.

There are so many ways to serve these scrumptious grilled vegetables: between slices of bread with veganaise or hummus, chopped and mixed into a grain like couscous or quinoa, drizzled with balsamic reduction or just plain right of the grill. I also grilled some lemon and lime to be squeezed on the veggies after they cam off the grill.

Grilled citrus is  so exciting!

These are just basic grilled vegetables: sliced 1/4 in  thick, rubbed with some olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. You can make them more regional or ethnic by adding certain seasoning or marinading them before grilling. Any way you like it is bound to be wonderful.

Cost Breakdown:

squash: $1

zucchini: $1

eggplant: $1

onion: $1

corn: $1

lemon and lime: $1

potatoes (leftover baked): $1.50

Total for a platter of grilled goodness:

$7.50

sin carne asada tacos

We had Mexican tonight.

'Carne Asada' translates to 'roased meat' and it tends to mean a BBQ, party, get-together, etc. The meat is usually marinated in a lime based marinade or rubbed with seasonings before being grilled.

I marinated my Firm Seitan, after slicing it thin on the diagonal, in a blend of garlic, lemon, orange, lime and olive oil. I let it sit in the marinade while I prepared the sides and the toppings. I made an ancho salsa with dried ancho peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and whatever was left of the marinade - not to worry, this is not meat so I can use my marinade however I wish.

I grilled the seitan slices on my grill, put them in a tortilla and topped it with my salsa. Some avocado, lettuce or nondairy sour cream would also be very appropriate.

Yum, Yum.

I LOVE Sin Carne Asada - smoky, flavorful, spicy (if you want it to be), juicy. Yum. Everyone loves this, and I love that.

Cost Breakdown:

seitan: $4

tortillas: $4

lemon, limes, orange: $3

garlic, cilantro, spices: $2

Total to feed 10 people:

$13.00

Sin Carne Asada Recipe

pasta with artichokes and peas

Wednesdays are Italian/Pasta Night

Summer and spring elicit such an abundance of fresh vegetables that a simple pasta dish is an absolute must. This dish has artichokes, lemon, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and pasta. It was fresh, and refreshing and delicious. You can almost taste summer in the dish itself. With simply few ingredients, cooking is also a breeze and quick - fabulous for warm summer nights when being in the kitchen is the last thing on your over-heated mind. 

The kids liked this, too. Too simple not to, really.

Cost Breakdown:

artichokes: $3

sun-tomatoes: $1

parsley and lemon: $.50

pasta: $3

peas: $2

wine: $.50

Total to feed a family of 5:

$10.00 

Pasta with Artichokes and Peas Recipe