This weekend is Memorial Day! And that means one thing, grilling parties! Barbecues are always the time people seem the most confused about what to make that Andrew and I can eat. Obviously, there’s always veggie hot dogs or burgers that are an option but I try to stay away from pre-made fake meat if I can help it. So, for this very special long weekend, I’ve made two stellar veggie-packed grilling recipes and a healthier potato salad that is perfect for any potluck or picnic! I also threw in a recipe for frozen pineapple margaritas that are super boozy and to die for.
The potato salad here is delicious and so easy to make! While I’m certainly a fan of that store bought, mayo filled potato salad, it’s not the best for you so I tried to make one that would be healthier. When I was a kid, my mom made a potato salad that was very similar to this recipe. She was always calling it Armenian Potato Salad but I’m not sure whether it’s actually an Armenian recipe or if that was just code for anything that’s made with a vinaigrette instead of mayo. Either way, this recipe is easy, healthy and delicious! You’ll love it.
These veggie skewers are an absolute necessity for any vegetarian barbecue! We make them constantly over the summer. I chose here vegetables that are easy to stick on a skewer and that cook fairly evenly. We have tried to skewer Brussels sprouts before but those were too hard to stick the skewer through. I also put grilled pineapple on my skewers because it’s one of my favorite foods in the world. When pineapple is charred it gets even sweater and kind of caramelized and it’s amazing!
Finally, I got a little fancy with these grilled pita “lamb” pizzas. I’ve been wanting to try and copy my mom’s recipe for these for a while now and I finally nailed it! This recipe is so good, the tempeh actually tastes like ground meat! It’s loaded with different spices so it’s exploding with flavor and the cold yogurt adds a great contrast and perfectly compliments the warm “tempeh lamb”. I was also a little nervous about grilled the pita bread but it only took a few minutes and was perfectly crispy!
I hope you guys enjoy these recipes and add some healthy inspiration to your long weekend!
Until Next Time,
Jackie
Print
Frozen Pineapple Margaritas
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 2 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Drinks
Description
These Frozen Pineapple Margaritas take minutes to make and are a healthy, delightful summertime drink! Refreshing and no added sugar!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple
- 1 cup ice
- juice of 2 limes
- juice of 1 lemon
- 4 shots silver tequila
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the pineapple and the ice into the blender. Juice the limes and the lemons into the blender and add in the tequila. Sprinkle the salt into the mixture. Blend on high until it’s smooth.
- Serve in a large glass with an extra slice of lime.
Healthy Mayo-Free Potato Salad
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Salad
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan
Description
Perfect summer time potato salad. Made with vinaigrette instead of mayo for a healthy delicious option.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb redskins potatoes, chopped into chunks
- 3 scallions, sliced thinly
- 2 tbs dried or fresh parsley
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- pinches of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the chopped potatoes into a large pot and fill with cold water and a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil and boil until the potatoes are cooked and soft.
- Drain the potatoes and place them into a large bowl. Add in the red onion, scallions and parsley. Toss until the ingredients are fully mixed.
- Next prepare your dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until combined and then pour over the potato salad. Gently toss the salad so that it’s fully coated in the dressing but be careful not to smash the potatoes too much. Allow the salad to chill in your fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Grilled Marinated Veggie Skewers
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 15 skewers 1x
- Category: Dinner, Snack, Appetizer
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan
Description
Simple and healthy veggie skewers grilled to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 4 summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 pineapple, cored
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, whole
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs Dijon mustard
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- pinches of salt and pepper
Instructions
- To get started place all of your cut veggies, the pineapple and the whole cherry tomatoes into a large bowl. Make your marinade by whisking together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the veggies and toss until fully coated. Cover and let marinade for at least a half hour but you can do this the night before and give the veggies lots of time to fully soak in the marinade.
- Before putting the veggies on the skewers, soak your skewers in cold water for 15 minutes. This stops them from splitting when you put the veggies on them. Add the veggies to the skewers and set on a large plate so they’re ready to grill! I place them on the skewers in this order: zucchini, squash, onion, pineapple, tomato. I repeat that twice per skewer so eat has two of all the veggies.
- At this point you’re ready to grill! You can just place the veggies on a medium high grill and just continuously rotate them every few minutes until their soft and slightly charred. They take about 15 minutes on our grill but it could very depending on your grill. Just keep an eye on them. Serve on top of rice or by themselves with a spoonful of yogurt!
Grilled Pita “Lamb Pizzas”
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 2 pizzas 1x
- Category: Dinner, Pizza
- Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegetarian, Vegan
Description
Totally meatless tempeh “lamb” packed with spices and flavor and served on top of a grilled pita with Greek yogurt and arugula.
Ingredients
Scale
- For Tempeh Lamb
- 1 8oz block tempeh
- 2 tbs dried mint
- 2 scallions sliced
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp onion powder
- 1 tbs olive oil
- For Pizzas
- Large pita bread
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- Arugula
- 2 tbs Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Make the lamb by crumbling the tempeh in a food processor. Pulse it a few times until it takes on the texture of ground beef. Add in the rest of the lamb ingredients other than the olive oil and the garlic and pulse 5-8 more times until the ingredients are incorporated.
- In a small pan heat the olive oil. Add in the garlic and cook until it begins to brown. Add in the tempeh mixture and cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. The mixture should brown and start to crispy slightly.
- Prepare the pita bread by brushing both sides with olive oil. Place the pita on the grill and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. This could vary depending on your grill, just be careful not to leave it on one side for too long but when you’re done it should be crispy.
- Assemble your pizzas by spreading the greek yogurt onto the pita bread. Add on the Arugula, then the tempeh “lamb” then the diced tomatoes. Sprinkle with some more salt and pepper and serve!
Notes
*Make this vegan by using vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream instead of Greek yogurt.
I made all of this and it was wonderful! Great idea!