A part time vegetarian’s Salt and Chilli Broccoli

I first saw Salt and Chilli Broccoli on a menu a few weeks ago when I was out at a fancy restaurant. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any left, perhaps showing how great an idea this is! Despite the fact I didn’t get tasting on that occasion, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I love Salt and Chilli as a flavouring from my Chinese take-away; be in on ribs, chicken wings or chicken. I’ve tested this recipe a few times and I think it now holds its own on the BBQ!

Being a Part Time Vegetarian

Now I am not a vegetarian, and Campfire Kitchen will never be a vegetarian only blog but I know that many people are starting to lean towards a more plant-based diet. So I think it’s only right that we engage in that conversation. Like I said, I’m not a vegetarian but over the last few years, I have found myself eating a meat-free diet maybe four or five days a week. There are several reasons for this that I think lots of people will be able to identify with.

Cost

Speaking honestly, the price of meat is the main reason I consider it a treat. I am sure I am not alone in this. So cooking exciting vegetable dishes like this Salt and Chilli Broccoli will help make those meat-free BBQes more attractive to people of all diets! Campfire Kitchen is primarily a Scouting Recipe database. If we can get children to eat a meat-free diet for one or two days of camp, perhaps we can reduce the cost of these experiences? It’s just a thought.

Health

You can eat meat and be healthy. You can be a vegetarian, or even a vegan, and be healthy. But be aware, you can do both unhealthily too. Choose whole fruits and vegetables where possible and be aware of your foods nutritional value. Jackfruit is very trendy at the minute but people are using the fruit (a carb) to replace pork (a protein). Side note: Jackfruits are really interesting. You should look them up. I aim for five portions of vegetables and two of fruit a day, opting for fresh where possible (this doesn’t always happen). Don’t turn your nose up to frozen or tinned vegetables! They have their place.

Environmental Factors

Without being too militant about it, and I think there is a lot of misinformation out there about this too, undoubtably meat production has an impact on the environment through carbon emissions. Mostly it boils down to the gases produced by livestock (Read: cow farts). Water usage, water pollution, land consumption and deforestation are also factors. Do your own reading though, replacing a burger with some avocado which was grown on the other side of the world, might not be the wisest thing.

Animal Welfare

This may be callous of me but I don’t feel so bad about eating animals if I know that they’ve had an alright life. I guess this could go in the cost section but I’ll choose certified meats where possible. I’d buy free range and grass fed meat once a week instead of cheaper meats two or three times. I also eat a lot of fish but that’s a different story. The one thing I can’t find in NI is free range pork. This is worrying because I know there are huge pig farms here. So that’s sad… One thing I will not touch is American meat if it’s allowed to be imported here. What they are allowed to do to their food without having to write it on the packet is shocking. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should read about chlorinated chicken.

Taste

I don’t need to say too much here. I crave variety and I can get that through interesting and great tasting vegetable dishes. If you’re like me and a love mouth-watering and variable meals you should check out some of our other veggie-friendly meals.

Anyway, I didn’t mean to talk so much my being a part-time vegetarian. But if you can squeeze some more plant-based meals into camp or BBQ, you’ll feel it in your wallet, maybe your waste and you’ll be helping the planet too!

Salt and Chilli Broccoli

The Salt and Chilli Broccoli provides a great crunch that works well on the BBQ. The broccoli is prepared and wrapped in foil with a little water and salt. These parcels are BBQed, essentially steaming the stems. They are then coated in the dressing and charred on the grill. To add an extra crunch and again borrowing on my love of the Chinese take-away version, I added a green pepper and some onions. This recipe is perfect for the grill. The broccoli is big enough to sit on top, I used a BBQ wok for the other veg. They all ended up together in the end. If you don’t have a wok with holes in it, you could skewer the onions and peppers to keep them together. I love the way the broccoli chars and this recipe is so good, I cook it inside too on a griddle pan!