While everyone else has headed to the Hamptons (which makes me happier than ever that I am not there), we’ve been spending as much time as possible in Malibu.  It’s serene and beautiful, casual and cozy.  And though I’m not big on grilling, this week has put me in the spirit!  Fire-licked vegan brats with spicy mustard and Summer Chopped Salad… Deee-lish!

But what’s a veg to do when everyone else is bulking up their S’mores with gelatin (made from animal bones & skins)-filled marshmallows and milk chocolate squares?  Improvise!  I ran to the closest market and bought a bar of dairy-free dark chocolate (I chose the Lindt 85%) and 2 ripe bananas… and then I ran back to the grill!  Half of the S’mores fun is compiling them – 2 parts grahams cracker, 1 part chocolate, 1 layer of sliced banana.  Wrap in foil and grill…  O    M    G!    It’s crazy how the banana takes on a marshmallow-y taste and it’s just as melty and sweet as the old kind.  I do recommend that you turn them a couple of times on the grill as to allow the banana juice to evenly distribute.

 And I apologize for not having an actual pic, but the grim reality is that I ate a few of them immediately – never realizing it might be a good idea to photograph – and then polished off the rest withmy coffee the following morning… again not thinking of photos – only thinking of S’mores!