Making exciting vegetable fares

CEBU, Philippines - One of the many reasons that I hear from people on why there is no way for them to go vegetarian is because a true vegetarian's diet is bland, tasteless, and would have that icky taste and texture that's just not palatable.

On the contrary, there are many exciting ways of coming up with vegetable dishes that's just as exciting to the palate as any meat-laden dish, as my friend in the Brahma Kumaris, Ms. Ellen Luna, pointed out during one of our lunches at her peaceful alcove on the loft of the Prosel Pharma building in the Capitol Area.

During that time we had sautéed string beans and squash, as well as faux fish escabeche with olives and olive leaves for lunch, which she cooked herself.

A vegetarian's diet is not just about salads, mock meat, steamed vegetables, or utan bisaya. There are a lot things that one can do with vegetable, one would not even need to have any of those faux meat products from Taiwan or gluten-based mock meat to come up with great vegetarian or vegan-friendly dishes.

But of course, as with any cooking endeavor, dedication is needed. With our fast-paced lifestyle, time has always been a hindrance for people to go vegetarian. Still, there are ways of coming up with fast, easy, and delicious vegetable dishes.

Here are a few suggestions:

Raw.

Raw vegetable is the healthiest, although there are those that need to pass through heat for its nutrients to be maximally enjoyed like tomato. Still, raw vegetables are packed with fresh un-adulterated nutrients. This is the philosophy behind those enzyme drinks sold at a lofty price in department or specialty stores. Vegetables contain nutrients and enzymes that are good for the body and helps in proper digestion. When it passes through heat, many of these nutrients and enzymes would be lost. Eating them raw, on the other hand, would ensure that you would really get the full health benefits of your favorite vegetable. However, there are also vegetables whose nutritional value is higher when cooked. Example is tomatoes wherein lycopene content is increased to up to four times when cooked. However, mostly, raw vegetables are preferable over cooked ones. So, don't make a pass on the salad, especially those fresh green ones.

Steamed.

Yes, it's the easiest that we can do with our vegetables, and one of the healthiest at that; perhaps next to eating your vegetables raw. You can add your vegetables on top of your rice when its halfway done, and by the time your rice is cooked, your vegetable would also be done. Half-cooked is always best, as it would also preserve the texture of the ingredient, the crunchiness which adds pleasure to the dining experience. Of course, you need not leave your vegetable just like that - steamed. That would be bland, of course. To make it even more exciting, add some sauce. You can buy vegetarian barbecue sauces in specialty section or on the imported rack of your favorite supermarkets. You can drop by Veggie Mart near UP Cebu, they have quite a number of vegetarian supplies for sale. You can also use condiments and spices to perk up your steamed vegetables like soy sauce, mustard, wasabi, olive oil, or lemonsito juice. Steamed okra would be best with soy sauce mixed with lemonsito juice and and some bird's eye chili.

Pakora.

One of the dishes that I really appreciated when I visited India several years ago was the pakora. A very memorable dish at that, as one of the pakoras I had burned my tongue. It was a chili pakora. Pakora is a classic Indian dish (actually it's a popular snack item) where vegetables are dipped in garbanzos flour, also called besan or gram flour, and then deep fried. Since besan flour is hard to come by here in Cebu, we can use other kinds of flour, although the taste of besan flour gives that distinct wonderful flavor to the pakora. Still, the concept is the same. You can make pakora out of any vegetable, from kamote tops to okra, and yes, even chilies, espada chili preferably. You can also make pakora out of bread to make for a wonderful and filling snack. For bread, add minced cilantro and chopped green chili for a more flavorful snack food.

Stir fry.

Stir frying may not be the healthiest way of preparing vegetables but it's the easiest, and somehow, there is something about greasy food that makes it more palatable, especially for the Filipino tongue. Still, you can choose to stir fry healthily by using oil low in trans fat and high in mono-unsaturated fats, or the good fat as what most people would want to call it. Canola oil and olive oil would be the best kinds to use. The great thing about stir frying is that the duration of the food being exposed to heat is limited, thus, some of the enzymes and nutrients that are sensitive to heat are still preserved. Stir frying is an Asian technique of cooking, mostly Chinese. You can use condiments like soy sauce to make your stir fried dish more flavorful.

Grilling.

Grilling is the process of cooking food through direct heat, either on top or at the bottom. Grill some eggplants, tomatoes, or even bell peppers. Some fruits also tastes great when grilled like macapuno and pineapple. Or, if you don't like using the charcoal, then broil your vegetables. Broiling is the general term used when heat comes from the top. Generally, grilling is healthier than fried foods since it has no fats with it, or if there is (like with the basting), it is used minimally.

Vegetables may not be as exciting as meat-based dishes, but if you would just experiment, you can come up with a variety of dishes that are just as exciting as meat dishes, and much healthier at that.  (FREEMAN)