Boot Kickin’ BBQ Cauliflower Tacos

Celebrate Taco Tuesday with easy-to-make Boot Kickin’ BBQ Cauliflower Tacos from Vegan BBQ Without a Grill by Linda & Alex Meyer!

Barbecue

Growing up in New Jersey, the word barbecue meant the grill or a party that involved cooking things on the grill (as in a backyard barbecue). In my family, we often barbecued burgers, potatoes, and corn with coleslaw and potato salad on the side. Barbecue was also a kind of sauce, but we didn’t often use it when grilling. So when I was older and I heard people talking about great barbecue, I figured it meant a fun backyard party that involved grilled food. Of course, I now know that barbecue, or BBQ as it’s often called, is a way of cooking meat, usually pork, with various styles of bbq sauce, and it’s very popular in the South. Different Southern states tend to have their own style.

Since anything you can do, we can do vegan, vegan barbecue isn’t unheard of. We can pull jackfruit, marinate meaty portobellos, and grill burgers that will please just about any carnivore. Linda & Alex Meyer have made vegan barbecue even easier with their new book Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill.

Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill

As you may have guessed from the title, Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill is chock-full of vegan barbecue recipes that don’t require a grill. The recipes are inspired by their family road trips to South Carolina, Louisiana, and Texas, and they’d satisfy just about any barbecue aficionado.

In Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill, Linda and Alex show how to easily replicate the smoky flavors and textures of classic BBQ with recipes like Classic BBQ Short Ribz, Pulled Shiitake Mushroom BBQ, and BBQ Jerk Chik’n. You’ll find recipes for burgers, not dogs, and “meats.” Linda and Alex use vegetables, beans, tofu, and seitan to recreate the familiar textures of traditional barbecue, and they include lots of recipes for sauces and dressings to recreate the familiar tastes.

Of course, no cookout would be complete without side dishes, so veganized versions of traditional favorites are included in Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill, too. You’ll love the Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Avocado Sauce, Carolina Coleslaw, Smoky Skillet BBQ Baked Beans. There’s a chapter dedicated to dips, too, because you can’t have a party without dips! You definitely need to try the Buffalo Chick’n Dip and the Grilled Artichoke Dip.

The Chapters in Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill include:

• Meat-Free BBQ to Satisfy Meat Eaters
• Burgers and Sandwiches from Way up North to the Deep South
• Stick Food: Because Eating Food off a Stick is Fun!
• Stuffed, Foiled, and Smothered: Delectable Entrees for a Cozy Dinner
• Sides and Salads that Go with a Barbecue
• BBQ Dips to Bring to the Party
• Keep it Saucy: BBQ Sauces and Rubs

 Boot Kickin’ BBQ Cauliflower Tacos

Since I’m a bit of a taco fanatic, the first recipe I tried from the book was the Boot Kickin’ BBQ Cauliflower Tacos. These tacos are packed with flavor, and they’re super easy to make. You just boil cauliflower and then bake it with barbecue sauce. Then stuff it into tortillas along with refried beans, salsa, and veggies!

The spicy-smoky Have-It-Your-Way Chipotle BBQ Sauce is easy to make as well, but if you’re pressed for time, you can use store-bought sauce. I like being able to make my own and control the ingredients, as most store-bought barbecue sauces are loaded with sugar.

I can’t wait to dig into more of the recipes in Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill! Next up, Smoky Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Coconut Bacon and NOLA Grilled Beef Po’ Boys!

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Boot Kickin’ BBQ Cauliflower Tacos

We eat tacos at least twice a week, and one of our favorites is spicy BBQ cauliflower tacos. When you boil the cauliflower, then smother it in the sauce and roast it, the texture becomes firm, yet chewy. It’s not hard, it’s not soft, it’s just perfect. Boiling the cauliflower softens it, which allows the cauliflower to soak up the BBQ sauce, so you get a kick of spicy in every single bite.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Yields 6 Tacos

Author Linda & Alex Meyer

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 cups 480 ml Have-It-Your-Way Chipotle BBQ Sauce (recipe follows) or store bought
• 6 flour or corn tortillas

Toppings

• Vegan refried beans (most brands are vegan)
• Shredded red cabbage
• Diced tomatoes
• Salsa
• Avocado slices
• Vegan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
2. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and slice in half down the center of the stem. Slice each half into steaks about 1 inch (25 mm) thick. Repeat on the other half.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower steaks and any extra florets you may have. Boil for 10 minutes or until you can easily pierce the cauliflower with a fork. They should be tender, but not falling apart soft. Drain and place in a shallow baking dish.
4. Coat the cauliflower in the BBQ sauce and roast for approximately 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is slightly charred and the sauce is dark and caramelized.
5. Heat the tortillas and fill with the refried beans, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, salsa, avocado slices and vegan cheese.

Recipe Notes

Recipe from Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill by Linda & Alex Meyer. Reprinted with permission by Page Street Publishing. 

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Have-It-Your-Way Chipotle BBQ Sauce

One of my favorite things about BBQ sauce is how the flavors vary from region to region. This heat-filled sauce reminds me of one that I used to eat when we went to the beach in South Carolina. It will slap your tongue if you let it. Add a lot of chipotle pepper and it might hurt a little. Add a little, and you’ll be all right. In our family, we’re not happy unless our BBQ sauce makes us break a sweat. We’re weird like that, but we understand that most people are normal and don’t want to cry when they eat, that’s why we want you to have it your way. Make it as mild or as hot as you want, it’s totally up to you.

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Yields 2 Cups

Author Linda & Alex Meyer

Ingredients

• ½ tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) warm water
• 2 large red tomatoes or 2 cups (480 ml) canned tomato sauce
• 4 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) dark molasses
• 1 ½ tsp (8 g) ground sea salt
• ⅓ cup (48 g) coconut or dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ to 1 tsp ground chipotle pepper (see note)
• ½ tsp ground black pepper (see note)
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, optional

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together until it’s smooth and creamy.
2. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for approximately 2 minutes, or until the skin starts to separate from the meat. Remove from the water and let cool. Remove the skin and seeds and place in a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the garlic, vinegar, molasses, salt, sugar, onion powder, cumin, chipotle pepper, black pepper and olive oil to the blender. Blend on high until smooth and frothy.
3. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk well until it thickens. Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe Notes

Note: If you’re not a fan of spicy food, add the chipotle pepper and black pepper by the ¼ teaspoon until you get the desired heat that’s right for you.

Recipe from Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill by Linda & Alex Meyer. Reprinted with permission by Page Street Publishing. 

Other taco recipes you might enjoy include:

• Unicorn Tacos
• Mighty Migas
• Soy Lime Seitan Tacos with Mango and Chipotle Aioli
• Veggie Oat Taco Mince

I have a copy of Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill for one lucky winner. Following the instructions below to enter. U.S. residents only, please. Contest ends at midnight Eastern Time on April 22nd. Good luck!

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