Plant-Based Summer BBQ Sides

Plant-Based Summer BBQ Sides

With Christine Waltermyer & The Natural Kitchen Cooking School!

Christine Waltermyer is a local and renowned Wellness Chef, private chef to celebrities, published cookbook author and founder of the Natural Kitchen Cooking School, which offers an online Plant-Based Cooking Program. She also loves shopping at Basil Bandwagon! Visit naturalkitchenschool.com to subscribe to her email newsletter for new recipes, tips, and FREE access to the Power of Veggies mini-course!


Summer is the time for graduation parties, Father’s Day cookouts, backyard BBQs and so much more! Thanks to Christine Waltermyer and The Natural Kitchen Cooking School, you can WOW your guests with plant-based spins on traditional BBQ favorites.

Homemade Baked Beans

Course Side Dish
Keyword bbq, side

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • Sea salt
  • cup unsweetened apple butter
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
  • 2 cups cooked white beans (Great Northern or Navy beans)
  • 4 strips Lightlife tempeh smoky bacon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a medium saucepan, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of the sea salt. Cook and stir for five minutes.
  • To the saucepan, add the apple butter, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, mustard and cooked beans. Stir until all of the ingredients are well combined.
  • In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the Lightlife tempeh smoky bacon strips and fry for a few minutes on one side, until golden. Turn the strips to fry the other side for a few minutes.
  • Pour the baked bean mixture into a lightly greased medium size casserole dish. I used an 8 x 8-inch dish. Top with the strips of tempeh bacon. I baked my beans uncovered, but feel free to cover them with a lid or aluminum foil if you like your beans more moist and less dry. Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

If you prefer to use less variety of sweeteners, you can substitute an equal amount of one for another. For example, instead of using the 2 Tbsp. of brown sugar, you could increase the maple syrup by 2 Tbsp.

Dairy-Free Mac ‘N Cheese

Course entree, Side Dish
Keyword bbq, entree, side

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • A couple of pinches of turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • 2 cups dry pasta (elbows, spirals, lumache, etc.)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sweet white miso
  • Pinch or two of sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot flour, mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
  • Smoked paprika

Instructions

  • In a medium size pot place the cauliflower florets, the water, onion powder, turmeric and dry mustard. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer on low for 10 minutes, or until fork-tender.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to boil the pasta. Once it comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta.
  • Carefully pour the cooked cauliflower mixture into a high speed blender. Puree until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot. Add the miso, sea salt, lemon juice, arrowroot flour and a shake of the smoked paprika. Cook for another few minutes on medium low heat. Whisk continuously until nicely thickened.
  • Pour the cauliflower sauce over the pasta and enjoy warm, sprinkled with a little extra smoked paprika.
  • Enjoy!

Thank you to Christine Waltermyer and the Natural Kitchen Cooking School for working with us to help promote healthy, nutritious meals and products that are affordable, full of nutrients, and simple to make at home!