Saturday, September 28, 2013

Using Substitutes For Recipe Ingredients As A Vegetarian

By Mike Jones


Recipe ingredients can get tricky when you happen to be on a diet that not many share. While there are plenty of great vegetarian recipes available, sometimes you may want to adapt something that either a friend shared or you just happened across outside of vegan or vegetarian cooking sites. With a little insight into things like texture and flavor you should have no trouble getting going.

The first and often largest hurdle to get over is the meat itself. Meat is often viewed as the real substance to a meal and so getting something to replace it can be a bit of a chore. This is to say nothing about recreating the form in which the animal flesh was to be prepared, e. G. Chopped, ground, or just thrown in as a steak.

For chopped or ground meat substitutes, you might try beans or possibly some cheeses. Both of these items have exceptional body to them and can offer subtle or notable flavors depending on your aim. Often beans are great for protein when combined with rice and can provide that hearty touch people look for.

If you are adapting a recipe that calls for steaks, however, then it is recommended you turn your eyes toward a more direct meat substitution. Something like seitan or tofu are often your best choices. Both can be worked with and prepared in similar ways in order to faithfully reproduce the flavor and texture most seek from a steak or chicken breast.

Should you want to make a soup and wish to avoid beef or chicken stock, you might turn to making your own stock instead. Utilizing any number of vegetables you like, you can create a mother-watering broth that will more than suffice for any missing animal content. Put a bit of thought into what flavors you think would go best depending upon the rest of the dish.

While some are unaware, gelatin can also be a bit of bother when it comes to deserts or specific dishes. It is an animal product, however, and so you may want to navigate around it depending upon how stringent your diet is. Things like guar or xantham gum are made from grains and can be fairly easily used instead. Remember that other options can behave a bit differently than you might expect so be ready to hit a learning curve.

Recipe ingredients for non-vegetarian dishes should not seem intimidating nor should they hold you back. Cooking can be just as enjoyable and taste just as great with a few quick vegetarian additions. Remember to aim for organic solutions when possible and enjoy the meal.




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