Meat Free Bank Holiday
Not every meal that you eat has to contain meat, it is easy to have a day where you don’t eat any meat at all. The meat free Monday campaign advises people to cut out meat for just one day of the week, which will then help the planet and also help each individual become that bit healthier. Each week we come up with ideas for different meals, to make being meat free for that one day of the week even easier. For those who would like to join this campaign or would like to go completely meat free can do so by simply choosing a meat free meal to eat each day of the week, by simply looking at our different ideas. This week, meat free Monday happens to be a bank holiday, so we give the perfect ideas on what you can eat for a meat free barbecue.
Meat Free BBQ
The weather is set to be nice and warm for the first May bank holiday Monday, lets just hope that this is so as it could mean getting started on some summer dishes and heating up the barbecue and having your first alfresco meal in the garden. For this weeks meat free Monday we thought what better excuse to have a meat free barbecue and create a very tasty meal. There are so many things that you can cook on a barbecue, from burgers to kebabs, accompanied by a fresh salad and some crispy french baguette with some cheese and grapes.
Vegetarian Burgers
Luckily for those who like to eat meat free, there is a good choice of vegetarian burgers out there which are perfect for a meat free barbecue this bank holiday Monday. You can always cook up a selection for people to choose from. You can have anything from soya burgers, which will have a meaty texture, to vegetable burgers which are packed full of different vegetables. Local supermarkets sell a good range of meat free burgers from their own brand to branded products such as the Quorn brand and the Linda McCartney range.
Meat Free Quarter Pounder Burger’s
Meat free quarter pounder burgers are usually made up with soya and have quite a meaty texture, which is good for those who still like to have meaty tasting products. Meat free quarter pounder burgers are great to cook on the barbecue as they also gain the taste of the barbecue flavour.
Vegetable Burger
You will find that many supermarkets will sell vegetable burgers in the meat free section. You will also find that they can vary depending which supermarket you go to as they may contain different vegetables. Some vegetable burgers may be a mix of sweetcorn, peas and carrots which is very tasty or some may be a mixture of peppers and beans. Vegetable burgers are great to cook on a barbecue as they are nicely grilled on the outside with the nice flavours of the different vegetables on the inside. Vegetable burgers also go very well with vegetable kebabs.
Bean Burger
Many supermarkets sell bean burgers which are a mixture of various beans. Some bean burgers may also be quite spicy. Bean burgers will have a mixture of beans such as kidney beans and broad beans. Bean burgers are great to have on a barbecue and are full of flavour. Serve your burger in a fresh bread roll with some salad and you can be reassured to know that this will be very much enjoyed.
Mushroom Burger
You can buy mushroom burgers in many supermarkets, with them usually being a burger made up of mushrooms and cheese or mushrooms and spinach. At home you can make your own mushroom burgers or you can simply use a Portobello mushroom to make a nice simple mushroom burger. Simply grill your large Portobello mushroom on the barbecue for a few minutes until it is nice and warm then place into a bread roll and add some fresh salad to it and maybe even some nice soft goats cheese.
Vegetable Kebabs
Vegetable kebabs are great to have on a barbecue. Vegetable kebabs can also be different every time that you eat them, depending on what vegetables you choose to put on them. Great tasting kebabs you can have include sliced orange, yellow, green and red peppers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and onions.
Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob is great to put on the barbecue, cook it until it is ready then serve with some butter to melt on to it. This would be nice to have as a starter for your barbecue meal or to simply have on the side. To cook your corn on the cob even quicker, wrap it up in tin foil and then place on the barbecue to cook.
Sides
If the weather is nice, a barbecue is a great way to spend the whole afternoon in the garden. You can acompany your barbecue with lots of food to have on the side so you have plenty of delicious food to eat with you barbecue.
French Bread
If a meat free Monday barbecue is something that you fancy having then go out and buy a fresh french baguette from your local supermarket, on a nice day baguettes seem to sell out so make sure you don’t miss out. A baguette is perfect to have to serve your meat free burgers in, to be a bit different to just having bread rolls to serve your burgers in. French baguette can also be nice to have sliced up on the side with either butter or cheese. Slice up your baguette and leave it in the middle of the table for people to help themselves to.
Cheese
Cheese is great to have at a meat free barbecue, it is tasty and can be melted onto your meat free burgers or spread onto your slices of french baguette. Cheese is something that you can always eat later on in the afternoon once the barbecue has cooled down. French bread, cheese and grapes all go very well together.
Salads
It is always nice to have a salad with a barbecue. You can always put some salad on top of your meat free burger to make it even more flavoursome. Salads are nice to have on the side to go with the rest of your barbecued food. Salad is nice and fresh and can be a contrast to the hot burgers and kebabs. A salad is something that can be eaten as a starter or to have on the side.
Hopefully the weather will be nice enough to have a meat free barbecue on this bank holiday monday. If it isn’t nice enough you can always come inside and use the grill on your oven and enjoy your barbecue inside.
