You might think it is an oxymoron to have barbecue recipes on a raw food website but there are ways to enjoy this all American tradition of grilling without compromising your standards or health. There are whole sections in the cookbook area of bookstores dedicated to grilling and you can find great vegan or vegetarian recipes but don’t be fooled into thinking that are healthy for you. There are still adjustments to be made. Most recipes start out healthy but as soon as it hits the grill, the trouble starts. Charred foods regardless if it’s a hot dog or a bell pepper is carcinogenic, grilled vegetables swimming in olive oil makes it soggy, inedible and not to mention the oil turns rancid under high heat. Grilling watermelon is the latest fad but what??? Why would you? Also, you need to coat in oil to get the grill marks and usually it is paired with feta cheese after, a food combining disaster. But keep these pointers in mind and you never have to dread the grill again. Make sure the grill is absolutely clean and when it is hot, cut a lemon in half and run it over the grill to get rid of any charcoal residue. This will enable better grilling, omitting or limiting the use of oil or butter. Keep the heat low; never cook over flames, make sure the briquettes are glowing but not bright red. If you think it’s too hot, it is. Let it die down a bit. You can grill leafy greens; (swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, beet greens, etc…) just put them in tinfoil packets with herbs, spices and even some butter, extra virgin olive oil or coconut butter, ( whatever your preference). The foil keeps the vegetables from falling down the grate, keeps it away from direct heat and creates a perfect “steaming” environment. Corn on the cob can be grilled keeping a layer of the husks intact and in one minute or less, enough time to pick up the “BBQ” taste and warm it through. You can add flavored butter or oil afterwards if desired. Remove the husks before eating. All roots and tubers (sweet potatoes, kabocha squash, acorn squash, beets, butternut squash) can be grilled, without peeling, sans oil and in less time if you slice them in ¾ “ slices or wedges, and wipe it clean and dry to keep it from sticking to the grill. Add the marinades, sauces, dressings afterwards. Use wood planks to grill vegetables keep it away from the direct heat and expedite the grilling process by giving it the smoky flavor in less time. Make sure you soak the planks as directed before using. Or grill hearty vegetables like zucchini, Portobello mushroom and eggplant without marinade. It will only draw out moisture and stick to the grill unless you add lots of oil. Instead just add s/p and brush lightly with oil or butter right before it hits the grill and add the marinade flavors after. You can have your salad and grill it too! Romaine, escarole, radicchio, endive are all great on the grill, quartered lengthwise without cutting the stem first to keep each wedge whole. Here you can brush lightly with oil or butter under residual heat since direct contact will be minimal and the heat controlled. Dress up the salads with roasted lemon (cut lemons in half, a grill cut side down for two minutes). Enjoy raw salads but let them join in on the fun by dressing them up with roasted vegetable dressings such as Roasted Eggplant Dressing (roast a whole eggplant until it collapses, remove charred skin and process with onion, garlic and lemon) or Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Dressing (cut tomatoes in half, quarter the peppers, and grill till skin is easily removable. Blend with garlic, herbs and lemon) Grill garlic by cutting just the top of the bulbs, putting it in tinfoil and letting it get soft and carmelized. Squeeze garlic pulp and eat with salads and vegetables instead of butter.

Remove stems from Portobello mushroom and make a marinade with 2 tablespoons nama shoyu, 2 minced garlic, thyme leaves, drizzle of olive oil. Divide marinade evenly on stem side of mushroom. Grill mushrooms on low heat but do not flip. Allow marinade to seep in and don’t let the juices flow. Remove from heat when still bit firm but spongier. Let sit before adding sauce. Garnish with roasted red pepper slices.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 roasted red pepper
½ avocado
Handful chopped parsley
Few thyme sprigs
1 garlic
1 juice of a lemon

Blend in food processor till smooth. Makes 4.

