My 3 Vegan Summer BBQ Dishes on Sunday Brunch that will keep all your guests guessing
What a blast it was to be back on Sunday Brunch this weekend!
This was my fourth time on Sunday Brunch, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! What a wonderful crew! Miquita Oliver and Tim Lovejoy are always such welcoming hosts and the guests this week were hilarious! They devoured the dishes very quickly and it was such a pleasure to feed Aston Merrygold, Kerry Howard, Dave Gorman and Nadia Rose. They were up for trying everything!
I couldn’t believe it when we opened the show and Tim Lovejoy said that I had changed his life, because of introducing him to adding miso to all his dishes - SO GOOD! I had to pinch myself, I couldn't believe it and it was the perfect start to the show!
We missed Simon Rimmer as he was presenting from Victorious Festival in Portsmouth this week, but looking forward to cooking with him again!
On Sunday Brunch this weekend I showcased 3 vegan dishes for the summer / barbecue season, a subject close to my heart. If you don’t eat meat, barbecues can be a really boring affair; either veggie burgers or vegetables on a skewer. If you eat dairy, you might get some halloumi, but if you are vegan, barbecues can be an unimpressive event.
I wanted to show that its perfectly possible to make food super tasty at a summer BBQ with a little help from umami; making vegan dishes feel both interesting (not just grilled veg skewers) but also natural (no fake meats!) and most of all, special; just as special as the meat options at a barbecue.
My dishes feature all my favourite ingredients of course - miso paste, Craft Tofu Knots, and plenty of umami touches. Bring these to your summer barbecue, and your friends (especially the vegetarian ones!) will thank you for it!
I created 3 dishes that will definitely impress your guests, whether they are vegan or not! Full of flavour thanks to our umami in our miso, and full of texture, thanks to our Craft Tofu Knots. These recipes are a little novel and will certainly get everyone talking about them, something new for your barbecue repertoire.
As it was the first day of Carnival and the Bank Holiday Weekend, everyone was in a great mood; and raring to get out in the sunshine straight after the show. The Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell was on hand with the rummy cocktails - yum!
A real highlight for me was meeting Miquita Oliver this week; we had actually met 18 years ago when I was 18 years old, when she presented me with an award - Cosmo Girl of the Year Award! It made us feel ancient but I was happy to show her a picture of that event and how young we looked!! It was great to see her again!
The first dish that I served up, was Watermelon Sushi Bowl - a slow roasted watermelon, marinaded in miso, seaweed and sesame for a vegan tuna alternative. This one was a real surprise for the crew and guests; they couldn’t believe it was not Tuna or even watermelon itself; it had transformed so much; definitely a dish to try. Watermelon is such a symbol of summer - this is one to try to impress your guests! The lovely Kerry Howard was very impressed with this.
Next up was the Miso Harissa Jackfruit Burgers / Tacos for spicy umami rich and juicy filling, these went down a real treat with Aston Merrygold in particular. The texture and flavours were bang on similar to pulled pork - lots of richness and umami coming through!
And finally the Coca Cola Tofu Knot Skewer, which features our Craft Tofu Knots from our sister brand, Tofu Tasty. Miquita couldn’t believe that this was not lamb! They did look like little meat skewers for sure! Sweet and savoury from the cola and soy sauce, Kerry Howard said it was “both a meal and a dessert in one!”
With the warm summer we are having, I am sure you have been popping the grill on more often and looking to make tasty, low effort dishes that can be put together quickly for a crowd.
If you missed the show, keep your eyes peeled on our social media @misotasty for highlights and behind the scenes content, or you can watch the full episode on Channel 4OD on “catch-up”.
I hope you give these dishes a go at your next barbecue, and do share with us your creations!
Thank you once again to Sunday Brunch for hosting me, and allowing us to share these dishes with you all. I love being a guest on the show, and looking forward to being on again soon!
Bonnie x