Meat-free meals are not just for vegetarians

Vegetarian food has had a lot of bad press down through the years, with most people’s traditional idea of a meat-free diet being the dreaded nut roast and tofu.

But, in Ireland, great chefs like Denis Cotter in Cork’s Café Paradiso have helped to make meat-free meals as attractive as dishes with meat in them – unless of course you are a committed carnivore.

Now, closer to home, nutritionist and cookery teacher Liz Nolan has written My Goodness, a beautifully illustrated collection of tasty and hassle free recipes.

The book, by the Moycullen resident, was launched last Saturday in Galway City by Jess Murphy, chef/patron of the renowned Kai Restaurant on Sea Road.

It’s not necessary to be a vegetarian to benefit from this book, Liz explains. What it does, is give people simple and tasty recipes so they can have meat-free days a couple of times a week. Or, indeed, they can incorporate it into their regular menus.

“It’s a healthier option but it can all go with salmon or lamb chops,” she says.

Among those who has praised My Goodness is the renowned British nutritional therapist Patrick Holford, who says that with Liz’s recipes “you can have your cake and eat it”.

The book covers everything; breakfast, lunch, dinners, sweet stuff, bread and accompaniments. There’s also a list of store cupboard essentials, and the equipment you’ll need for success vegetarian cookery.

Dinner recipes include Chickpea and red lentil curry with aubergine and spinach, Herby one-pot barley and lentil stew, and Kidney beans and courgette fritters. There is also a fantastic array of hummus, pestos and dips, including roasted red pepper hummus and pumpkin seed pesto with leafy greens.

Breakfast recipes include granola, muesli and smoothies, while sweet treats include chocolate brownies, hazelnut and chocolate truffles, and autumn pudding with blackberries, raspberries and apples. Each recipe contains nutritional information and all are designed to have a low Glycemic Load (GL).

Foods that have a low GL are absorbed slowly by the body, so they have less impact on blood sugar levels. That’s important in helping to prevent and treat conditions such as diabetes. Low GL meals also help people feel fuller for longer, so they eat less. Research has also shown that people with a low GL diet have a lower incidence of heart disease. There are other issues to factor in, but in general, foods that have a low GL are to be recommended.

However, sometimes when people choose to increase their vegetarian intake, they don’t make healthy choices, because they don’t know what’s involved. “It’s about learning to cook in a whole new way,” says Liz, whose aim with this book is do demystify vegetarian cookery.

“When you are a vegetarian, you really need to be able to cook. Otherwise you’ll end up living on pasta and bread and a lot of carbohydrates. Part of my mantra is how to cook with beans and lentils.

“It’s about learning to cook in a whole new way.”

English-born Liz became a vegetarian when she was 18 – it wasn’t a political decision, she says, more the fact that she disliked meat.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.