You guys are in for such a treat today. Literally & figuratively. Because you’re about to get the best f*cking cookie recipe of your life. Bonus that they’re vegan.
My friend Stephany is on the blog today and she recently sent me a batch of the cookies at the end of this post and MY GOD. Zaza & I ate them all. They’re truly to die for.
Stephany owns BodyRok in San Diego and we’ve been friends for a long time now. I miss BodyRok so much and can’t wait to go the next time in San Diego & NOT pregnant.
Stephany is the most amazing vegan cook ( she’s been vegan since I’ve known her ) & today she is here to share a vegan BBQ menu with you. Obviously perfect for a BBQ on any day, but Memorial Day is coming up so whether you’re hosting an event at your house or going somewhere & need to bring something, this post is for you.
Without further ado, let’s welcome my friend Stephany to the blog.
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Hi everyone! I am so excited to guest blog here on The Skinny Confidential. My name is Stephany & I live in San Diego, California. I am the owner of Bodyrok Studios San Diego; a kickass Pilates studio where I initially met Lauryn.
I believe that a low impact/high intensity Pilates workout, combined with a diet predominately plant-based/whole food is the key to slowing & reversing aging, looking better & feeling amazing. We hold the keys to our own health, wellness, & how we age by the choices we make.
While Bodyrok is a big part of my life, helping people make better choices is my passion.
I have been vegan for over 20 years; with an interest in plant-based recipes dating back to my college years. While eating 100 percent plant-based isn’t for everyone, my goal is to show people that many plant-based options & recipes taste just as good, if not better, than a traditional animal-based meal.
I love creating menus & recipes that shock & delight my family & friends. I have spent many years developing recipes & helping clients & friends transform their lives through fitness, nutrition & a healthy lifestyle. I share my recipes, health & wellness hacks & anti-aging tips; sprinkled with some realness on life after loss & being a single mom on my blog at stephsfitculture.com & Instagram @stephsfitculture.
Ok let’s get to the good part. With Memorial Day around the corner, I want to share with you my favorite menu, “The Best Vegan BBQ.” This spread is so easy to create & will impress your guests with flavors that rival any BBQ they have ever tasted! These are recipes that I have been making for many years; ones that my family & friends look forward to every summer. I hope you give these recipes a try. For dessert, the Peanut Butter Cup recipe is probably my greatest creation & a favorite in my house. Enjoy!
The Best Vegan BBQ Menu
BBQ Jackfruit Sliders with Cole Slaw
Vegan Sliders with Thousand Island Dressing
Coleslaw with Pineapple
Macaroni Salad
Baked Spicy Black & White Beans
Grilled Corn with Cilantro Lime Butter
Potatoes with Lemon Parsley Pesto
Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Herb Marinade & Balsamic Reduction Drizzle
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
♡ BBQ Jackfruit Sliders ♡
Jackfruit makes an amazing vegan substitute for pulled pork & once you slather it in BBQ sauce & top your slider with some pineapple coleslaw, no one will know any different.
If you are short on time, there is an amazing product that you can purchase at Whole Foods & Jimbo’s Naturally (if you live in San Diego) instead; it’s called Mindful “Chik’n” from Sweet Earth. If you end up using this product instead of jackfruit, all you need to do is warm up the “chicken” in a pan & add some spicy barbeque & a little bit of water.
Ingredients for BBQ Jackfruit:
2 20-ounce cans of young green jackfruit in water (favorite brand Native Forest)
2 tbsp avocado oil
¼ to ½ cup water
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions for preparing the BBQ Jackfruit:
+ Drain & rinse the cans of jackfruit & place on a kitchen towel. Pat the jackfruit until it is dry.
+ Transfer the jackfruit to a large bowl.
+ In a small bowl, mix the spices together.
+ Add the spices to the jackfruit & combine until the pieces of jackfruit are well coated with the spices.
+ Heat the avocado oil over medium heat in a large frying pan & add the seasoned jackfruit. Cook for approximately 10 minutes.
+ Add the 1 cup of BBQ sauce to the pan; adding a little bit of water at a time to help with the cooking process without burning the sauce.
+ Cover & continue to cook for approximately 30 minutes; adding more water as necessary. Alternatively, you could transfer the mixture to a slow cooker & cook for an hour to an hour & a half.
+ Once the jackfruit & sauce have cooked down, I like to use a fork to break apart the pieces of jackfruit so that it pulls apart like pork or chicken.
Instructions for assembling the jackfruit sliders:
Using small hamburger buns of your choice, pile the bottom of the bun with 1/3 cup of BBQ jackfruit & top with ¼ cup of the coleslaw with pineapple (recipe below). Top with a Bread & Butter Pickle slice. Your guests will gobble these up; so delicious!
