Ultimate Vegan Cook-Out for Labor Day
As shocking as this may sound, Labor Day is right around the corner! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to an extra day off for some relaxation and being with friends—who’s with me?!?
But here’s the thing: When friends get together and everything on the menu—from the main course cooking on the “Barbie” to the bean dip to the side dishes and even the dessert (ok, just kidding)—is meat based, what is a vegetarian to do?
You’ve come to the right place! Here are some tasty recipes and ideas to make your Labor Day more meatless, more guilt-free and much more enjoyable!
Check out these cool and fun recipes! Show your non-vegetarian friends how easy and awesome it is to make healthy vegetarian dishes!
Creamy Raw Vegan Coleslaw, yes no dairy
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 medium unpeeled cucumber, diced
¼ cup thinly shredded onion
Sauce:
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cups cashews
½ cup bell pepper
¼ cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
2 Tbsp thyme, minced
¼ cup tomato
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Salt to taste
Combine sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator. Pour creamy sauce over bowl of shredded vegetables. Keep any extra dressing in the refrigerator and use on other salads.
Spicy Vegan Tofu Kabobs
½ cup firm tofu (non-gmo, organic), dice into 1” cubes or tempeh (fermented soy beans)
¼ cup onion, cut into wedges
6 button mushrooms
½ zucchini, cut into ½” slices
6 cherry tomatoes
2 tsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp chili sauce/flakes
1 bell pepper, cut into 1” x 2” pieces
2 tsp lemon juice
1 ½ tsp natural smooth peanut butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
½ Tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
2 Tbsp Tamari, Nama Shoyu, or Bragg’s
Combine marinade ingredients: peanut butter, agave nectar, chili sauce/flakes, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and Nama shoyu sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Add cut vegetables and tofu /tempeh to the marinade in bowl and toss. Marinade for 1-8 hours. Place vegetables and tofu on skewers and grill over medium heat until done.
Refreshing Watermelon Icee
2-3 cups fresh watermelon
1/2 gala apple cored
1-2 cups ice
Juice from 1 lime
2-4 fresh mint leaves
3 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
Blend all ingredients in blender. Serve immediately after blending.
When I serve this drink to my friends, they say “this would be great with some vodka!” That’s their choice but either way it is a crowd pleaser!
Watermelon is great for preventing kidney stones, great cleanser, it’s rich in potassium, lycopene, and vitamin C.
Also check out my other blog post with the Portobello mushroom burger recipe. It’s great for the grill and I’ve got some feed back that it’s a winner.
Really, non-vegetarians don’t know how great you have it, so share some of these great dishes with them. Have a healthy and fun weekend!
Helping you succeed on your veggie lifestyle,
Kardena Pauza
Author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans
How does olive oil compare to sunflower oil? Because I was going to
make that “lentil surprise” and you put sunflower oil in it. I have
olive oil, but no sunflower oil?
Hi Wes,
The sunflower seed oil is a subtle flavor but you can use either one.