Impossible Barbecue

By CHIP KOZER

The latest dietary craze is plain to see. Plant-based eating is front and center, from grocery stores and fast-food chains to bookstores and Netflix.

This regimen is nothing new to longtime vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians (name your -tarian); many view the plant-based regimen as beneficial for both one’s health and the environment. But thanks to the Impossible brand, getting the most dedicated meat-eater to convert is, quite possibly, possible.

As we head into spring and summer, what does plant-based eating look like on the grill? The first barbecue of the season would be incomplete without a juicy burger. Can the omnivores of the world give up traditional burgers for their plant-based counterparts? The answer is yes. While other plant-based patties exist, the Impossible burger brand is most like a traditional meat burger. People who eat them claim they can barely tell the difference. What exactly makes this burger taste and seem so real?

One of the main ingredients in the Impossible burger is “heme.” The Impossible brand website describes heme as a molecule found in every living plant and animal, one that people eat and crave. This rich molecule is mostly in red meats, and it helps the Impossible burger mimic the bleeding juices of real hamburger. Impossible burgers use the heme-containing protein from the roots of soy plants and insert them into a genetically engineered yeast. The yeast then goes through fermentation to make lots of heme, similar to how Belgians make beer. This process helps cut down on greenhouse gases, which makes these burgers environmentally friendly by producing less greenhouse gas than traditional beef.

Another similarity with the Impossible burger is that it has roughly the same calorie count as beef hamburgers at 240 calories for a 4-ounce patty. Consuming the plant-based product may save animals and benefit the environment, but not so much the waistline. It‘s also worth noting that while Impossible burgers include plant-based ingredients, they are not 100 percent vegetable. Added ingredients include water, textured wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, natural flavors, and 2 percent or less of leghemoglobin (soy), yeast extract, salt, konjac gum, xanthan gum, soy protein isolate, vitamin E, vitamin C, thiamin (vitamin B1), zinc, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B12. Some die hard chefs make their own patties from different ingredients like beans or mushrooms, but sacrifice the juicy, realistic texture of the Impossible burger.

For the first cookout of spring, our menu consists of several options: a grilled Impossible burger with marinated tomato, arugula and fresh mozzarella cheese, on an onion roll with garlic aioli. We’ll also be serving a plant-based Italian sausage, roasted peppers and Vidalia onions on a grilled brioche roll. A third choice will be a BBQ Impossible burger with Vermont cheddar cheese. Option four is an Impossible burger with grilled portabella mushroom, onions and Jarlsberg cheese. Those wanting a truly plant-based dining experience might omit the cheese—at least, dairy-based cheese.

For those looking to add plant-based meat to their non-grilled selections, Impossible burgers may be purchased in bulk form to beef up the cookout by making other popular hamburger dishes such as tacos, meatloaf, meatballs and chili. Impossible kebabs are another option to enhance your spring day.

Here are the recipes for a few side dishes to go along with your barbecue:

Warm Plant-Based
Farro Salad

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

4 cups farro – pearled Italian

1½ cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch

1 cup red and green peppers, diced ¼ inch

1½ TBSP shallots, minced

1½ TBSP ginger, minced

2 TBSP garlic, minced

¼ cup sherry wine (optional)

8 oz. red kidney beans– or another bean of your choice

1 ea. baby bok choy, sliced ¼ inch (reserve leaves)

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/8 tsp turmeric

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1) Cook farro following the directions on the package;drain and reserve

2) Heat a large sauté pan on medium to high heat.

3) Add olive oil, mushrooms and bok choy, reduce heat to medium. Cook until the mushrooms and bok choy are about half done. This is about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how thick they are sliced. Add sherry wine.

4) Add the peppers, garlic, shallots and ginger and cook the mixture for another 3 to 5 minutes or until done. Mix the bok choy leaves into the hot mixture.

5) Add the farro and the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Brussels Sprout Slaw

Sour cream: 6 oz.

Mayonnaise: 2 oz.

Dry mustard: 1 TBSP

Cider vinegar:2 oz.

Sugar: 1 1/2 oz.

Celery seed: 2 tsp.

Salt, to taste: 1/2 tsp.

Pepper, to taste: 1/2 tsp.

Brussels sprouts shredded: 1 1/2 lbs.

Carrots, shredded, 6 oz.

1. Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar and celery seed together in a large bowl until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss until evenly coated.

Potato Salad
Yield 7 Pounds

6 lbs. potatoes, cooked and cooled, cut into large dice

1 onion, diced medium

1/4 bunch celery, diced medium

6 each hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 tsp. mustard

2 cups mayonnaise

Chopped parsley

1/2 cup relish

Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Mix all ingredients together; keep in fridge for service

Impossible Chili

1 lb. Impossible burger or plant-based substitute

1 can red kidney beans (not drained)

1 can black beans (not drained)

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 19.5 oz. can diced tomato

1/2 fresh jalapeno seeded and minced

1 red onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

3 cups diced butternut squash

1 cup of chili powder

1 TBSP. garlic

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne

Tabasco to taste

1. Saute Impossible burger, no need to drain.

2. Add peppers and onions till done.

3. Add tomato products and spices bring to simmer.

4. Add squash and return to simmer.

5. Cook until squash is cooked.