Side Dishes

Looking for ways to eat more vegetables? These 5 Vegetable Side Dish Ideas are what you want. With simple ingredients & methods, you can choose to make one every day!

As vegetables are an integral part of a vegetarian family like ours, it’s quite a challenge to come up with vegetable dishes that everyone enjoys.

Back in 2004, when we decided to leave meat behind, to make sure the vegetable dishes I cooked turned out delicious, I used to make them with lots of seasonings. It turned out that I couldn’t really taste the real taste of the vegetables, and we didn’t truly enjoy eating them that way.

When our daughter started to eat solid foods. She enjoyed everything I fed her–which was plain-cooked without any seasoning. I was surprised she would eat them plain, but realized that plain vegetables are actually sweet and taste good!

Ever since, I changed the way I cooked vegetables. I cook them very close to the way I fed my daughter but season them a little bit more. We all enjoy the real taste of each vegetable very much and that way of cooking makes my life easier.…

Choose plant milk that is high in protein that is not soy, follow this simple recipe & clear instructions, and you’ll create the best Soy Free Vegan Butter!

I started to make vegan butter a few years ago and posted the recipe in early 2018. Later, I made cultured vegan butter that I use for foods that don’t require too much heat. I enjoy them both very much.

However, I noticed that the vegan butter was splashing a lot when I heated it up for popcorn or for cooking in general. I thought about the possible reasons and to realize that there was a lot of water in the milk I used.

How do I eliminate the water in the milk?

Well, I use the same method I use to make tofu. I curdle the milk first, then use the curd to make vegan butter

What do I use to curdle the milk?

Simple, there are a few options for commercial solutions on the market, but I prefer fresh squeezed lemon juice and apple cider vinegar instead—they both work great.

With my first vegan butter recipe, I curdled the milk while it was still cold and it worked fine. When I tried heating the milk first, it turned out to be better. So I adjusted the recipe and have been making it this way ever since. With this method, I notice that the butter lasts longer in the fridge.

Besides using soy milk, now I tried with other kinds of nut milk too.

Why?

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store sprouted-toasted buckwheat in glass jars

Sprouted Buckwheat is one of the world’s healthiest seeds. It’s gluten free, and people can rely on for amino acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants!

I grew up eating Japanese soba noodles made with buckwheat, but I had no idea what buckwheat really was. However, trying to eat everything healthy the right way, I came across buckwheat. The first time I saw real buckwheat, I thought it was grain, but it is actually a seed!

Knowing about phytic acids in whole grains, nuts and seeds, I do a lot of fermenting and sprouting of these things before I cook them, and buckwheat is something I like to sprout too!

Sprouting anything sounds difficult, but don’t let the sound of it stop you. To me, sprouting buckwheat is even easier than other kinds of seeds or beans. I’m writing this post while living abroad, and I didn’t have all the equipment I used back home, so I am sprouting buckwheat with a recycled jar, and a basic strainer, and the result is great!…

Looking for an easy but tasty way of cooking eggplant? This Sautéed Eggplant method has the perfect flavor, balancing garlic with its savory and sweet tones!

I grew up in Thailand where eggplant is everywhere all year round. The beautiful deep purple color of fresh picked eggplant is to die for, but to be honest, they were once one of my least favorite vegetables.

They are chewy and tough if not not cooked properly, and that’s why I didn’t like them. I have tried cooking them in a lot of more complicated ways, but I decided to get back to simple. …

If you love rice but don’t want to consume too many carbohydrates, this Cauliflower Rice is perfect–it’s not mushy but puffy and dry.

As a rice lover, I never thought I could satisfy myself without eating rice on a regular basis. I often feel guilty every time I eat too much rice though.

Trying to find a rice substitute, I came across Cauliflower Rice. It’s perfect for all kind of dishes. From easy stir fry vegetables to curry, I can enjoy them by substituting Cauliflower Rice.

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Would you like something healthy, tasty and quick for your kids? This simple Spinach & Mushroom Omelette offers just what you need–quickly!

Feeding my own vegetarian child, I make sure she gets what her body needs to grow healthy, and Spinach & Mushroom Omelettes are one of the dishes I cook often. …

Are you intimidated by a sound of the work called “Stretch and Fold” for making sourdough bread? Then try this No-Knead Sourdough Bread Without a Proofing Basket, but with sprouted almond and flaxseed recipe. You’ll know that making sourdough really can be done with LESS work!