Remove corn from the cob, chop up roasted poblano peppers, add chopped scallions, lime, s/p

Grilled Vegetable Terrine
I love vegetable terrines but normally they are layers and layers of vegetables that have been marinated and oozing with olive oil. To remedy this, cut your vegetables into ¼ inch slices lengthwise, wipe dry and place directly on grill. Grill for a few minutes per side. A fresh herb pesto can be added between the layers of the smoky vegetables afterwards.
1 large eggplant cut ¼ lengthwise
4 roasted red, yellow or orange bell peppers, sliced 
2 yellow squash cut ¼ lengthwise
1 tinfoil packet of cherry tomatoes; see recipe above)
2 zucchini cut ¼ lengthwise
Herb pesto
1 handful spinach or arugula, ½ med zucchini coarsely chopped, 1 handful basil, 2/3 garlic cloves, juice of a lemon. Throw in blender but keep it slightly chunky. 

Use a glass baking pan so you can see each layer of vegetables. Start with the vegetables listed in order, adding a thin layer of pesto per vegetable topping. Press down lightly to mold the terrine. Garnish with fresh basil.

Grilling vegetables with skins on is another great way to grill using the vegetable skin as a buffer. Just remove skins and the vegetables will be infused with the smokiness of the grill.

Roasted Eggplant Dip with Zucchini Rounds
Roast whole eggplants on grill, turning at intervals till the entire eggplant collapses. Remove skins and chop coarsely. Add 2 tablespoons tahini, chopped parsley, 2/3 minced garlic cloves, juice of a lemon, teaspoon of paprika and cumin, s/p. Serve with sliced zucchini circles.

Roasted Bell Pepper, Poblanos and Jalapenos
Roast whole till skin is charred. Remove skins before use. See recipes for use.

Grilled Corn
Grill corn on the cob with a layer of husk attached. This keeps the corn from getting charred and it intensifies the smoky flavor at the same time. Serve as is or make a herb butter if desired by chopping herbs into butter at room temperature. Remove husks before serving.

This keeps the vegetables away from direct heat, uses only a minimal of oil, no charring, keeping the integrity of the vegetables intact. You can magnify the steaming effect by adding a little vegetable stock instead of oil and leave it on the grill a minute or two less than suggested.
You can do family style or individual packets. Make sure you use heavy duty aluminum or double up on the layers. Keep the tinfoil vented higher for more of a steam action or flat packaged for more of a grill effect. Great way to cook greens like swiss chard, asparagus, cremini mushrooms, practically any vegetable but experiment especially the ones that that tend to fall into the charcoal. Here are some ideas:

One bunch of chopped swiss chard, kale, leafy spinach or beet greens, sliced small red onion, 2 sliced garlic cloves, pinch of crushed red pepper, stalk of rosemary, s/p , drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or dab of butter. 8 min.

One bunch chopped kale, 1 large sweet potato, kabocha or butternut squash, peeled and 1” cubes, 1 small chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, s/p, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 10 to 15 min.

1 pint cremini mushrooms, 2 minced garlic cloves, handful chopped parsley, pinch crushed red pepper, thyme sprigs, drizzle of olive oil and drizzle of nama shoyu or balsamic vinegar. 6-8 min.

1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 2 minced garlic, handful chopped basil, s/p, drizzle of ev olive oil. This could stay on the grill and slow roast for as long as 20 min if you keep it away from the main heat.

2/3 zucchini and or yellow squash , chopped, wedged, or sliced, handful chopped basil and mint, zest of a lemon, s/p, drizzle of ev olive oil. 8-10 min.

1 bunch asparagus, handful sliced shitake mushrooms, zest of lemon, fresh oregano leaves, dab of butter, s/p. 5 min.

This is a winner and I guarantee if you make it, friends and family will request it every year!

4 whole Eastern, Japanese, Koimo or Korean yams (different names, same thing; has a reddish skin and white flesh; when in doubt, break off tip to check).

Just roast it whole wrapped in tinfoil, 400 degrees for at least an hour till it soft and the outside is a bit caramelized. Throw it in a blender with a cup of coconut milk, knob of fresh ginger, tablespoon of vanilla extract, ¼ cup agave nectar (or stevia but agave gives it a beautiful gloss)Blend/puree till nice and light. If you really want to take it up a notch, you can grated some crystallized ginger on top.

This is great cold from the fridge so make it in advance.

