Healthy BBQs and picnics - Recipe

Lighten up your cookouts with grilled vegetables

Summertime is the season for cookouts and barbecues, which usually means eating all those high-fat, high-cholesterol foods. But there are a number of delicious ways to lighten up those outdoor menus.

Thanks to new soy products on the market, you can bring burgers, hot dogs and sausages made from soy protein to your next cookout, and indulge to your heart's content. You can also use soy-based mayonnaise and light vinaigrette dressings in potato and macaroni salads and coleslaw. For picnics, take along a main-dish salad made with whole grains, fresh vegetables and your favorite beans.

Another great idea for health-conscious outdoor cooks is grilled vegetables. Have you ever grilled corn right in the husk? The sweet flavor is so intense, you won't need butter or salt. (Just be sure to remove the corn silk before grilling.) Fresh produce such as bell peppers, eggplant, fennel bulbs, Portobello mushrooms, onions and firm tomatoes can be grilled in large pieces directly on the grill after brushing with olive oil, bottled teriyaki sauce or your favorite marinade or spice rub. Serve on a bed of whole grain rice or pasta and you have a spectacular entree. You can also cut the vegetables into small pieces and thread them onto wooden or metal skewers before grilling.

For a tempting dessert that's naturally fat-free, don't let those hot coals go to waste. Grill slices of fresh fruit such as pineapple and peaches and serve with a fresh strawberry or mango puree.

Here are some great recipes for your next outdoor feast:

Grilled Jerk-Spiced Vegetable Skewers (Serves 4).

If there's no time to marinate the vegetables, simply brush them with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and your favorite herbs, and you're ready to grill.

1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
2 limes, juiced
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs. light brown sugar or a natural sweetener
2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. dried thyme
8 oz. white mushrooms, trimmed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
3 small zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch wide
slices
1 pint large cherry tomatoes

In a food processor combine the jalapeno, onion, and garlic and process until pureed. Add the oil, tamari, lime juice, ginger, sugar, allspice and thyme. Process to combine and set aside. Alternately thread the vegetables on wooden or metal skewers in the order given. Place the skewered vegetables in a baking dish and coat with the spice mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the grill until hot. Place the skewered vegetables on a lightly oiled grill rack. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until the vegetables are cooked, but not charred. Serve over rice.

Tropical Rice Salad (Serves 4)

Brown basmati rice and dark red kidney beans combine with fresh fruits and vegetables in this colorful main-dish salad.

2 large mangoes, peeled, seeded and
cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 Tbs. flax oil
3 Tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. light brown sugar or a natural
sweetener
Salt and freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
3 cups cold cooked brown basmati
rice
1 (15-oz.) can dark red kidney
beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cut into match-stick-size
julienne strips
2 scallions, minced
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 head Boston or butter lettuce,
torn
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint leaves
(optional)

In a food processor or blender combine 1/2 of the diced mango, the flax oil, lime juice, dates or sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Process until pureed, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the remaining mango with the rice, kidney beans, bell pepper, scallions and peas. Add the reserved dressing to the salad and toss to combine. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve rice salad over lettuce and garnish with mint, if desired.

Tips for safe grilling ...

* Be sure to place your grill on a flat surface in a well-ventilated outdoor location and avoid using lighter fluid in favor of more environmentally friendly charcoal starters.

* Be careful not to over-char your food, as it can be hazardous to your health.

* Trim the fat off meat since smoke from dripping fat yields carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Robin Robertson is the author of seven vegetarian cookbooks including The Soy Gourmet and The Vegetarian Chili Cookbook. Her latest book is Rice and Spice (Harvard Common Press). She also writes a vegetarian food column for two newspapers. Readers can log onto her Web site at www.robinrobertson.com.

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