As the vegetarian diet gains in popularity, meatless options are becoming more and more available in restaurants, grocery stores and quick stops as well as at dinner parties and potluck suppers. These dishes, however, often lack the key ingredients or techniques necessary for a full-flavor vegetarian meal. To find great vegetarian dishes, look for meals that highlight and emphasize fresh plant foods. Knowing a few vegetarian secrets will also help.
Tempeh
In the United States, tofu is no longer the mysterious food it once was. Another delicious soy product, however, is far less known: tempeh. Tempeh, a popular ingredient in Indian cooking, is far meatier than tofu, is easier to handle and prepare, absorbs sauces and juices more thoroughly, grills without crumbling and makes a perfect substitute for ground meat in almost any recipe. For sandwiches, brown tempeh slices and serve with chopped vegetables and dressing or avocado. For stir fry, use thicker slices. You may also crumble and brown tempeh for use in pasta sauce, sloppy joes or chili.
Beans
Hummus sandwiches are now almost as common as ham and cheese, but have you tried making other bean spreads? Try white beans with tarragon and garlic, or red beans with sun-dried tomato and pizza seasoning. Top with grated cheese and sprouts and pack into a sandwich wrap, if desired. Experiment with other bean, spice, dressing and vegetable combinations to create delicious, healthy, protein-rich sandwich filling.
Nuts
You can use nuts and seeds to make much more than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Pesto, a popular pasta topping, consists primarily of pine nuts and basil. You can use other protein-rich nuts to form the base of many pâtés and dips. Try blending Brazil nuts with pitted kalamata olives, garlic and thyme or make a pâté with sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomato, pizza seasoning and Romano cheese. Spread on sliced zucchini, stuff into mushrooms or smear on a pita bread for a light pizza.
Indian Food
The vegetarian traditions of Indian cuisine represent combinations and techniques that have evolved over many years. Learning to prepare Indian food will give any home cook a firm foundation in cooking with a wide variety of vegetables, potatoes, grains, beans and, most importantly, spices. Spices are key to turning the same staples into many different dishes. If you think Indian food is all about curry, try dishes such as almond and cashew nut soup, bitter melon stuffed with onion and pomegranate, sweet-and-sour eggplant, winter squash with yogurt sauce, green peas with coconut and cilantro or yellow lentils cooked with garlic and cumin.
Mediterranean Food
The mild climate and long growing season of Mediterranean countries produces a regional cuisine rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Many of the traditional recipes for these dishes do include meat, fish or animal-based stock, but these additions are not the key flavors of the recipe. This makes them easy to replace with vegetarian options. Because Mediterranean cooking relies on the freshness of the produce, choose in-season vegetables that have not begun to wilt. Delicious Mediterranean vegetarian dishes include grilled Portobello mushrooms, caprese salad, chickpea and escarole soup, celery and walnut salad, fried pepper sandwiches, roasted eggplant with ricotta, stuffed grape leaves, and asparagus with Spanish Romesco sauce.
References
- "World Vegetarian"; Madhur Jaffrey; 1999
- "Essentials of Italian"; Michele Scicolone; 2008
- "The Silver Spoon"; Phaidon Press; 2005
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