Eat One New Vegetable a Week
It
can be easy to fall into a rut of relying on broccoli and carrots, but
bringing new veggies into your cooking routine will keep things
interesting. Hit up your local farmers' market to seek out something you
haven't tried and ask the farmer his favorite way to prepare it.
Eat Vegetables for Breakfast
That's
right. Newbie vegans can see breakfast as a major hurdle, giving up
staples like scrambled eggs, yogurt, and bacon. To change up your
morning meal, Mark Bittman, New York Times food columnist and author of the VB6 Cookbook,
reaches for sweet potatoes. "Tell me why sweet potatoes haven't become
popular for breakfast, really the most dessertlike meal of the day," he
writes. He nukes them in the microwave until tender, 10 to 15 minutes,
then slits open and tops with warm maple syrup tossed with some chopped
walnuts.
Rethink Your Fruit Salad
Aside
from being one of the most virtuous fruits on the planet, avocados
offer a satiating combo of fiber and protein, so you'll feel fuller
longer. Dice them, add to a bowl, and start experimenting with different
ingredients — scallions, sesame seeds, sriracha, lime or lemon juice,
radish and red onion — to come up with a delicious topping for toast or a
side salad.
Swap Out Cheese for Nuts
When
cheese is there to deliver depth to a recipe (and not an ooey-gooey
texture), swap in nuts. One sauce this works well with is pesto — and
no, Parmesan is not necessary! Vegan blogger Aine Carlin, author of the
forthcoming Keep It Vegan, uses a delicious mix of 3/4 cup
pistachios and 1/2 cup walnuts to make up for the cheese. Nuts also work
well in place of cheese when garnishing a salad, pasta, or stir-fry.
Quick tip: Toast them for more flavor by placing them in a dry skillet
over low heat until golden.
Make Your Own Nut Milk
We
promise it'll taste better than the store-bought kind (and it'll only
take you 20 minutes). Follow Bittman's easy recipe: Put 1 cup nuts in a
blender with 2 cups boiling water. Pulse on and off (to prevent the hot
water from spurting), then hold the top tightly and blend 15 seconds.
Let steep 15 minutes, then strain (preferably through a cheesecloth),
squeezing out as much as milk as possible. Store in a jar in the
refrigerator up to one week.
Master a Tasty Sauce
Day
after day, veggie-centric dishes can start to feel blah. The key is to
change how they're seasoned and dressed. Katie Parker, author of the new
The High-Protein Vegetarian Cookbook, keeps things interesting
with a sweet-salty sauce: Whisk together 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy
sauce; 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter; 1 tablespoon each brown sugar,
honey, and tomato paste; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar; and a pinch crushed
red pepper flakes.
Broil Your Tofu
Broiling
is an overlooked method for prepping food, especially tofu, but it will
take on a nice roasted flavor and texture in less time than traditional
roasting. Slice a block of firm tofu (silken won't hold up with the
heat) crosswise about an inch thick and broil until golden.
DIY Whipped Cream
Coconut
milk adds texture to stir-fries and soups, but you can also use it in
dairy-free whipped cream. Refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk
overnight. (Make sure it's a brand without
guar gum). Open the can and spoon out only the thick layer of coconut
cream on top (not the liquid). Place the cream in the bowl of stand
mixer and beat away. Stir in a dash of vanilla extract and a sprinkling
of salt.
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