Vegetarian BBQ
One of my favorite things to do with my Dad is eat at a hole-in-the-wall BBQ place. You know, some creepy shack off a desolate highway? They always have the BEST BBQ.
![[CIMG3778[3].jpg]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_DOQrQIzggu8/Sd_m4CHiwUI/AAAAAAAAIbU/_rWvlr8_JqM/s1600/CIMG3778%5B3%5D.jpg)
(I ate at this place for a pre-race meal… insanity. What was I thinking?!).
But, it’s hard to eat BBQ when you’re a vegetarian. Tonight, I made my own version of Southern goodness at home!
I had corn on the cob….
With roasted Ruby Gold Potatoes and organic ketchup…
This is the kind of potatoes I used. I chopped them up and rubbed them with salt, pepper, parsley, and EVOO before cooking at 425 until golden.
And tofu, which I rubbed with Anne’s Natural Organic BBQ sauce before baking.
My tofu trick for minimizing dishes? Marinate in the corner the tofu comes it – just cut off the top and add the sauce! I buy pre-cubed extra firm Nasoya tofu, which doesn’t need to be pressed.
I’m going to have a Clementine for dessert. 
Other snacks of the afternoon included a banana and Stacy’s pita chips and salsa:
Well, night class is officially over for the Fall! I’m relieved. Anatomy class stressed me out! Since I’ve deferred my entrance to physical therapist graduate school (because of the book), I’m not taking classes next semester. I’m thrilled!
I’m thinking about volunteering with Girls on the Run in the Spring. GOTR is a non-profit prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. Sounds right up my alley, right?!
Do you volunteer your time for a charity?
Posted by: Caitlin 64 comments
Posted in: All Posts
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I had a very similar meal this evening!!!! BBQ tofu is the best
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Mmm — looks like a great meal!!
I’m going to be a race marshal for GOTR this winter (our 5K is Saturday morning) and hopefully will get more involved with them in the spring. I’m so glad I found them — what an awesome organization!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I don’t have much spare time to volunteer, but I just found out my little bitty town has a GOTR chapter. I really want to get involved because I think it’s a wonderful program!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Hey! Stop stealing my post titles!!
http://newlywednewlyveg.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/vegetarian-bbq/
I would love to find a charity to volunteer with here, but I’m still settling in with the new town, job, marriage, etc. Ideally I’d love to volunteer at an animal shelter…although that is really, really dangerous for me– I’d want to take every animal home!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
i just did a 5k on thanksgiving for GOTR, it seems like a great program! definitely keep us updated on that
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
That sounds like fun! I volunteered with the Boys and Girls club for a while, but then school got really busy and I haven’t kept going. I’m hoping to volunteer this summer- either with the boys and girls club or with another organization.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I’m not much of a BBQer but the beans always tempt me
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
That’s a good BBQ idea — I was craving it all summer and, of course, no where offers veggie options. I’m going to make that this week!!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
LOVE the BBQ tofu!!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
BBQ looks awesome – and pre-cubed/pre-pressed is a good idea! My niece did Girls on the Run and LOVED it. It’s a great program, I wish they had one in my area so I could volunteer!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I love GOTR!!! I’ve been a coach before (and hope to do it again this spring) and it’s an awesome organization
I was actually JUST thinking today that I need to sign up for some more volunteer work and have been leaning toward Big Brothers Big Sisters!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
I volunteer with NY Cares and I love it. They have indoor and outdoor activities with people of all ages. It’s very rewarding.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I have been getting into tofu lately
How long do you marinate your tofu for after you press it?
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Great trick with the tofu container! I didn’t realize the cubed didn’t have to be pressed…I need to buy that variety more often now
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I have worked with GOTR before and it is a STELLAR organization!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
GOTR is great! I was a running buddy one year so I ran a 5K with one of the girls (it was in San Francisco at Crissy field, best location ever!). It was really fun! The girls were so excited to run! You should definitely do it!
Also, I’m obsessed with BBQ sauce! That’s the only type of meat I miss!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I volunteered with GOTR and LOVED every minute of it! I want to do it again if it fits in my schedule to do so next semester. I also met my awesome running partner through it so I have to say do it! It’s an amazing organization.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I’ve always wondered about those bbq places…my husband loves them.
I’ve had 3 clients who have done Girls On The Run. They absolutely LOVE it. They are teachers and know the students, but they really enjoy it.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Gosh, I love bbq. I had some delicious vegan bbq food in Portland!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Yes, I volunteer on the dialysis ward at the hospital. I would LOVE to work with Girls on the Run but there is never a program in my area.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
yay for the semester to be over! congrats caitlin!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Love GOTR, I want to try and volunteer with them too! We also have a couple of local elementary schools with running programs as well that I’d love to get involved in.