♡ Vegan Sliders with Thousand Island Dressing ♡
Making vegan sliders is easy & there are several amazing “hamburger” substitutes that I use in place of beef. Impossible Meat & Beyond Burgers are the two brands that really come close to offering a similar tasting burger.
I try to eat very little processed foods, but I will occasionally splurge & have one of these burgers. A healthier vegan burger choice would be Hilary’s; I love their burgers & really enjoy them knowing that they don’t have any ingredients in them that are questionable. I personally think it is ok to eat an Impossible or Beyond Burger on a special occasion, but I stick with the Hilary’s burgers on the regular.
Regardless of which vegan burger you chose, I like to load my hamburger bun with the patty & top it with vegan cheese (favorite brand is Violife), vegan Thousand Island dressing (favorite brand is Follow Your Heart) & Bread & Butter pickle slices. If you serve your burgers with the Impossible or Beyond Meat; no one will know they are vegan. They really nailed it & made them taste like the real deal.
♡ Coleslaw with Pineapple ♡
Adding pineapple to this coleslaw dish makes it a little extra special; it adds a sweet & unexpected surprise topped on the BBQ jackfruit slider.
Ingredients:
½ head of green cabbage; shredded
1 cup purple cabbage; shredded
1 cup carrot; thinly sliced or shredded
(LAURYN’S HOT TIP: if you’re in a pinch, grab a bag of coleslaw mix to save you time.)
1 red pepper; thinly sliced
1 cup of fresh or canned pineapple; chopped into small cubes
½ cup vegan mayo (favorite brand is Follow Your Heart)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
Instructions:
+ Mix all ingredients together & let sit for at least an hour.
♡ Macaroni Salad ♡
This recipe is my vegan & gluten-free version of the classic macaroni salad; tastes so good that no one will even notice the modification. There are many brands of gluten-free pasta out there but my favorite for this recipe is the Tinkyada brand elbow macaroni; the texture is perfect for this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 box or bag of brown rice/gluten-free elbow macaroni (Tinkyada or Jovial brand); cooked & drained.
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large carrot, shredded
1/3 cup dill pickle relish
½ cup of chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ cup of organic corn (fresh if you can, if not frozen organic is fine)
juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp of pink Himalayan salt
freshly ground pepper
¾ cup of vegan mayo
2 tbsp dijon mustard
Instructions:
+ Cook the pasta according to the package, drain & transfer to a large bowl.
+ In a small bowl, mix the lemon, mayonnaise & mustard together.
+ Add the celery, shredded carrot, pickle relish, chopped dill, chopped parsley, corn & salt to the pasta.
+ Mix the mayo mixture into the pasta until well blended.
+ Adjust herbs, seasonings, mayo & relish accordingly.
+ I like to let this sit for an hour or more before serving. If you refrigerate it – let it sit on the counter to room temperature before serving.
♡ Spicy Black & White Baked Beans ♡
This recipe is a spicy & sweet alternative to a boring traditional baked bean dish. When I serve these for my guests, they go crazy over them. The ginger, spicy barbeque sauce & balsamic vinegar give this dish a unique & spicy/sweet kick to it that everyone enjoys. I love using black & white beans to make the dish stand out differently than a traditional baked bean recipe. Trust me…this is a keeper & will be a favorite when you put on a summer BBQ spread.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
½ red onion, thinly chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cans organic black beans, drained
2 cans organic Great Northern white beans, drained
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp molasses
3 tbsp dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
+ Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium/high heat. Sautee onions, garlic & ginger until soft. Add balsamic vinegar & cooked beans & stir until combined.
+ Allow beans to simmer for a few minutes on low while you whisk together the BBQ sauce, maple syrup, molasses, mustard & salt & pepper.
+ Remove beans from heat & stir in the sauce.
+ Mix well & pour into a lightly oiled baking dish.
+ Bake at 375 degrees uncovered for 1 hour. Serve hot.
These beans have so much flavor & are so delicious! Say good-bye to boring baked beans!
♡ Lime Cilantro Grilled Corn ♡
This grilled corn, with lime cilantro butter is a staple on our table during the summer months when corn is at its peak. I only eat corn when it is in season & organic to avoid GMOs.
Ingredients:
1 stick of vegan butter; softened (favorite brand for this is Earth’s Balance)
1 lime, juiced
½ tsp of lime zest
½ tsp of coconut sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6 ears of corn; shucked
Instructions:
+ Mix the butter, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, salt & cilantro into a bowl.
+ Grill the corn for about 10 minutes – turning to evenly cook without burning.
+ Put the grilled corn on a serving plate & spread the butter onto the corn & serve.