Gratins are creamy and rich but contain way too much cream, butter and cheese to be fully enjoyed comfortably after. This version is a wonderful way to enjoy all the elements of the dish w/o the regret.

Cauliflower gratin: 8 cups of florets, 3 minced garlic cloves, fresh chopped tablespoon of oregano or marjoram, pinch crushed red pepper flakes, all tossed together with butter or coconut oil, roasted for ½ hour. Add freshly grated raw goat cheese (Alta dena brand works great for this one) and pop it back in the oven till it melts.

The following vegetables also work great with the above recipe but substitute for the following herbs and also add:

Fennel, sliced thin with thyme, orange zest, fennel fronds as garnish
Asparagus with lemon zest (I like the raw sheep pecorino for this one)
Portobello or cremini mushroom with minced shallot, thyme, parsley

A combination of beets, parsnips, carrots, turnips, butternut squash or kabocha squash cut into same sized cubes or pieces, tossed with butter or coconut oil, minced garlic, chopped sage, s/p and roasted in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

One of the students at one of my classes told me this technique of taking the leaves off one by one (just lob off the end) and roasting it as is. Beautiful presentation with all the single leaves! Just add pat of butter, minced garlic, fresh thyme, s/p and roast 400 degrees 10 to 15 minutes. Just keep and eye out to make sure the leaves don’t char too fast; toss it around a bit) I love to drizzle a little sriracha (Asian hot sauce) when it comes out of the oven!

4 Cups grated butternut squash (I cut them into long chunks and grate it though my food processor), small thumb sized minced ginger, tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all spice), drizzle of agave nectar, juice of a lemon, a pinch of sea salt. YUMMY!

This looks like a rainbow exploded in your plate. The ingredients are forgiving; just grate any of the following:

Beets (look for the chiogga that is pink and white, so pretty!)
Fennel (reserve fronds)
Radish
Carrot
Red or white cabbage

Add in fresh chopped parsley, tarragon, chervil, dill and the reserved fennel fronds. You can dress this with drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional) lots of lemon, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper. Or to make it creamy, add ¼ cup of goat yogurt.

1 cup, carrot, celery, onions, broccoli stems, if any 
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pinch crushed red pepper
8 cups broccoli (chop up stem and add to mira poix)
6 sprigs fresh thyme, desprigged
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 cup grated raw goat cheese of choice OR grated raw sheep pecorino OR nutritional yeast

Saute carrot, celery, parsnips, onions, garlic and red pepper with coconut oil or butter for 8 minutes till onions are translucent. Add broccoli, thyme, bay leaves and water or vegetable stock to cover by an inch. Simmeer on low heat for 430 to 40 minutes till broccoli is falling apart. Puree in batches in blender, season to taste . Top with cheese while hot to melt.

1 cup of diced carrot, celery, onions, parsnip, tomatoes, zucchini
1 cup small cauliflower florets, corn off the cob
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 tbs dried oregano, basil and thyme
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 pinch crushed red pepper
Fresh parsley to garnish

Saute carrot, celery, parsnips, onions, garlic and red pepper with coconut oil or butter for 8 minutes till onions are translucent. Add tomato paste and water to thin, saute 2 to 3 minutes, Add water or vegetable stock, bay leaves and oregano and let simmer for 10 minutes till carrots and celery are bit soft, add cauliflower, zucchini and corn. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.

1 medium onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
2/3 cloves of garlic minced
1 8 oz salmon filet
6 sprigs of thyme,desprigged
zest of whole lemon, grapefruit or orange
s/p to taste

Toss all ingredients in baking tray with cocounut oil or butter, bakee in preheated 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Flake fish into chunks with a fork.

Top with cauliflower mashed potato from Thanksgiving Pot Pie recipe.

A variation of the Thanksgiving Pot Pie with a savory mash of root vegetables
1 cup of beets, parsnip, turnip, carrot, butternut or kabocha squash, onions, medium dice
2/3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3/4 sprigs fresh sage, finely chopped
6 sprigs of thyme, desprigged
s/p to taste

To make root vegetable mashed potato topping, add equal parts of parsnip, turnip and carrot with water to cover by an inch, boil for 30 minutes till soft. Puree.