Grilled Tempeh & Veggies with Mushroom Toast

Grilling season is well and truly here! Really here in Georgia you can just about grill year-round, but it is much more pleasant to cook out of doors this time of year. As I type this the BF is about to get ready to grill some more vegetables for this week. What I am sharing today is last week's delicious medley of grilled goodies.

I almost hesitated to share this one since it is another simple meal. However, I think a lot of people appreciate simple--especially when it comes to meal prep! Plus it's a challenge sometimes to sit down and really work on an elaborate recipe post, so these types of "quickies" seem to be working well with the little bit of time I can find to write up a quick blog each week. The tempeh and vegetables both turned out so fantastic they are worth remembering for future grilling sessions anyway!

I love all grilled veggies, but broccoli has made it up to the top of the list for recent favorites after trying it for the first time on my birthday. Along with broccoli florets I sliced up fresh spring onions (the root and stem) before marinating in a simple mixture of a splash of avocado oil, the juice and zest of one lemon and freshly chopped parsley. I let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours before we put them on the grill. So simple, but that lemon really popped! A perfect reminder how a little citrus makes everything that much more vibrant.

The tempeh I also prepped ahead of time so that the flavors of the marinade would have time to work into the product. I sliced two blocks of tempeh into four triangles each. The marinade just came out of ingredients I happened to have on hand and thought would make for a nice flavor and caramelize well on the grill. Into a small blender I added a handful of fresh blueberries, a few tablespoons of dark cherry balsamic vinegar (you could sub regular balsamic or another berry flavor if you have it), a tablespoon of blueberry jam from the farmers market (just blueberries and small amount of sweetener), a tablespoon of red miso, and fresh oregano from the garden. Another really simple mixture that turned out to make the finished product absolutely delicious. Like tofu, I find tempeh that much more enjoyable with a robust marinade or sauce. This definitely fit the bill.

To round out the meal, I toasted sourdough slices in the toaster oven (though they would probably have been great grilled, too) and spread on a bit of vegan cream cheese. To top off the toast I sautéed fresh oyster mushrooms from the farmers market. Again, nothing fancy, but certainly hit the spot. This might give my avocado toast for breakfast a run for its money...

The individual parts were all great on their own. Though the whole meal was the perfect Sunday spring plate. We will have plenty more of these as the season goes on, subbing out veggies for what comes in season at the farmers market or out of our garden. The grill imparts such nice flavor that it doesn't take much to dress up fresh produce anyway. On the menu tonight: sweet potatoes, fennel, ramps and glorious local asparagus! To go along with slow cooker baked beans....alright, time to get that going before I get hungry!

Happy Sunday and happy grilling season my friends!

This meal almost hit all three of the savory prompts for the latest Plant Power Cooking Challenge. I got two out of three Hive account@justinparke. Perhaps if only the bread had been potato bread...