Carola Smits from La Sobremesa shares with us this special piece for the new year.
January, a new year, a new beginning and for many people also finding some balance after a month full of festive food and drinks. But I hear in my environment all year round that my guests make more and more conscious choices: more vegetables, less meat and fish. For both health as sustainable reasons as well.
For a while it also seemed like meat substitutes were becoming very popular, but I don’t use them much in my dishes. Why eat ”fake” when you have so many beautiful, honest and fresh ingredients available here in Spain in the form of vegetables! Eat a good burger or steak when you want, but go veggies on another day!
Protein-rich vegetables are a good alternative. Examples are split peas, chickpeas, lentils, white, red and black beans and lapwing beans. They are sold dried, canned or in jars. They contain less vitamin C, but more proteins, carbohydrates (starch), iron and fiber than fresh legumes. A portion of cooked protein-rich legumes (100 g) contains less protein compared to a lean piece of meat of 100 g (on average 9 g versus approximately 20 g) and too little of the essential amino acid methionine. The protein quality of legumes can be optimized with, for example, an egg, a portion of cheese, nuts, potatoes, or whole grain products. Legumes also contain less easily absorbable iron and zinc and no vitamin B12. But unlike meat, they do provide fiber. Spinach and asparagus do contain zinc, as well as sesame seeds and pumpkinseeds. And what you think of oatmeal, 3,10 grams/100 gram! Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products such as meat, fish, dairy products, eggs and cheese. It is also found in milk and dairy substitutes, such as meat substitutes and alternative drinks such as soy and oat milk.
Fan of pulled pork or pulled chicken? As an alternative, use eggplant or jackfruit. In terms of structure, it is delicious in a stew or as a starter and salad. I will give you the recipe of my Indonesian rendang with eggplant or jackfruit later.
Another everyone’s friend that can serve as a good alternative is cauliflower. Although raw cauliflower can look quite monotonous, you can really go in any direction with this vegetable. When seasoned and cooked properly, it is the star of any dish. For example, cauliflower is the perfect substitute for chicken in Asian-style dishes, but you can just as easily cut it into a “steak” shape or make a pizza base with it. And crumbled cauliflower is a very good low-carb rice substitute. Just stir-fry with lots of other vegetables, mushrooms, and good herbs and spices and your vegetarian nasi is ready in no time!
Speaking of mushrooms: They are a valuable ingredient in vegetable-based cuisine because – apart from their earthy and meaty flavors – they also emphasize the umami taste. They are able to replace almost any type of meat. Think of a stroganoff preparation with portobello mushrooms instead of beef. Beef wellington (tenderloin wrapped under a puff pastry) can also be made with mushrooms.
Finally, the sweet among the vegetables: beets. They are nice and sweet and are perfect for salads. Yet beets also work well in savory dishes due to their earthy flavor, especially roasted as a vegetarian hamburger. Then surprise your guests with a beetroot carpaccio or bring contrast to a chocolate dessert by using beetroot.
As promised, my recipe for a vegetarian rendang, traditional Indonesian stew with eggplant or jack fruit for 4 people:
for the boemboe (the herbs and spice mixture):
1 large onion
4 cm fresh ginger root
4 cloves of garlic
75 g cashew nuts
2 tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground coriander seeds
bunch of fresh coriander
1 chili pepper
Other ingredients
2 cans of Fairtrade Original Young Jackfruit in a can or 2 eggplants
2 stalks of lemongrass
sunflower oil
400 ml coconut milk
Mix all the ingredients for the boemboe in a food processor and fry the mixture for 5 to 10 in a wok or frying pan in some oil
do you use eggplant? Then cut it in half lengthwise and cut the flesh slightly in a diamant like pattern. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper from the mill and drizzle with some oil. Place them on a baking tray in the oven at 180 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, add the coconut milk to the boemboe and let it simmer until some of the moisture will evaporate.
Once the eggplant is ready, use a fork to remove the flesh from the peel. Add to the coconut-spice mixture and simmer for a while.
Do you use jackfruit? Cut it roughly lengthwise, fry briefly in the boemboe, then add the coconut milk and lemongrass and let it stew for 15 minutes.
Buen proveche and make 2024 a good one!
Contact details:
Rada de Moraira, Alicante – Spain
+34658827527
info@lasobremesa.life
Instagram @lasobremesalife