♡ Potatoes with Lemon Parsley Pesto ♡
I love potato salad but if I am serving macaroni salad at my vegan BBQ, I feel like the flavors are a bit redundant. This lemon parsley pesto gives roasted potatoes a vibrant color & flavor & pairs nicely with the rest of this vegan BBQ spread. I prefer to cook my potatoes in the air fryer, but you can get a similar result by cooking the potatoes in the oven at 425 degrees.
Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds of small yellow potatoes
bit of olive oil
sea salt to taste
Pesto Ingredients:
1 large bunch of Italian parsley
1/4 cup of basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, juiced
½ tspsea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions:
+ Wash the potatoes & then pat dry with a kitchen towel.
+ Cut the potatoes in half.
+ Transfer potatoes to a bowl & toss with olive oil & sea salt.
+ Place the potatoes in an air fryer & cook until tender & golden brown; opening the fryer every 10 minutes to shake & toss so the potatoes get evenly browned.Alternatively, you can roast the potatoes in an oven at 425 degrees until tender & browned.
+ While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the pesto.
+ Place all the pesto ingredients into a blender. Using a spatula, gently scrape the sides of the blender to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
+ Once the pesto is complete & the potatoes are cooked, toss the potatoes in a large bowl with the pesto.
+ Transfer to a serving platter & enjoy!
♡ Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Herb Marinade & Balsamic Reduction Drizzle ♡
These veggie skewers are not only colorful & festive looking, but equally tasty & perfect for a vegan BBQ. The key to creating these little beauties is cutting the vegetable evenly into small 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces so that they match up well & cook evenly. The herb marinade & the balsamic reduction drizzle at the end give these skewers a lot of flavor.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp avocado oil
sea salt to taste
1/3 cup avocado oil
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
balsamic vinegar reduction to drizzle on top (optional)
Instructions:
+ Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes.
+ Heat the grill.
+ Cut the vegetables into small 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces. To cut the red onion, cut in half & then cut each half into sixths. Cut the zucchinis into ¼ inch rounds. Cut the peppers into small squares.
+ Drizzle oil on the cut veggies & sprinkle with some sea salt.
+ Carefully skewer the pieces of vegetables onto the stick; alternating each vegetable to create a balanced & beautiful skewer.
+ Place the skewers on the grill for approximately 20 minutes; flipping the skewer half-way to prevent over-cooking.
+ While the skewers are grilling, prepare the marinade by combining all chopped herbs, garlic & oil in a bowl.
+ Once the vegetables are soft & cooked through, remove & brush each one with the marinade.
+ Plate & drizzle with some balsamic vinegar reduction.
♡ Peanut Butter Cup Cookies ♡
These cookies are my greatest creation & anyone that has ever tasted them agrees that these are the best cookies ever; especially given that they are grain-free, vegan & low glycemic. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find a way to produce these cookies to sell in stores, but I have yet to figure out a cost-effective way without compromising the quality. Since I don’t see these cookies hitting the shelves of grocery stores any time soon, I’ve decided to share the recipe instead. These will not disappoint.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup soft vegan butter (favorite brand for this is Miyokos)
2/3 dark brown coconut sugar
1 vegan egg replacement (favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill) – 1 tbsp egg replacement with 2 tbsp water. Let thicken for 5 minutes.
¼ cup smooth natural peanut butter (favorite brand is Maranatha)
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter (favorite brand is Maranatha)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 + 2/3 cups of almond flour (either blanched or regular)
½ tsp pink Himalayan salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup mini vegan chocolate chips (Favorite bra is Enjoy Life)
10 mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups chopped up (Favorite brand is Justin’s)
Instructions:
+ With a hand mixer, combine & mix until creamy the softened vegan butter, dark brown coconut sugar, & vegan egg replacement.
+ Add the peanut butter & vanilla extract & continue to mix until smooth.
+ In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking powder & baking soda.
+ Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients & mix until well blended.
+ Then fold in the chocolate chips & chopped peanut butter cups into the batter.
+ Scoop dough into 2 tbsp size balls & bake on a cookie sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet) 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.
+ Let cool & enjoy!
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Like I said earlier, these cookies are heaven. Like, buckle up & get ready to eat the whole batch. You’ll probably hide them from your guests actually.
Anyway, to make things super easy for you guys, I’ve added everything to my Amazon store under VEGAN BBQ SHOPPING LIST. There are a lot of fresh ingredients that aren’t in there so you’ll have to go to your local store or get delivery from them. If you use Amazon/Whole Foods Market, then everything is linked above for you to easily add to your cart.
Be sure to follow Stephany on Instagram @stephsfitkulturefor tons of wellness info & just good vibes in general.Her site also has tons more delicious plantbased recipes.Oh, and if you’re in San Diego, a visit to BodyRok is a MUST.
What are some vegan recipes you guys love?
x, lauryn
+ you have to make my friend Niel’s vegan quinoa bowls.
++ stalk these fun, easy recipes too.
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