Serves: 5
First of all, people have many different reasons for avoiding meat in their diets: religious, ethical, political, and other personal beliefs. All are valid reasons and certainly the dinner hour is no time to challenge or debate them. Second, it's important to know what kind of vegetarian your guest is. Yes, there are different kinds.
"VEGETARIANS": Why the quotation marks? Certainly not purists, these folks have issues with and avoid certain meats, but eat others. ("I'm vegetarian, but I eat chicken.") They may have legitimate concerns about certain food groups or they may just be picky eaters. But we're less concerned with the "why" than the "what," right?
LACTO-OVO VEGETARIANS: Eat no animal meat or stocks, but do consume milk and egg products.
VEGANS: Don't eat anything derived from animals. Plant-only diet. 100%. No exceptions.
It helps to think a bit about the ingredients of your ingredients, too. Marshmallows, for example, a staple of backyard grill-fests, are made of gelatin, which is derived from beef marrow. Then there's fish. Some people who consider themselves rather strict vegetarians will eat fish and seafood, while others are mortified at the mere suggestion. So ask. Then, there are many ways to proceed.
Go With The Flow.
If the thought of a dual menu stresses you out, just pick one of the many vegetable-based entrées in this chapter and be done worrying. These recipes are so rich in flavors and textures that you won't even miss the meat--in fact, you'll probably be really glad you skipped it to discover something new and wonderful.
Purify The Grill.
You're used to doing a burn-off of cooking residues after each time you use the grill. When you preheat the grill for dinner, you purify the grates again by fire. For most vegetarians, this is adequate for removing any lingering bits of meatiness from the cooking surface. But to be courteous, just ask. Some people prefer the use of a totally separate cooking surface. If you have a second grill, offer to use it for the meal. But such people are probably sensitive to the potential inconvenience to their host and may be willing to make other arrangements out of respect for you.
Remember The Splatter Factor.
Once the cooking grate is cleaned, you may want to prepare the vegetarian meal first so that meat juices from the rest of the meal don't splatter onto their food. Good news is that most veggie-based dishes grill up fast so you don't have to keep your other guests waiting.
Relax.
If you have vegetarian friends or family members, they will most certainly appreciate any effort to make them feel more at home. And then you can all get on with the real business at hand: enjoying a great meal in the company of loved ones.
From Weber’s Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.
This _Beyond Veggies: How To Grill For A Vegetarian recipe is from the Weber's Big Book of Grilling Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.
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