I do other volunteer work though already… I head up a bit clean up day in our city, am director of a road race, and serve on a few city committees.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
I volunteered at a GOTR race and it was so much fun! The first girls were finishing in around 25 minutes!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
GOTR is an amazing program! Did you know it started in Charlotte, NC!? The founder is an amazing lady and everyone involved have the biggest hearts! It will definitely change your life!
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
your bbq looks great!
jenna
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Your BBQ looks delish!
hahah I volunteer too much I have 130+ my professors thinks I am insane currently I am working at a men’s homeless shelter.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Caitlin, you should definitely volunteer for GOTR! I was a coach for three years, and it was a great experience. It’s amazing to watch the girls’ running progress from the beginning of the season to the 5k at the end.
[Reply]
on Dec 8th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I don’t volunteer my time with any charities, but I do volunteer to coach teams at my school after hours.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 12:02 am
I volunteer with Bolder Options! It is a running (and biking, but I do the runs) mentorship program where you are matched with a kid for a year and participate in 3 races on top of meetings at the gym, fun activities like ball games etc and classes at the org like healthy habits and nutrition. It was one of THE most rewarding experiences I have had so far and my girl, Jewel who is 13, is awesome. We graduated and still hang out!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 12:42 am
That organization sounds amazing, I may need to check it out and volunteer too! Congrats on being done! I hope you feel the weight lifted off your shoulders.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 1:08 am
I’m a two season (so far) GOTR coach in the SF Bay area – it’s been a great experience as an outlet for my passions for female empowerment, health, and exercise. I have mixed feelings about the curriculum but generally am positive about that aspect. I think the overall program can be very much made/broken by the local admins – so I’d recommend checking out the local reviews of the program directors/coordinators! Happy to field any Q’s!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 1:37 am
I volunteered with GOTR in 2008. It a lot of hard work, but it was an amazing and very rewarding experience. Running the girls in at the end of the 5k was so exciting. I would agree with allie above that some of the curriculum is questionable in its effectiveness. The girls I worked with really just needed a positive role model in their lives and someone to share their struggles with, and trying to stick to the lessons sometimes got in the way of learning different lessons.
Anyways, overall I’d definitely recommend doing it! The girls really benefit from it, I think!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 3:37 am
Caitlin – just started reading your blog, love it! I’m so glad you’re getting involved with GOTR. I am actually the GOTR Atlanta Blogger – just started blogging a few months ago and am loving it. I’ve love if it you checked out the blog – http://www.gotratlanta.wordpress.com. I’m hoping to get more into it as time goes on and really build a blog community, even outside of Atlanta – hoping to attend FitBloggin 2010 so maybe we can meet! Oh and Molly Barker, GOTR founder, also has a blog – check her out at http://www.mollyontherun.blogspot.com/. Good luck with everything!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Why have I never thought to marinade the tofu in the tofu container. Great idea!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Wow, that Girls on The Run program sounds cool!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 6:18 am
I do a lot of work with the military community. I volunteer at the gym and teach squadron pt with the active duty. This past year, I also helped raise 215,000 dollars for the military community in Germany. I love volunteering!
Quick question: I can’t get tofu already pressed and cubed in Germany. Whenever I try to press mine and cook it, it still comes out soggy after I bake it. Am I just not pressing it for long enough?
[Reply]
caitlin Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 7:44 am
wrap in it paper towels and then press it for like 15 minutes with two dishes. it helps if you pre-slice it before pressing. good luck!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 6:28 am
I wish there was a Girls on the Run program here! It sounds like such a wonderful cause (and up my alley too). I used to volunteer for an eating disorder clinic. It can be frustrating to work for non-profits though, because they’re doing such great work, and don’t get any money or appreciation for doing it.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I went to a BBQ place last weekend that had smoked tofu on the menu!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Everytime I read your blog I am shocked to find out something else about you that is very similar to me.
A part of my father and I’s bonding time consists of visiting whole in the wall shacks that serve the best bbq you have ever tasted. My father is a country boy at heart. He hunts everyday he can, he loves his meat and potatoes, and he can’t get enough of that southern cooking. We have found 3 really good bbq places around my area and my dad and I can sit and talk about them for hours and then we go home and try to re-make the sauces, bbq, and collard greens. Luckily, my father has a garden and we grow collard greens, kale, and spinach at this time so I will be eating ALOT of greens when I get home and I can’t wait.
Thats so exciting your done with classes! I am very happy for you and yes volunteering is great and makes you feel so wonderful when you see the look in the children’s faces
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 8:53 am
BBQ tofu is tha bomb!
As for charity, I mentor middle schoolers once a week. Kids are so hilarious, love ‘em.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I signed up for GOTR in the spring, too!
