Tag

vegan

Grilled Veggie Kebabs Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

Grilled Veggie Kebabs Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables

Kebabs are a great way to get your meat and vegetable fixes all at once. Keep in mind though that meat, vegetables and fruit do not all cook at the same speed. Even different types of produce require different cook times.

A zucchini cooks differently than an onion, and chicken of course takes longer to cook than prawn. Our advice is to keep it simple and to use individual skewers for each type of kebab. Separating different meats, vegetables and fruits onto different skewers will cook things evenly.

A great kebab calls for a marinade. The goal is to get as much flavour as possible into your kebabs before they hit the grill.  A mix of garlic, rosemary and olive oil does wonders for pork tenderloin kebabs, or you can wrap the meat in bacon. If you’re grilling seafood, a marinade of garlic, coriander, basil, paprika, lime juice, honey, salt, and olive oil is great.

You can use wooden skewers, but make sure to soak them first. Using rosemary sprigs as skewers is another fun idea. Make sure to soak your cedar wood plank before grilling, too. You’ll find the instructions on the packaging.

Kebabs are a beautiful addition to an al fresco meal, and the rosemary and cedar planking add beautiful flavour layers to the meat and vegetables.

Serve 2 or 3 skewers per person

You’ll need:

  • cedar planks for grilling
  • skewers or fresh rosemary sprigs
  • any meat or seafood you like, in even pieces
  • onion chunks
  • sweet bell pepper pieces
  • pineapple chunks (optional)
  • whole mushrooms
  • cherry or grape tomatoes
  • a marinade of choice
  • salt and pepper

Step 1:
Soak cedar planks according to the directions on the package. Stick the assorted marinated meat, veggies or fruits on the skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 2:
Place the prepared skewers on planks (3 or 4 to a plank.) Place the planks on hot side of grill, cover and allow to cook until your protein and veggies reach desired tenderness. They will be infused with the yummy cedar smoke flavour but keep an eye on them and make sure they’re not scorched to death.

Serving suggestions:

Kebabs are brilliant served with a light green summer salad, potato wedges, crusty bread rolls, rice pilaf or coconut rice. If you’re going for a Mediterranean theme, whip up an easy mint and cucumber yogurt dip to go with your meal. It’s delicious. Other sauces that go well with kebabs, depending on your choice of meat and veg, are garlic mayonnaise, peanut satay, and sweet chili.

July 7, 2021
Vegetables including asparagus & mushroom on a grilling plank

Grilled Asparagus & Mushrooms Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables

The flavours from asparagus and mushrooms combined with the smokiness of cedar wood plank grilling aren’t easy to describe, but the word delicious is the first that comes to mind. This easy recipe will surely impress your vegetarian friends. It is a fantastic side dish for all sorts of meals, whether your diet is plant-based or not.

Cedar plank grilling is perfect for all sorts of vegetables, just make sure you choose veggies that cook in about the same time. Red peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, green beans, brussels sprouts (cut in half), broccoli and carrots (cut into small chunks) all work well. Potatoes take a little longer to cook but you can pre-cook those in the microwave.

You’ll need:

  • 1 large cedar plank
  • A bunch of fresh asparagus
  • Any type of mushrooms
  • Fire salt (or a mix of sea salt, paprika, chilli powder and garlic)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Step 1:
Rinse and snap off the bases of the asparagus, then coat them and the mushrooms or the other veggies you’re using with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with Fire salt or the seasoning of your choice.

Step 2:
Prepare your cedar wood grilling plank by soaking it in water for about an hour. Heat grill to 120° C and place the soaked plank over direct heat for 5 minutes. Remove it and oil the heated side.

Step 3:
Place the cedar plank with oiled side up on your grill, place the vegetables on top. Cook them for 10 to 15 minutes over direct heat until tender but firm. Keep a squirt bottle of water handy in case your cedar plank catches fire.

You can serve these as a side dish, on its own, or toss them over salads. If you don’t have a barbeque or grill, you can just as easily prepare it in the oven. Roasted cedar plank vegetables are super easy to make, taste delicious and will impress your guests. If you use the oven, all you do is soak the plank for at least 15 minutes, arrange vegetables, season and bake.

July 7, 2021