(Easy Vegetarian Recipes)

Vegetarians it would seem the trend is changing, at least among the health conscious, meat based meals tend to be centered on the meat, with all the other dishes dismissively called “Sides.” Veggie meals can follow the same pattern. You can, for example, use lasagna or a quiche as a substitute for the center of the plate meat, and the meal will feel much like a meat base meal. Here I will share easy recipes and tips to help you create delicious vegetable and fruit dishes.

As a form of protest to decades of overcooked, mushy vegetables, many of us now eat only barely cooked vegetables, they are bright colors and crispiness a welcome antidote to the gravy and soggy veggies of the past. But sometimes I think that the pendulum has swung too far, and I become tired of eating grassy tasting, almost raw veggies.

There is a big difference between overcooking and slow cooking. Slow cooking traditions exist that renders veggies truly tender and full of flavor. Vegetable braises our cooked and some little liquid, coax layers of flavors from veggies that would be monodimensional if quickly steamed or sautéed. Simply put, there is a time for crisp and crunchy veggies and a time for veggies that reveal their inherent flavors through slow, gentle cooking.

Planning Meals

A veggie meal is more commonly a table with a few dishes on it, all of them of equal importance. The grain is not less valuable than the cooked vegetable, the salad, or the bread; they’re all there to complement one another. Pickles, a nice piece of cheese, or a bowl of nuts all are valid courses in the veggie meal. Most find that they need to eat more bulk than they did when they were meat eaters, because none meat dishes generally contains less fat and less protein both of which we get plenty of even on a strict veggie diet.

You might need a dish or two more in a meal to relish everything fully. That doesn’t mean extra work, really, especially if you begin to ignore the linear way we were taught to think about home cooked food: one meal, followed by another meal, and, so on, as if they were independent, unconnected activities.

But if you can start to think more in terms of the big picture, you will have the building blocks for potential meals at all times in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. You might have a container of cooked grains another of beans and a bin full of fresh vegetables. Some vinaigrette and a jar of refrigerator pickles and plenty of flour, cheese, nuts, and eggs. Maybe a pile of tortillas or a loaf of bread.

What you might once have thought of as leftovers are now seen as staples: You take the leftover grain and heat them up in some olive oil, maybe with a little garlic and leftover vegetables; suddenly, you realize you’re making something like fried rice. You have just cooked a veggie dish.

(Vegetables)

Egg Recipes
Pasta Dishes

Salads
Sautéed Vegetables

Tofu

Baked Recipes

Stuffed Dishes

Potato Recipes
Casserole
Rice Dishes

If you have any Comments and Questions please let us know. We would love to hear from you and know what you think to make cooking easy, fun and enjoyable.