One of the biggest misconceptions about being a vegetarian is that the meals aren’t as flavorful or satisfy you in the same way that a meat focused meal can, well this month our resident vegetarian Tiffany Griffin dispels that myth by taking a page out of Spice Lady Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan’s book and telling us about some of the spices and herbs she uses to infuse powerful soul satisfying flavors in some of her favorite vegetarian dishes. ~ Heather Watkins Jones
This month on my blog Como Water, I am highlighting spices and herbs. When you are a vegetarian, you need to extract and infuse flavor whenever, however you can. Sometimes flavor comes from cooking techniques (like caramelizing onions or roasting veggies to highlight their natural sweetness). Other times, bold flavors come from the ingredients themselves—like herbs and spices. Also, the way you incorporate your spices and herbs can have an effect on flavor. For example, if you add dried spices directly to your cooking oil, you will create a rich, nutty flavor that permeates the entire dish. Before providing a round-up of spice and herb-centric dishes from by blog, I thought it would be helpful to distinguish the two. A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative substance primarily used for flavoring, color, or preserving. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are parts of leafy green plants. In addition to using spices and herbs for culinary purposes, they may be used for medicinal, religious/ritual, or cosmetic purposes. And with that, let me present to you, a sweet and savory round up of some of my favorite dishes that emphasize the beauty of spices and herbs!
Blueberry Cardamom Pie
Cilantro Harissa Grilled Corn
Curried Asparagus and Tomato Tart
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Cayenne Coconut Cream
Green Chile Barley Soup
Lavender Lemonade Pops
The Blacker The Berry Food “Resident Vegetarian” Tiffany Griffin is a Psychologist by day and successful food blogger in her other waking hours. Check out Como Water to keep up with all of her veggie eating adventures.
