Vegetarian Journal's Foodservice Update
Healthy Tips and Recipes for Institutions
Volume VI, Number 3 Summer 1998
COOKING VEGETARIAN FOR A CROWD
WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE
By Nancy Berkoff, R.D., Ed.D., CCE
So you say you'd love to offer vegetarian selections
from your kitchen, or maybe even go mostly "veggie," but you just don't have
the time, the knowledge, or the equipment. You'll have to think up another
excuse, because this article can set you on the path to cooking "veggie"
easily.
After ascertaining what the crowd wants, you can have a little fun with educating
them. First, win over the people who will be preparing and representing your
menus: run minitaste panels with your staff and employees, being sure to
listen to their input. Then, have samplings, taste-testing and cooking demos
with your customers. Provide verbal and written information and recipes.
Now for your kitchen. You need the same equipment you use every day: cutting
boards and sharp knives (watch the cross contamination; just because there
aren’t animal products around it doesn't mean the bacteria have left
town), steam kettles, ovens, stove-tops, etc. If you have a blender or a
food processor, great; it's not mandatory. Look in you pantry and your
fridge—you'll probably find a great number of ingredients that fit the
vegetarian bill. Staples, such as flour, grains, cereals, dried beans and
legumes, and rice are vegetarian, as are spices, canned fruit, juices, and
pasta. Canned vegetables and canned beans can be vegetarian, just read the
label. Your cold storage probably has lots of vegetarian selections
already—fresh produce, fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable juices,
fresh and frozen potatoes, certain breads (read the label), etc.
Processed foods are where you will have to become a label reader. Pasta and
noodles can contain eggs; bakery products can contain dairy and eggs; and
instant soup bases and canned soup can contain meat extracts, etc. The same
goes for convenience items, such as frozen, prepared entrees, salad dressings,
etc. Nondairy creamers can have components of milk in them. Just read the
labels.
The good news is for every animal-containing product there is usually a
vegetarian product that fits the bill. If you rely on some frozen convenience
items to fill your menu, just sit down with your food purveyor and see what
he/she has to offer. There are lots of vegetarian frozen entrees and side
dishes that are equivalent in cost and quality. Ask to have a "cutting,"
that is, a sampling which contrast several products. Include your staff in
on this.
We have sampled great veggie frozen entrees, including pasta stuffed with
savory fillings of spicy vegetables and tofu, stuffed peppers, and many other
ethnic specialties.
SALAD DRESSINGS
Prepared salad dressings don't have to be dairy-based. They can be purchased
or made with vegetables or vinegar as the base (and they're healthier this
way, too). Make a great salad dressing by starting with vegetable cocktail
juice (like V-8) and blending in bell pepper, onion, and celery (this is
also a good start for a hot sauce for pasta). Another salad dressing/ marinade
can be made with orange juice, vinegar, pineapple, and some other leftover
fruit, such as strawberries, peaches, or grapes.
Many of your side dishes are probably largely vegetarian right now. Just
check your cooking oil; if it's butter or lard (good grief!), it's time to
make a change anyway. You can order nondairy margarine at no additional cost.
Check your fryer oil blend to be sure it doesn't have any animal fat added.
SOUP STOCKS
If you make your own stock for soup, try a vegetarian stock by sautéing
onions and garlic in a small amount of oil. Add chopped carrots, celery,
mushrooms (a great way to use up those extra mushrooms or stems that are
drying out in the fridge), a little vermouth, peppercorns, bay leaf, and
parsley stems and let this simmer with lots of water until you get the strength
of stock you want. You can add greens, green beans, or beets if you want
a darker color. Strain the stock and refrigerate until ready to use. For
a fast vegetable-based stock, we start with tomato juice, add puréed
vegetables (such as carrots, celery and onions), a dash of pepper, and a
dash of onion powder and let it simmer for about half an hour. Both of these
make a good base for sauces; just let them reduce or thicken them with flour,
tapioca, or cornstarch. If you need a shortcut, purchase vegetarian soup
bases (watch for the salt content).
Have you noticed that vegetarian cooking uses the same techniques and ingredients
as you're using now, with less fat? Because you tend to cook with more flavor
and color when you do vegetarian right, the fat's not missed.
PROTEIN
What about the protein, you say? Soy products, such as tofu and tempeh, emulate
the texture of meat and provide a complete protein. See the accompanying
article in this issue for a quick lesson in soy. Here are some other ideas
for vegetarian entrees: vegetable moussaka or lasagna (use roasted vegetables
instead of meat), bell pepper and mushroom strata, bean and almond salad,
cabbage and white bean stew served over garlic mashed potatoes, stuffed tomatoes
or peppers (try an oatmeal-walnut stuffing), and vegetarian tamales.
Finding soup boring without meat or cream, you say? How about a roasted garlic
and white bean soup, a cold three berry and wine soup, or a multi-colored
curried lentil soup (did you know that lentils come in green, white, brown
and orange)? You can use your imagination (and a lot less fat) with vegetarian
soups.
CALCIUM
My customers want calcium, you say. All right: if you prefer to stay away
from soy products (which can be fortified with calcium), then incorporate
greens (as in cooked or raw collards, kale, or Swiss chard), broccoli, cabbage,
turnips, molasses (Indian pudding or gingerbread, anyone?), cooked beans,
or corn tortillas into your menu. Already there, you say- surprise! You've
been serving a calcium-rich menu and didn't need all those animal products.
DESSERTS
Desserts and baked goods can be made or purchased without eggs or dairy.
(You may want to order our Foodservice Update on "Vegan Baking" for $3)
Plant-based gels can be purchased and used just like the gelatin you usually
use. Baked apples, poached pears, fruit compote (stew dried fruit with fresh
apples, peaches, apricots or pears and spices), sorbets, and seasonal fruit
salads and sauces are colorful desserts that have always been and will always
be vegetarian.
There now, that was easy, wasn't it? You can have a vegetarian menu in just
about no time, using the kitchen and the ingredients you already have. You'll
find that you're getting more creative with ingredients and your customers
will be happy with their new menu. Enjoy!
Excerpts from the Summer 1998
Issue:
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