Monday – Thai
On Monday we explore Thailand. Our menu usually consists of Tofu Pad Thai, Thai Curry with Seitan, Coconut Cardamom Rice, Sesame Vegetables, Spicy Bok Choy, and Egg Rolls (these are not vegan and do contain egg). We also feature our Golden Buddha Soup and Thai Carrot Soup.

Tuesday – Italian
Italians love their pasta and so do we. Two pasta dishes are always available to suit your fancy. When possible we always try to have our Vegan Lasagna. This is a Sev favorite. It’s the one dish that we sell most off our hot bar. Also usually available is either Spaghetti or Baked Ziti. We also have Soysage and Peppers, Spicy Collards, Green Beans Pomodoro, and Sundried Tomato Biscuits. Soups are normally Garden Lentil and Un-chick’n Noodle.

Wednesday – Tex-Mex
Have an urge to run to the border? Then look no further. Our Tex-Mex menu features Southwest Stir-fry, Mexican Casserole, Spanish Rice, Spicy Collards, Black Beans, and our much sought after Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits (which are vegan). Our soups are Fiesta Vegetable and White Bean Chili.

Thursday – African
Our spiciest, and, in my opinion, most flavorful menu of the week: Cameroon Style Seitan and Spinach, Jollof Rice, Sweet Potatoes in Coconut Sauce, South African Green Beans, Coconut Curry Broccoli, and Spicy Collards give us a glimpse of African style cuisine. Paired with it is possibly our most popular soup, African Peanut, along with Vegetable Gumbo.

Friday – Barbecue
This menu seems to change a little from week to week. The one trio we always do have is: BBQ Tofu or Seitan, Vegan Mac & Cheese, and Spicy Collards. To accompany this is usually Cornbread (either dressing or muffins), Potatoes (either smashed or Mamaw’s Sweet Potato Casserole), and a vegetable such as Grilled Vegetables. Soups for this day are usually Garden Lentil along with one of our other soups of choice.

Saturday/Sunday – Breakfast AM & Country Dinner PM
Our breakfast, which is served until 2 pm, is a great representation of a typical southern breakfast featuring: Scrambled Tofu, Soysage, Quiche (non-vegan), Vegan Cheese Grits, Biscuits, Soysage Gravy, and Homefried Potatoes. Our country dinner may consist of Seitan Stroganoff, Brats & Peppers, Black-Eyed Peas, Vegan Mac & Cheese, Spicy Collards, Dirty Rice, Broccoli in Garlic Sauce, or Grilled Vegetables. Soups for Saturday are usually Gypsy and Black Bean Chili. Sundays could be any variety of soup. This pretty much sums up our hot bar menu for the week. Monday through Thursday is fairly consistent; however, Friday through Sunday can vary quite a bit, especially with soups.

Perfect Grilled Vegetables
Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill shows the no-nonsense and easiest way to grill perfect vegetables every time. The Cambridge chef and author grills squash, onion, tomato and sweet potato, but recommends that you grill almost any kind of vegetable when you can.

With dense vegetables such as sweet potatoes you want to blanch them ahead so they can grill easier. In general, you will want to slice the vegetables as thick as you can so that they will maintain their interior texture while getting browned on the outside.

Start with a grill the way Chris usually does it — a hot fire on one side and a medium on the other. This gives you more control because you can switch what you are cooking back and forth as needed.

Lightly oil and salt the surface of the vegetables. If you over-oil, some will drip off and cause the fire to flare up. Cook the pieces a few minutes on the first side and flip when you have the desired brownness. A good tip from Chris is to not cook anything on the grill (vegetable, meat, fish, etc.) the same length of time on the second side that you do the first. It is not necessary and will only dry out your food.

Chris’s must-have grill tools include long handled tongs, a wire metal brush, and last, but not least, a favorite beverage (since grilling is an exact science, and there is always pressure to make it perfect, your favorite beverage keeps you cool under fire).

Grilled Vegetables Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 large tomato
1 large onion
1 zucchini
4 tablespoons salad oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper (white is best) to taste

Instructions:
Prepare the grill. Parboil the sweet potato while the grill is warming.
1. Cut the vegetables into thick slices so that they will get nice and brown on the outside but retain their texture inside of the slices.
2. Lightly rub the vegetable slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Note: Do not use excess oil as this will cause a flame-up and the vegetables will burn.
3. Grill the vegetable slices 4 to 5 minutes on one side over a medium hot fire, being careful not to overcook them. Turn and cook the other side about half the amount of time as the first side.
4. Check for doneness by bending a piece gently and peering inside it, looking for a slight translucence in the center.
5. Remove the slices from the grill and serve with condiments or place on top of a salad.