The Quintessential Cook Out
Easy tips and recipes to please all of the people, all of the time.
By Natalie Slater
Let’s hear it for cook out weather! Paper plates, folding chairs and a slab of meat on the grill—what could be simpler? Dream on, buddy, because throwing a BBQ is serious business. Between your vegan friends and your calorie-conscious roommate you might be ready to quit before you even begin. Well, don’t sweat it, because we’ve got you covered with our guide to throwing the quintessential cook out. From homemade BBQ sauce to wheat meat ribs—don’t worry, we’ll explain that—you’ll have something for everyone and plenty of time to hang out.
BBQ Basics
Unless you’re hosting a cookout to celebrate the success of your new party planning company, your guests are going to offer their help—so take them up on it! As the host, you’re supplying the main course, the venue and probably the beverages. The more people you can finagle into cooking and bringing supplies, the more time you’ll have to actually enjoy your party. Enlist the domestic types to bring side dishes and appetizers and ask the less culinary-inclined to bring things like paper plates, plastic utensils and bags of ice. Have a friend with a car on standby in case anyone flakes on his or her contribution. Remember that the beauty of cookout food is that most of the side dishes can be prepared the day before your party.
Recipe: Basic Homemade BBQ Sauce
Wouldn’t it be nice if all of your friends could just eat a burger (or veggie burger) and let you be? But no—one person wants ribs with a smoky sauce and another wants something spicy to go with her grilled portabella cap. Check out our basic recipe for a simple homemade BBQ sauce that can be tweaked and customized to suit even your most fickle guests.
Ingredients:*
• 2 cups ketchup
• 2 chopped onions
• 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• chili powder to taste
Directions:
Sauté the onions in a large pan until tender. Then dump in all the other ingredients and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until thickened. Brush the sauce on your favorite meat or non-meat.
*To customize this recipe, add any combination of the following:
hot sauce
diced peppers
honey
fruit juice
maple syrup
liquid smoke
molasses
allspice
soy sauce
paprika
garlic powder
… the possibilities are endless!
Vegetarian Options
For too long, vegans and vegetarians have been limited to boring veggie burgers, or even worse- grilled vegetables. Vegetarians might not want to gnaw on an actual rib, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the same sauce-on-your-face experience all your other guests will be enjoying. Ask anyone making side dishes to prepare them vegetarian-friendly by either leaving the meat out or bringing it on the side as an add-in for the carnivores. Most vegetarians are going to ask that their meals be prepared on a separate grill, so instead of buying a second grill, ask one of your veggie friends to bring theirs.
Recipe: Seitan BBQ Ribs
Seitan is a vegetarian meat replacement made from vital wheat gluten. High in protein and easy to prepare, “wheat meat” is a great addition to anyone’s diet. Vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast flakes can be found in any well-stocked health food store. This recipe can be prepared and baked ahead of time. Just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to grill.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup vital wheat gluten
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3⁄4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. Liquid Smoke
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Refrigerate the vegetable broth, tomato paste, liquid smoke and soy sauce so they are as cold as possible when you work with them.
Mix the wheat gluten, paprika, black pepper, nutritional yeast, pepper flakes, onion powder and garlic powder together in a large bowl.
Whisk together the vegetable broth, olive oil, tomato paste, Liquid Smoke and soy sauce. Mix until the tomato sauce is incorporated.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until a ball is formed. Knead lightly in the bowl for 3-5 minutes.
Place the dough into the prepared baking dish and flatten it until it fills the pan. With a sharp knife, cut it into 8 long strips, then turn the pan and cut those strips in half to form 16 pieces.
Bake for 25 minutes. After the strips cool, you can refrigerate them and grill the day of your party.
When you’re ready to grill, brush the strips generously with BBQ sauce while they’re still in the pan. Invert the pan directly onto your hot grill and brush the exposed side with more BBQ sauce.
Watch the ribs carefully so they don’t burn, turn them when they’re brown on one side, apply more sauce as necessary. When both sides are sufficiently brown, they’re done!
Healthy Side Dishes
How side dishes loaded with fatty mayonnaise and sour cream became cookout staples, we’ll never know. It’s hot, it’s crowded, and a stomach full of creamy macaroni salad is just about the last thing you need. Lighten up your next barbeque with these quick, flavorful, low-fat side dishes.
Recipe: Potato and Green Bean Salad
A lighter alternative to potato salad, this dish serves about 6 people and contains less than 2g fat and 115 calories per serving.
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. baby red potatoes
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and snapped
• 1⁄2 red onion, sliced
• 1⁄4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pot, cover the potatoes in water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, then add green beans and simmer for two to three minutes more. The beans should be crisp and the potatoes tender.
Drain and allow cooling for a few minutes. Then cut the potatoes into quarters.
While the potatoes and green beans cool, whisk vegetable broth, vinegar, mustard, oil and garlic together in a small bowl. Place vegetables in a large bowl and top with red onion slices. Drizzle dressing over salad. Toss gently to coat and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe: Baked Beans
It’s just not a cookout without a pot of baked beans. Please the vegetarians and the fitness gurus at the same time with this dish, which serves between 6-8 people with only 2g fat and 195 calories per serving.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 (16-oz.) cans kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tbsp. honey
• 3 1⁄2 tbsp. prepared mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Sauté onions in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until tender. Combine onions and remaining ingredients in a baking dish and mix well. Bake covered for 45 minutes.
BBQ Basics .pdf from Echo Magazine
Return to my resume.