There are 3 main reasons that encourage me to make sourdough:

First, because I have a personal belief that the fermentation process helps break down phytic acid in flour. I believe that phytic acid causes a digestive problem and prevents us from absorbing the proper mineral and calcium we deserve.

Second, because I’m not comfortable ingesting the easy & fast rising yeast that is used in most commercial bread all the time (ok, I have to admit that I use it once in a while to make no-knead artisan bread as a family treat).

Third, because it tastes so good with just simple ingredients!…

Thinking about going dairy free but can’t live without butter? No worries. With this Vegan Butter, you don’t feel like you’re missing butter at all. Without any lecithin, palm oil, or anything unknown, this recipe is incredibly TASTY, healthy, and SO easy to make!

I never paid attention to store bought Vegan Butter ingredients much in the past. However, when I decided to drop most dairy products including butter, I took a serious look into what it’s made of. Then, I started to form uneasy feelings toward any kind of dairy product substitutions.

It’s so disappointing to learn that I can’t rely on all most plant-based products. They are either highly processed, or have some unknown ingredients, and are packed with food additive & preservatives, not to mention the packaging.

Those reasons are enough for me to stop buying commercial Vegan Butter of all kinds. Now, I make my own, and only use ingredients I actually know. …

This Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy will give you a quick & healthy side dish. It goes well with everything, and it can also be a simple light meal by itself. Just chop up fresh baby bok choy, and stir fry them with 4 simple ingredients that you probably have already in your kitchen. This healthy dish can be done in a wink!

Whenever I see local, fresh, baby bok choy, my dinner plans change–Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy comes first. I love to see them when they are still in their perfect, beautiful shape, basically the day I get them. The leaves are bright green and very delicate, and I’m always afraid they might get damaged if I keep them in a fridge.

The perfect combination of a little bit sweet, savory, and a quick saute on medium heat, gives this Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy dish a fresh flavor with the crunchiness you can’t get from other kinds of vegetable.…

enjoy!

Dreaming of having freshly made artisan bread from your favorite bakery anytime you want? Try this No-Knead Artisan Bread recipe, and your dream will come true. With only a few seconds of physical work, and good planning, you can have fresh bread made by you whenever you want!

I was so intimidated by the look of fancy artisan bread, and thought it would be beyond my ability to make. Now, I can’t stop asking myself “why did I wait so long to try?.

Really? What was I thinking? This No-Knead Artisan Bread is too easy not to make your own. However, it requires at least 12-18 hours, but don’t let this time period scare you away. The actual work literally takes seconds, and the rest is just waiting.…

Have no idea about how to cook rice without a rice cooker? No worries, you are just about to learn how. If you have a pot, rice, water, a stove, and about 35-minutes, you are set for having rice to eat with your favorite dishes today.

A rice cooker had been part of my life for so long, and I never thought it would be possible for me to cook rice without one until one day when my rice cooker broke!

It shouldn’t be a problem to get a replacement, right? A rice cooker is not so expensive anymore, and It’s so easy to get one anywhere & anytime.

However, there were a few things stopping me for getting it right away. One is the teflon used in the pot, and another is trying to consume less resources. So, adding another kitchen gadget I know will not last is not what I want. These two reasons combined was enough for me to decide not getting a new rice cooker.…

There is no doubt that kale is a superfood. It’s loaded with top health benefits we want to put into our bodies. There are so many ways to eat kale, but if you want to keep it simple so you can eat it as often as you want (even everyday), Easy Kale is what you need. Let me show you how!

I’m obsessed with this Easy Kale. In fact, my whole family is. We can eat a bowl of it everyday–if we don’t feel bad for eating too much. That’s right, I should do some research to see side effects of eating too much kale.

As I always have fresh kale in my garden, I have tried to eat it in so many different ways, but I realized there is no need to make healthy food complicated. The most important thing is to get nutrition from eating it into our bodies, right? So, this Easy Kale method is pretty much the only way we eat kale nowadays. We can get what we need with a little bit of help from other simple ingredients (that most of the time we already have them in the kitchen).…

How do I eliminate the water in the milk?

What do I use to curdle the milk?

Why?

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Side Dishes

How do I eliminate the water in the milk?

What do I use to curdle the milk?

Why?

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About Gourmet Vegetarian Kitchen