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Vegetarian Cooking - The Versatility of Nuts

 The little nut... such a necessity for those who are doing vegetarian cooking as a lifestyle or for those thinking of becoming vegetarian. This little friend should be in the diet of any well balanced vegan or vegetarian as they supply such an amazing amount of nutrition which means it should be considered a staple on the daily menu.

Nuts can be used in a variety of ways. On their own as a snack a handful of almonds, for example, can be a rich source of protein and potassium as well as calcium and magnesium for strong bones. Vitamin E (35% of the daily requirement) and also as an antioxidant that helps to fight cancer.

Speaking of the protein in the nuts, something that if you are vegetarian you need to be aware of is that it is necessary to combine the nuts with something else to get "complete" protein, for example, peanut butter on wholemeal bread is perfect.

Even if you are just thinking about becoming vegetarian or you just want to have meatless Mondays including nuts in your daily diet will certainly be of benefit to you.

There are many ways nuts can be incorporated into vegetarian cooking other than just having them as a snack.

Here is just three ways these little nuts prove their versatility.

1. Milk. Nuts make exceptional milk which can be used either on its own or in cooking. To make nut milk -
You will need:

• Organic nuts - you can use any nut but try one of these first Almonds, Cashews, Brazil nuts, Hazelnuts, Macadamias, Pecans, Pistachios, Walnuts.
• A blender is ideal but a food possessor is absolutely fine if you don't have a blender.
• You will need something to strain the milk. There are Nut Milk Bags specifically for this purpose however, you can also use fine muslin or cheese cloth.
• How to make:
• It is best to soak the nuts overnight as this de-activates the compounds that keep the nuts dormant, and activates the enzymes that make them sprout meaning that they are easily digestible. It also means that the nutrients have a much better ability to be utilized by the cells. Not to mention that it makes for easier blending as they are then softer. Rinse well.
• The ratio is 1 cup of pre-soaked nuts to 3 cups of fresh water.
• Place into the blender. If you want thicker milk then reduce the amount of water.
• Once the nuts have been finely ground (the color should be "milk" color) you need to strain the pulp.
• Voila, nut milk - ready to serve, drink or use in baking. You can even flavor your milk with vanilla extract, cacao powder or even fresh fruit like strawberries. To sweeten the milk add a little liquid stevia extract, maple syrup, raw honey or agave nectar, you can also try dates.

2. Nut Butter. This is really easy

You will need:

• Organic nuts.
• A food processor (easier than a blender)
• Oil
• How to make:
• Most nuts will need to be lightly roasted first. Keep an eye on them and shake the pan throughout the roasting time.
• Once cool, place the nuts in the processor. As they chop down they will start to form a ball and at this point you can start adding the oil, just a little at a time as you don't want the butter to be too oily. Some nuts don't need it, but it does help make the butter spreadable.
• That's it... now just put it in a jar and use as a spread or in baking.

3. On Their Own:

Nuts can be added to so many things either whole or chopped the list is really as limited as your imagination. For example, cashews are wonderful in with stir-fried vegetables. A small mixture of nuts sprinkled over a salad makes for a lovely texture as well as taste. And, of course, there is always the addition of nuts to almost any baking of cakes, breads or cookies.

Becoming vegetarian or vegan? Adding nut milks and butters to your vegetarian cooking can be a very rewarding experience - not difficult and a real point of difference to the menu.