It seems like a great cause. Plus, I miss teaching/being around kids!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 8:57 am
p.s. roadside BBQ = the reason i’m not a vegetarian
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Vegetarian bbq sounds good… miss the flavor of the bbq sauce not so much the meat
I have a problem saying no… so I end up volunteering for any oppurtunity that present itself. Right now I am volunteering with a local school that has lots of non-english speaking kids so I have a couple pen-pals that we write each other once a week and I try to correct their grammer, spelling etc. Its fun!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Yes if you consider running the Boston Marathon for charity. Clearly I benefit from this in one way (getting to run) but I still consider it volunteering to some extent since I have to do all the training and fundraising!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I am an assitant coach for GOTR in Columbus, Ohio! I love it – I strongly suggest you join! It’s a lot of fun, and amazing to see how much impact you have on the girls.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 9:48 am
great idea bout the volunteer work! BTW I try NOT to eat at hole in the wall bbq places…I always think it’ll be like a scene from a scary movie..where YOU are the meat for the bbq.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 10:02 am
I love BBQ food. I volunteer by making crocheted hats for children with cancer. I also put leftovers into a container that goes to feed shut-ins. Volunteering is awesome
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
i love GOTR! i have been wanting to volunteer with them for so long, but my work always gets in the way! i actually printed off the application form 2 weeks ago!
good luck, i know it will be a very rewarding experience!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 10:15 am
I do most of my volunteer work at church. This Thursday I’ll be making a meal for the homeless who are staying at the church for the week. During the colder months, they move from organization to organization (usually a church) each week so they have food and a warm place to sleep
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Hey Caitlin! I love your blog, and I LOVE your puppies!! I just had to comment on this post because I used to volunteer for GOTR when I was a senior in high school and it was so much fun! We used to do all sorts of fun self-esteem building activities, and the girls really appreciated having someone a little older to take advice from. I think it’s important for young girls to have someone in their teens and twenties who is just old enough to respect but not too old that they’re seen as out of the loop. It’s a great project and I think you’d be great at it! Our group did a lot of running to, and even did a road race at the end of the program…so if your blog is any indication I think you’d really like it
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I didn’t realize you can buy pre-cubed tofu. That is so useful! I always make a huge mess trying to press and cube my own. I’ll have to look out for some of what you’ve got!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 10:35 am
So I was thinking about your veggie-phobia… but then thought I should just reassure you that picking up on your love of salsa (as I do) you should rest easy knowing that you are consuming one of the BEST sources of vitaliscious veggies! Just sayin… why suffer when you can DEVOUR
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 10:43 am
My first job was quite cooshie, honestly! I worked as a file clerk in my mom’s office. I had a desk in the office with 2 window views of the bay. All I had to do was file papers, scan stuff and shred paper.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 11:44 am
That looks like fun, I am having the hardest time finding out anything about GORT in Boston…I wanted to see if I could volunteer with them. I actually volunteer at an Elderly Housing facility. I will be working the Holiday party tongith actually.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 11:51 am
your vegetarian bbq still looks delicious!
i volunteer at an organization that helps pregnant teens. so fulfilling!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I volunteer with GOTR and they are AWESOME. Seriously, I volunteer with a number of organizations and they are my favorite!!!
I am a SoleMate, Running Buddy and on the 5K planning committee. I would highly recommend the program – you would make a great coach!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I’ve been thinking about GOTR too lately. Running has started to become my passion for sure and this is a program I think is amazing. We have a great base here in my local area and I already have run with them before.
I think I’ll start looking more seriously into it now.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
GOTR sounds like a perfect match for you! I would love to get involved with that program too, it’s so great!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Oh…my friends! (And Caitlin!) All these blogposts are like wind beneath my wings. My name is Molly Barker and I am the founder of Girls on the Run. Thank you so much for writing about our program in your blog and please let everyone know that they can find out more about us at http://www.girlsontherun.org. I welcome all my sisters and brothers to serve our Girls on the Run! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
GOTR sounds awesome. There is not a local chapter, but I may look into it more after I have this baby in June. I’d love to help out with something like that!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Yep – we are team leaders for a Saturday homeless lunch, which means that once a month we are in charge of organizing our team, buying all the food supplies, developing a recipe and cooking all of the food for 100 homeless folks here in Chicago. It’s a wonderful way to serve our community… I’ve been doing it since I was in high school, but this year was the first time my husband and I took on the leadership role.
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
GOTR is such a great program. We do it with our 3rd & 4th graders at my school and it’s such a great confidence booster for the girls!
[Reply]
on Dec 9th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Sure do. I volunteer at a kitchen that makes, packages and delivers meals to people living with AIDS/HIV in the twin cities! The meals are all thought up by a nutritionist for optimal nutrients that are needed. Super fun time!
[Reply]