BBQ with Heart Healthy Soy

Fajitas with Yves Italian Veggie Sausages
Serves - 4

Aside from the fact that soy is heart healthy; grilled plant protein or grilled veggies contain much less carcinogens than grilled meat, fish, pork, or chicken, making this fajita a real nutrition super star.

1 pkg. Yves Italian Veggie Sausages, found in the produce section
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 large sweet onion, use a Walla Walla or a Vidalia
2 tbsp. canola oil
12 tbsp. guacamole - store bought or try my recipe
½ cup salsa
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup fat free sour cream
4 large whole wheat soft tortillas

1. Lightly oil BBQ and preheat to medium high heat.
2. Cut each pepper into quarters, remove seeds.
3. Cut onion into ¼ inch slices.
4. Brush peppers and onion with canola oil. Place on BBQ and grill till almost blackened on both sides. Remove. Set onion aside. Slice peppers into thin strips and set aside.
5. Grill sausages until heated through, turning regularly and brushing with oil if needed. approx. 6 - 8 minutes.
6. Remove from grill and slice each sausage into 8 pieces. Set aside.
7. Assemble Fajitas - spread each tortilla with 3 tbsp. Guacamole, 2 tbsp. Salsa, 2 tbsp. Cilantro, and 1 tbsp. Fat free sour cream. Top with sliced Yves Italian Veggie Sausage and ¼ of the grilled onion. Roll tortilla up and serve.

Guacamole

The only trick to making really good guacamole is making sure the avocado you pick is ripe. Best idea is to pick one that is a good green colour. An overipe Hass avocado is dark black on the outside and really soft to the touch.

I always pick a firm avocado and let it ripen on my counter , which can take up to 1 week.

Yes, avocados are high in fat, but it's heart healthy monounsaturated fat. This nutrition dense little green fruit is also high in folate, potassium, Vitamin E and fibre making it a great addition to your diet. But remember, they are high in fat which means calories, and too many calories translates into too much fat on our butts, so watch the amount you're eating. One quarter of an avocado counts as 2 servings of fat.

1 ripe Hass Avocado
Juice of ½ fresh lime
2 tbsp. Minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced

Cut avocado in half. Remove pit. Scoop out flesh with a spoon into a small bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and gently stir together. Use immediately.



BBQ Soy Burgers with an Ethnic Flare

Each burger recipe starts with a barbecued Veggie Bistro Burger from Yves Veggie Cuisine.

1. Preheat barbecue.
2. Lightly brush each frozen burger with canola oil. Grill over medium heat for 8 to 9 minutes, turning the burger from time to time.
3. Dress your burger with one of our ethnic fix’ns.

Mexican Burger
Serves 4

4 Veggie Bistro Burgers, barbecued
4 whole wheat hamburger buns - lightly toasted
1 ripe Hass Avocado – peeled and sliced
4 slices tomato
24 large leaves of fresh basil
24 hot pepper rings, drain on a paper towel
12 sun dried tomatoes - in olive oil, drain on a paper towel
¼ cup grated light Monterey Jack cheese

1. Assemble burgers. Each burger gets ¼ of the peeled and sliced avocado, 1 slice tomato, 6 leaves of basil, 6 hot peppers, 3 sun dried tomatoes, and 1 tbsp. light Monterey Jack cheese. Serve.

Thai Burger
Serves 4

4 Veggie Bistro Burgers, barbecued
4 whole wheat hamburger buns - lightly toasted
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
¼ cup Thai chili sauce
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh chives

1. Mix together peanut butter and Thai chili sauce.
2. Assemble burgers. Each burger gets ¼ of the peanut butter mixture spread onto a toasted bun. Top with ¼ cup of chopped cilantro and 2 tbsp. of chopped chives. Serve.

Italian Burgers
Serves - 4

4 Veggie Bistro Burgers, barbecued
4 whole wheat hamburger buns - lightly toasted
¼ cup pesto, store bought or try mine
4 slices tomato
¼ cup pitted Kalamata black olives, chopped
¼ cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
16 Arugula leaves

1. Assemble burgers. Each burger gets 2 tbsp. pesto, 1 slice tomato, 1 tbsp. olives, 1 tbsp. Cheese, and 4 Arugula leaves. Serve.
   
   

Pesto
1 cup well packed basil leaves
1 - 2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. walnuts or pine nuts
2 tbsp. Reggiano Parmesan cheese

1. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor. Store in fridge for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
   
   
   For more info on Yves Veggie Cuisine go to:http://www.yvesveggie.com/home.php