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Guest Post: Grilling Vegan Style with John Schlimm

Bychristy

September Cooking Tool of the Month – Grill 

Today’s guest recipes are from the charming and funny John Schlimm, author of The Tipsy Vegan and Vegan Grilling Style. We haven’t featured grilled fruit yet on the blog this month so I asked John to share with us some of his favorites from the book. 

Recipes below are from the book Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm.  Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2012.

Tattooed Watermelon Saladtattooed watermelon

YIELD: 4 to 8 servings

Believe it or not, watermelon takes to grilling surprisingly well. The grill-inked stripes from the grate look beautiful and wild adorning the deep pink flesh, and they also nicely complement the seasoned arugula.

Oftentimes guests, as I do myself, prefer two slices of the watermelon, to make the juicy joy of this fun in the sun rebel last as long as possible, so plan accordingly.

Also, for a change, a sprinkling of smoked sea salt adds a whole other dimension to the dish.

1 medium-size seedless watermelon (about 5 pounds)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ample cups arugula leaves, or watercress leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Smoked sea salt of choice, for sprinkling (optional; see headnote)

Directions:

Heat the grill to medium-high.

Cut the watermelon into eight 1-inch thick slices. Leave the rind on or cut it off, as you wish. Brush the watermelon flesh with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill the watermelon for 2 minutes on each side.

Mind the heat; liquid tends to gush out of the watermelon if it gets too hot. When finished, transfer the slices to four to eight plates.

Place the arugula in a medium-size bowl. Toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then with the balsamic.

Divide the arugula either under or over the watermelon slices.

Sprinkle the watermelon with the smoked sea salt, if desired, and serve.

Party on South Peach Salsa

YIELD: About 3 cups, serving 4 to 6

Soft, juicy peaches may seem delicate but with a little tender loving care, they prove opposites do attract when they meet a flame head on. One secret is to not remove the skins, which helps the peaches stay intact and firm, but be sure to remove the pits. And when you throw jalapeño, onion, and crushed red pepper into the mix for this salsa, the summit of sweet and hot accents will win over any crowd!

4 medium-size ripe peaches, pitted and quartered, skin intact
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the peaches
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced finely
1 small red onion, diced
Crushed red pepper (the more, the spicier!)
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste

Directions:

Heat the grill to medium.

Grilling Vegan Style by John SchlimmBrush the quartered peaches with the olive oil. Grill the peaches until nicely charred (or browned as desired), 3 to 5minutes per side. Removing the skin is optional after grilling.

Dice the peaches.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the peaches with the rest of the ingredients, mixing well. The salsa can be served warm or after being refrigerated to let the flavors further set.

Serve with tortilla chips, or as a tantalizing garnish for your favorite dish.

John Schlimm by Barb SchlimmJohn Schlimm is the award-winning author of books on cooking and entertaining, including Grilling Vegan Style, The Tipsy Vegan, and the forthcoming The Cheesy Vegan (Fall 2013). Also an artist, activist, and educator, in recent years, John has traveled the country doing appearances and speaking about inspirational/motivational topics, cooking, entertaining, and public relations to a wide variety of groups. He has appeared on such national media outlets as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, QVC, NPR, Martha Stewart Living’s Everyday Food, The Splendid Table, and cable’s number one morning show, Fox & Friends. John holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University. Follow John on Facebook and Twitter @JohnSchlimm.  For more information, please visit www.JohnSchlimm.com.

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50 Comments

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  34. My favorite vegetable to grill is a big fat marinated portobello mushroom so then I can stuff it with pesto and make a giant pesto portobello burger! Cheers!

    Reply

  35. Hi there,

    I love to grill eggplant, roasted red pepper and mushrooms and make a sandwich out of it. And zuchini. If I have to pick one favorite it would be eggplant. 

    Reply

  44. I like grilled pineapple, but I would like to try grilled peaches and nectarines and I NEVER thought to grill watermelon! I could learn a lot from this book 🙂

    Reply
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