High in fibre but low in fat, whole foods can form the basis of a vegetarian diet. Many of the ingredients used will be quite familiar to you but the lesser known ingredients are illustrated in greater details when required.
To cook and prepare vegetarian foods, one must have a grasp of how to deal with the processing and cooking of simple food stuff such as, how to cook brown rice, how to cook wholemeal paste and how to prepare, beans, nuts, lentils and dried fruit.. All of the previous ingredients will keep for a long time under correct storage conditions. Not only do these ingredients provide and excellent contribution to your food store, but they are very handy should an unexpected or unannounced guest descend upon you.
Most vegetarian recipes require no special cooking skills and most defiantly need not be a burden on your time as many vegetarian dishes can be made ahead of time and finished off at the last minute.
It should be noted that dried beans and pulses could be replaced with already processed produce from a tin. A dried bean or pulse will approximately double in its size when re-hydrated, so if a recipe calls for 4oz of dried chick peas, you can substitute these for 8oz of tinned chick peas. A similar situation arises with the use of herbs in cooking vegetarian dishes. If you do not have access to fresh herbs, you should substitute them with dried herbs but be sure to half the quantity.
A vegetarian diet makes full use of fresh fruit and vegetables and are used both cooked and raw. A rich source of many of the essential minerals and vitamins, fruit and vegetables are a great way to add colour, flavour and texture to any dish.
Fruit and vegetables in a vegetarian diet are very versatile and this alone adds interest to your diet. So many fruit and vegetables in all shapes and sizes are freely available throughout the year, although cheapest during their own growing season.
There is now a huge range of fruit and vegetables available to the vegetarian cook, from the common or garden, onions, potatoes and brassicas, through to the more exotic delights of warmer climates.
Fruit in any diet, can help to offset the cravings of a sweet tooth, so it maybe possible for you to cut down on additional sugar or sugary foods. A bonus for those of us who need to watch our waistlines!
Vegetarian cookery is more of a lifestyle for a true dedicated vegetarian but it also provides a very tasty alternative to meat based cooking.
Look at it this way.
A meat eater can eat vegetarian food but vegetarian can’t eat meat, so next time you entertain, why not consider a meat free recipe or two for your guests?
Vegetarian cooking is no longer the elitist weirdo cooking that it once was, it has become a way of life for millions of people across the world.
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