Meatless Monday: Chilled Green Gazpacho, Grilled Soy Sausage with Grilled Teriyaki Vegetables and Pineapple

Happy Fourth of July! It's a great day for grilling and getting together outdoors, so here's a couple recipes to please any vegetarians at your holiday BBQ.

Chilled Green Gazpacho with Chipotle Crema

2 cups seedless cucumber, chopped

2 cups water or vegetable stock (more if you like it thinner)

2-3 tomatillos, chopped (roasted tomatillos kick up the flavor even more)

1/2 cup sweet Vidalia onion, chopped

1 ripe avocado

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 tsp. salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. chopped jalapeno

Sprinkle of fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired thinness. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Chipotle Crema

Mix 1/2 cup Mexican crema or creme fresh with a few drops of chipotle chili sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Grilled Soy Sausage with Grilled Teriyaki Vegetables and Pineapple

1 package of your favorite soy sausage

Assorted vegetables: red pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper, sweet onion, Japanese eggplant, zucchini, squash

2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

1/2 cup store bought or homemade teriyaki sauce (I reccomend Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki)

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tbs. canola oil

Sprinkle of salt

Whisk together teriyaki, pineapple, sesame oil, canola oil, and salt.

Marinate sausage in a small bit of the sauce for 20 minutes to 1 hr, then grill sausage outdoors or indoors in a grill pan. Grill the vegetables and the pineapple and drizzle sauce on top, making sure to adequately cover everything. Place grilled sausages on top for a nice presentation.

Fresh Berry and Meringue Trifle

3 meringues per serving (I bought mine at Whole Foods, but I know they have these at Trader Joe's too. Meringues come in a few shapes, I bought the "nests" because they fit nicely in a wine glass)

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 tbs. agave syrup or sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Approx 1 cup whipped cream

Combine berries with sweetener and lemon. Place one meringue on the bottom of a wine glass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a layer of fresh berries. Repeat until you've used 3 meringues per glass.