Who the hell doesn’t like steaks, burgers, and beer?

Yep, I’m vegan, but BBQ is something we can all agree tastes really good—regardless of our diets. Below are three easy ways to cook a really tasty, substantial “steak.” These God-like veggie steaks are both easy to cook and taste better than any meat.

1. Eggplant steaks.

This vegetable has so many advantages that it could write a book. Here are just a few of them: Eggplant helps us to build strong bones, increase cognitive function, lose weight, reduce stress, and even prevent cancer. Eggplants are a source of vitamin C, K, B6, thiamin, niacin, and magnesium.

Here’s how to prepare this hearty dish with great flavor using smoked paprika and sundried tomatoes.

Cut eggplants into thick steaks. Drizzle with some grapeseed oil and dredge with the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Grill the eggplant steaks about three to four minutes per side until they are tender and a bit browned. Combine sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, and a few drops of red wine vinegar. Put the topping on the broiled eggplant slices. Serve.

Ingredients: eggplant, grapeseed oil, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, sundried tomatoes, olives, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and basil.

2. Daikon steaks.

The most important element of this recipe is to marinate daikon in soy sauce and ginger. You’ll get lots of good-for-you vitamins (like Vitamin C) and still feel completely satisfied after eating. This is what I cook for myself if I catch a cold.

Follow this recipe:

Peel the skin and chop the daikon into thick rounds and cut a criss-cross pattern on each slice. It looks great and lets the marinade get into the slice. Chop garlic and ginger and add oil. Marinate daikon in the mixture for a couple of hours. Grill the steaks on both sides until they get brown and a bit crispy.

Optionally, you can add some vinegar when you serve it.

Ingredients: daikon, soy sauce, garlic clove, ginger, salt, pepper, and oil.

3. King mushroom steak.

The last dish—but not the least—from my meat-free steaks menu is the king mushroom “steak,” which was passed on to me by a friend.

To understand just how perfect and juicy the mushrooms are, cut the mushrooms into slices and marinade them in a soy sauce, garlic oil, smoked salt, and pepper mixture for 30 minutes and then grill the mushroom steaks. Serve them as fast as you can—they’re best super fresh.

Ingredients: king mushrooms, soy sauce, garlic oil, smoked salt, and black pepper.

Author: Maxim Rotman
Image: woodleywonderworks/Flickr
Editor: Catherine Monkman
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