More About Mia and her Soulful Food...

Hi, I'm Mia, veg and fruit lover extraordinaire. My plant-based journey started with a love for this planet and everyone who's living on it. Through travel, experimenting, and a lot of curiosity, I have discovered just how easy, accessible, and simple (yet diverse, tasty and nutritious!) vegan food can be. It is very important to me that my diet supports all my nutritional needs, and so my recipes focus on finding ways to this whilst also tasting scrumptious!

What I love the most about cooking is the community aspect of it. The joy and comfort of gathering and sharing – how it brings everyone together. My regular recipes and posts are to do just this! I will be sharing my favourite tasty and healthy vegan meals and treats with you. And I hope that you will enjoy looking after yourself by eating them, and of course sharing them with your own tribe, large or small. 

Wishing you lots of love, health and happiness, Mia xx 

The summer weather can make even the cosiest among us want to head outside and make the most of it! And when it comes to food and nutrition, a BBQ is such a fantastic way to socialise, eat healthily AND make the most of long light evenings and warm weather!

The word ‘vegan’ (and sometimes even ‘vegetarian’) can strike fear into many omnivorous BBQ chefs when it comes to sharing a BBQ with friends and family. However, it really doesn’t need to… And neither does the said plant based eater need to be relegated to the salad section alone (although done well, this too can be a real highlight!).

Today I am sharing my very top 3 three favourite Vegan BBQ Treats – these have become firm favourites in my world, and they are ALWAYS the first to get eaten!

CRISPY TOFU

If you've never grilled tofu before, have no fear. Grilled tofu is utterly delicious and very easy to prepare. It just needs a lovely amount of seasoning by marinating it (and your patience for it to absorb all the flavours you add!).

Tofu contains easily digested protein, B-vitamins, iron, sodium and potassium and has a high calcium content. Depending on how it’s made it can be equal to that of milk. Used in moderation, it balances extreme flavours and adds contrast to salty and pungent foods.

Ingredients

(serves 4 herbivores)

• 1 x block of organic firm tofu (125g)
• 1 x tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 x tbsp soy sauce
• 1 x tbsp olive oil

Feeling a little bit more extravagant? Add 1 x tbsp pure peanut butter and 1 x tbsp water to the marinade, and whisk until smooth.

Preparation

Press tofu with a paper towel to remove water. Whisk together all the other ingredients to make you marinade sauce. Once pressed (with as much fluid as possible removed), slice the tofu into thin strips. Toss the strips in your beautiful sauce and let the tofu marinate for at least 30min and up to 2 hours. Barbecue until golden and crispy on the outside. Yum! 

ROASTED VEGGIE SKEWERS

These are always a winner and bring everything together. Unbelievably simple, and completely delicious, with super short preparation time.

Ingredients

(makes approx. 8 skewers)

• 1 x Onion
• 1 x Aubergine
• 1 x Courgette (Zucchini)
• 1 x Bell Pepper (Capsicum) – the colour of your choice!
• 1 x Handful Mushrooms
• … any veg your heart desires

Preparation

Mix 1 x tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 x tbsp soy sauce, 2 x tbsp olive oil and all the spices you love the best. I tend to use basil, oregano, paprika, cumin. Whisk them up together to make your marinade sauce. Then chop all the vegetables into approx. 2-3cm slices and marinate them in the sauce (preferably let veg sit and soak for at least 30min). Place the vegetables on skewers (choose whatever order you like that looks colourful and interesting!). Cook on the BBQ until vegetables are tender golden brown and roasted.

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GRILLED CORN WITH AVOCADO MINT SALSA

I can’t get enough of fresh corn on the cob on hot summer days (honestly any day!). For me, biting into juicy, sweet roasted kernels is really satisfying and has such a unique flavour to it.

Fresh corn has properties similar to dried corn but also acts as a fresh vegetable – it contains more enzymes, more of certain vitamins, and is better suited to the warmer seasons than the dried variety. Additionally, it nourishes your heart, improves your appetite and is also sometimes said to ‘boost libido’!

Give this a go by simply placing your cobs on the BBQ for 20min until tender. Then just serve simply with my Avocado Mint salsa – see below.

Ingredients

(makes one batch)

• 1 x large avocado
• 1 x lemon
• 1 x tbsp olive oil
• 1 x tbsp water
• A splash of apple cider vinegar
• A nice bunch of finely cut fresh mint
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

Mash the Avocado with a fork and gradually add all the other ingredients, gently mashing as you go. For a slightly creamier texture, leave out the water. Add the salt and pepper right at the end to your own taste. Yes, it really is that straight forward! Now it’s just time to dress up your roasted corn!

RUSTIC GRILLED ROSEMARY FLATBREAD

In my experience, the best time to bake or grill bread is on warm sunny days as it rises better. Freshly grilled with care, it brings mysterious powers of warmth and togetherness to occasions. Having fresh bread on the table is a ritual practised by many cultures to symbolize a willingness to share with others.

In this instance, it’s also beautifully nutritious… The Spelt is packed nutrients. In general, it is higher in protein, fat and fibre than most varieties of wheat. It has high contents of Niacin (Vitamin B3), Magnesium and Zinc. Although spelt contains gluten, those with gluten sensitivity can often tolerate it. This grain is loved as much for its hearty nut-like flavour as for its wonderful healing qualities (and great taste!).

Ingredients

(makes 6 medium sized breads)

• 3/4 cup + 2 x tbsp warm water (40°C)
• 1 x tsp brown sugar
• 1 x tsp active dry yeast
• 1 x cup all-purpose flour/ light spelt
• 1 x cup whole spelt flour + extra for rolling out and dusting
• 1 x tsp fine sea salt
• 1 x tbsp olive oil + extra for grilling
• Heaps of fresh rosemary

Preparation

In a bowl combine the warm water, sugar and yeast. Lightly stir the ingredients together and set aside until top of mixture appears foamy. This usually takes about 15 minutes.

Add the all-purpose flour and the whole spelt flour, sea salt and olive oil. Lightly stir until it becomes a slightly sticky and unified dough. Dust a clean surface with flour and knead the dough a couple of times until smooth.

Grease another bowl with olive oil, drop the ball of dough into it and roll it around to coat it. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and leave in a warm place for 2 hours.

After the dough has risen over the 2 hours, drop it onto a floured board. Tear into 6 chunks and roll each one into a ball. Place each ball on a floured baking sheet (a good distance from each other). Cover dough with a damp towel for a further 30 minutes.

Once the wait is over, roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface (until approx. 0.5cm thick). Shape gently into oval rounds using your hands if needed.

Brush the dough surfaces with olive oil and sprinkle dough with fresh rosemary sprigs and crushed salt. Gently place directly onto the BBQ (oil this section of the BBQ first). Close lid and cook for about 3 minutes each side until golden brown crispy. They should be lightly charred to get the barbecued flavour. Serve while still warm.

If you love this, then you will love my other Soulful Vegan Recipes from around the world… Just click for my Beautiful Buddha Bowl, Perfect Vegan Cacao Pancakes or my Delicious Vegan Dahl.

Until next time, sending lots of love, health and wellness to you. Mia xx

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