Posted by Chantel M. Recipes contributed By
James A Bruce
Today I'd like to introduce you to two popular vegetarian dishes
in my house, oft-requested favorites even though none of us are
officially vegetarians.
Instead, we chose to incorporate some vegetarian meals into our diets purely because of the health and environmental benefits of not eating so much meat. At least, my wife decided - if it was up to me, we'd have steak everyday. Still, the benefits of eating vegetarian are obvious, but there's a heavy social stigma still attached to anything labeled 'vegetarian' and I'd like to dispel that today by showing you vegetarian food can actually be just as delicious as meat, too!
Firstly, let me say I won't be using Quorn or Tofu as a meat substitute, because it isn't a meat substitute and never will be. Anyone who tells you they "honestly can't tell the difference" probably shouldn't be trusted. Instead, learn to appreciate Tofu in it's naturally form, not reconstituted and flavored to look like meat. It took me until I was 25 to learn that Tofu actually tastes nice just as it is, thanks to a devout meat-eating upbringing and vegetarianism ridiculed at the dinner table.
So what are we going to make?
Tofu BBQ Skewers:
I like this recipe because nothing can really taste bad once it's been BBQed and got a little sauce on it. It's easy to prepare, all fresh ingredients, and oh so healthy. Oh, and the kids will eat it too!
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of Tofu (may be labeled "hydrated soy" - how delicious sounding!)
- 1 punnet of button mushrooms
- 1 red and 1 yellow pepper
- Some garlic
- Olive oil
- BBQ Skewers
If you're having trouble finding real Tofu and not the imitation meat stuff, try the local Asian supermarket. They sell little packs that are the perfect size for 2 people. It comes in white squares, about an inch deep, and usually swimming in it's own juices. Lovely...
Prep is simple for this one, just chop it all up and stick it onto a skewer. Crush the garlic into the olive oil, then drizzle and coat the skewers all around (not too much). Salt and pepper to taste.
Parsnip and Parmesan Bruschetta:
An Italian snack favorite, this one is also super easy.
Ingredients:
- 1 mini ciabatta or panini roll, cut into 12 smaller sli
- 1 garlic clove
- 50g butter
- 3 large parsnips, cored and cut into 1cm cubed.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A handful of rocket leaves
- 50g parmesan cheese (or a vegaternative if you prefer)
Preparation:
Heat a griddle pan and toast the bread for about 2 minutes until golden and marked. Rub a clove of garlic over each piece.
Heat some butter in a large frying pan then fry the parsnips over a medium heat for about 20 minutes until they are softened. Add a little if you need. Remove and mash to a puree in a mixer. Should be served at a room temperature, so leave it to cool down if needed (or warm up if you already prepared it).
Spread the parsnip on the toast, and garnish with some rocket leaves and parmesan. Voila! A deliciously easy canapee for your party!
You can find more easy ones like this at Vegetarian Recipes.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_A_Bruce
Instead, we chose to incorporate some vegetarian meals into our diets purely because of the health and environmental benefits of not eating so much meat. At least, my wife decided - if it was up to me, we'd have steak everyday. Still, the benefits of eating vegetarian are obvious, but there's a heavy social stigma still attached to anything labeled 'vegetarian' and I'd like to dispel that today by showing you vegetarian food can actually be just as delicious as meat, too!
Firstly, let me say I won't be using Quorn or Tofu as a meat substitute, because it isn't a meat substitute and never will be. Anyone who tells you they "honestly can't tell the difference" probably shouldn't be trusted. Instead, learn to appreciate Tofu in it's naturally form, not reconstituted and flavored to look like meat. It took me until I was 25 to learn that Tofu actually tastes nice just as it is, thanks to a devout meat-eating upbringing and vegetarianism ridiculed at the dinner table.
So what are we going to make?
Tofu BBQ Skewers:
I like this recipe because nothing can really taste bad once it's been BBQed and got a little sauce on it. It's easy to prepare, all fresh ingredients, and oh so healthy. Oh, and the kids will eat it too!
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of Tofu (may be labeled "hydrated soy" - how delicious sounding!)
- 1 punnet of button mushrooms
- 1 red and 1 yellow pepper
- Some garlic
- Olive oil
- BBQ Skewers
If you're having trouble finding real Tofu and not the imitation meat stuff, try the local Asian supermarket. They sell little packs that are the perfect size for 2 people. It comes in white squares, about an inch deep, and usually swimming in it's own juices. Lovely...
Prep is simple for this one, just chop it all up and stick it onto a skewer. Crush the garlic into the olive oil, then drizzle and coat the skewers all around (not too much). Salt and pepper to taste.
Parsnip and Parmesan Bruschetta:
An Italian snack favorite, this one is also super easy.
Ingredients:
- 1 mini ciabatta or panini roll, cut into 12 smaller sli
- 1 garlic clove
- 50g butter
- 3 large parsnips, cored and cut into 1cm cubed.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A handful of rocket leaves
- 50g parmesan cheese (or a vegaternative if you prefer)
Preparation:
Heat a griddle pan and toast the bread for about 2 minutes until golden and marked. Rub a clove of garlic over each piece.
Heat some butter in a large frying pan then fry the parsnips over a medium heat for about 20 minutes until they are softened. Add a little if you need. Remove and mash to a puree in a mixer. Should be served at a room temperature, so leave it to cool down if needed (or warm up if you already prepared it).
Spread the parsnip on the toast, and garnish with some rocket leaves and parmesan. Voila! A deliciously easy canapee for your party!
You can find more easy ones like this at Vegetarian Recipes.
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