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.

By: James A Bruce

About the Author:

Coupon Binder

It is without a doubt that Penang is famous for hawker stalls and heritage restaurants but little is known about the delicious vegetarian cuisine Penang has to offer. So if you ever decide to take a break from your regular meat diet you might want to try out Lily’s Vegetarian Kitchen. Their dishes consist of Western, Oriental, Nyonya and Gujarati cuisine that would definitely pleasure the taste buds. If these varieties are not enough to attract you through their doors, they also have full course dining, buffets, and quick appetizers that would tickle your fancy.

So where exactly is this vegetarian haven? The restaurant is located at Madras Lane in the city streets and has been around for quite a long time. Its reputation among the Buddhist and health community precedes itself as I got to know of this fine place from a Buddhist uncle who is an avid vegetarian. Upon entrance, one is welcomed by a friendly customer service as well as the calm hygienic interior. Scanning the menu, I began to feel an immediate robust appetite building in my system. I ordered a fruit salad, fried java mee, macaroni and cheese, grandma’s porridge, and fish and chips! Yes you read that right folks! Vegetarian fish!

Once the dishes arrived, we dug in and enjoyed the scrumptious dishes, albeit they were particularly deceiving meat-wise I must say. I highly recommend this venue without bias as the lunch was significantly memorable not only to my stomach but to my experience as well. All in all, I have to say if I ever were to turn vegan, this place would be the main culprit for my transition. By the way, it has been a week and I still am curious as to what the fish was made of.

By: Koh Tze Yin

About the Author:

marketing strategy business

I am inviting some of my Indian friends over for dinner. They are vegeterian and prefer Punjabi dishes. I have searched the internet for some recipes, but there is too many to choose from. Does someone have any suggestions for starters, main course and desert (sweets)

By: Frank S

About the Author:

Mental Illness News

If you want to surprise your family with something different for dinner then a unique and delicious Indian dish might be your perfect choice. However, being a non-Indian you might wonder why the ‘Chicken butter masala’ or the ‘Goan fish curry’ that you cooked did not taste the same as your Indian friend made it when you visited them. The distinctive taste of all true Indian dishes comes from the unique preparations and methods that are used to make them. This is true not only for Indian dishes but for any authentic cuisine that originates from different parts of the world. If you attempt to prepare an Indian dish in American style then of course the taste will turn out to be more American than Indian.

One of the secrets to make authentic Indian dishes is to add the right amount of spices, particularly for non-vegetarian dishes. Even a pinch more can offset the taste of the dish. Another tip to make your Indian dish taste more Indian is to buy the spices from an Indian store. This is because the origin of the spices used also makes a difference in how the dish tastes.

For instance, for Indian dishes that require tamarind you have to make use of Indian tamarind and not, say Thai tamarind. This is because Thai tamarind tastes much sweeter than Indian tamarind.

If you want to make classic Indian dishes like chicken curry, it is better to get ready made masalas required for that particular dish from an Indian store. Trying to put together the complex mix of different spices in right proportions by yourself might not turn out as good as you expected.

India is a tropical country where coconut is found everywhere and not surprisingly in most of the Indian dishes. Most Indian recipes, especially South Indian cuisine has either scraped coconut or coconut milk as one of the main ingredients. If you are trying to make an Indian dish that requires coconut it is better to buy the real coconut instead of making do with the readily available coconut powder.

To make Indian dishes with better results, it is better to follow recipes from authentic sources created by Indians. You can find numerous mouth-watering recipes from the various Indian recipe websites.

Cookin your favourite indian food recipes has never been easier.for more details about south indian food visit our website http://www.easy-indian-food.com

By: sterlenkamryn

About the Author: