Vegetarian doesn't always have to equate to boring, bland meals made from tofu or soybeans. Vegetarian families can find enough recipes to span an entire month. Some vegetarian dishes have distinctly ethnic backgrounds, such as fajitas, chop suey, Greek and vegetarian lasagna. The vegetarian cook can easily spice up the meals he makes for his family, adding to the interest of a vegetarian dish.
Identification
A vegetarian dish is any meal consisting of vegetables and leaving out all animal body parts, including fat--lard, gelatin or tallow, according to the Word IQ website. They also consume honey. Making a vegetarian dish is not difficult; the cook only has to leave out or substitute the meat a regular recipe calls for, according to the Better Recipes website. One example is the black eyed bean salad, which features three kinds of beans in its recipe. It also includes spices, onion, parsley, fresh thyme, olive oil, Dijon mustard, white vinegar, salt and pepper, according to the Better Recipes website.
Types
Vegetarians can draw from a wide variety of main dishes when they plan their menus. Some of these include bean burritos, made with flour tortillas, refried beans, cheese and a variety of vegetables. The vegetarian can choose to make calzone, a turnover made using pizza dough, cheese, vegetables and anything else she decides to put on the table, according to The Veggie Table website. She can also whip up a carrot-onion quiche, using a pie crust, minced or cut up onions, thinly sliced carrots, eggs, flour, milk, Swiss cheese, pepper, salt and other spices.
Considerations
Vegetarians begin to practice this dietary lifestyle for several reasons, some of which include a desire for a more healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as religious convictions. Vegetarians can easily find non-meat substitutions for their recipes. One example is the recipe for cabbage rolls. While the cabbage is normally filled with a cooked mix of ground beef and rice, the vegetarian cook can substitute with several vegetables, resulting in a tasty meal for the family, according to The Veggie Table website.
Features
Vegetarian dishes can be loaded with a multitude of spices. Vegetarian grain dishes, often made with couscous, are full of vegetables like potatoes, onion, carrots, peas, tomatoes, chickpeas, eggplant and zucchini. The cook uses olive oil and vegetable stock in order to decrease the amount of unhealthy fats and sodium while he's making this dish. The vegetarian cook should not forget the Greek lasagna, which uses artichoke, lemons and eggplant. This dish also includes white wine in its ingredient list, according to The Veggie Table website.
Effects
Because of the high vegetable content, most vegetarian dishes are healthy for those who follow the vegetarian lifestyle. A vegetarian macaroni and cheese casserole doesn't have to be blah or boring. This recipe includes dry mustard, paprika, pepper, optional sour cream and butter. It also includes the more traditional macaroni and cheese in its ingredient list along with additional, spicier ingredients, to give it a unique taste. The Costa Rican dish, Gallo Pinto or "spotted rooster", is made using black beans, uncooked rice, onion, garlic, sweet or hot peppers, cilantro and cumin.
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