Happy National Vegetarian Day!
Carrot cake seems an appropriate way to celebrate, I won’t turn down a slice that’s for sure. Being vegetarian is not a new concept and thank heavens things have come a very long way from that sad old nut roast circa 1982. Our eyes have been opened and our taste buds tickled by the rest of the world. Our vegetarian options are full of flavour, we enjoy new ingredients, and have been educated on how to prepare our vegetables to get the very best from them. Cultural cuisine at it’s finest!
Making meat a treat and barely noticeable is made significantly easier, with meat alternatives. I very much enjoyed preparing a selection of homemade evening meal dishes for a client, she shared them with her friends and revealed at the end of the evening that they were all in fact vegan. They had to look again at the BBQ Jack Fruit as it was not the BBQ Pulled Pork they had assumed it to be.
More recently the meat as a treat slogan is starting to slip and meat as a seasoning is nestling into place. A handful of chopped bacon is sometimes all that’s required for some carnivores to eat an enormous salad! Starting a sauté pan off with Chorizo will release an oil so stunning it will flavour and colour anything else that goes into that same pan, courgettes don’t stand a chance once they take on the flavour. Being vegetarian doesn’t mean you’re going without by any means. We are learning more and more, with the development of science, about the power of food. So much that we can confidently say that nutritionally your needs can be met without meat.
Historically the mindset has been that not having meat on the plate, means it’s lacking somehow, although I believe that mindset is definitely evolving. The planet cannot sustain our current meat consumption and our bodies are built to consume fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. With that in mind perhaps introduce a meat-free day of the week, to your meal plan. Start with Quorn mince and make a bolognese and go from there. Next time your shopping just linger a bit longer in the veggie section and look at what’s available. If you are already enjoying a vegetarian diet or vegetarian dishes, please share your story with us and of course your favourite recipes, in our Foodfulness group. Or if you have any questions on vegetarian meal ideas, please share those too. We’re always happy to talk about food.
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Warmest wishes
Liz
