Sometimes you want to create a vegetarian version of a familiar

meat based meal. And non-vegetarians who have to cook a meatless or vegetarian meal are often stumped about how to get past the mentality of ‘meat and three veg minus the meat’.



The bad news is that sometimes it’s just not possible. Trying to make a vegetarian version of a baked fish, for example, is just setting yourself up for failure.

This article is a guest post I wrote for the comprehensive vegetarian resource site, Savvy Vegetarian. It contains the secrets of knowing how to make moreish meatless meals.

For those of you dabbling with or newly committed to a plant based diet, you will probably be having this problem. To me, a lot of vegetarian dishes suffer a lack of flavour that doesn’t seem to be fixed with salt. They taste rather one dimensional. They lack depth or fullness in flavour. To be blunt, they are bland.

This can especially be a problem for new vegetarians and flexitarians and I shall explain why. If it just doesn’t taste as satisfying as you expect, then it’s probably missing that wonderful essence known as umami.

Umami?
...
to continue with this article, please head over to Savvy Vegetarian where it is published in full. It's worth your while, even if do I say so myself ;)

Until I came across this intriguing post on how recipes are routinely dumbed down today, as compared to 30 years ago, I had no idea this was going on. What do I mean? Apparently, there are many people frightened off cooking by the specialist terms used, such as saute. So instead of writing, 'saute the onions until soft', food authors now write something like, 'cook the onions on a medium to high heat in melted butter or oil while continuously stirring, until soft'. Fascinating.

As fully complete as I could make it. Conversions of cooking measurements between what felt like a gazillion different measuring systems.

So now we can all figure out what equals what in the system we each like to use. If you find this useful, pass it around as much as you like.

(ounces and pounds of the avoirdupois system used in Britain and the U.S.)
1 ounce (oz) equals 28.352 grams (for convenience work on 30 grams).
1 pound (lb) equals 453.6g
100g equals 3.53oz
1 kilogram (kg) equals 2 pounds 3oz

Spoon and cup measures should be filled until almost overflowing.
Measuring jugs need to be on a flat surface and read at eye level for accuracy.

Actual conversions
1 actual cup = 230 ml
4 2/5 actual cups (use 4 1/3) = 1 L
2 teaspoons = 1 dessertspoon
2 dessertspoons = 1 tablespoon
4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
15 1/3 tablespoons (use16) = 1 cup

Standardised metric conversions of Australia
4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
1 standardised metric cup = 250ml
4 standardised metric cups = 1 L
12 1/2 tablespoons = 1 cup

AAARRGH. How many measuring systems can there be?

The British Imperial System works on 20 fluid ounces of 28.41ml to a pint equalling 568.41ml.
The U.S. Customary System works on 16 fluid ounces of 29.57ml to a pint equal to 473.2ml. 1 wet pint equals 1 pound. Note that the U.S. wet pint differs in volume to the dry pint (550.6cm ³). In both systems, 1 pint equals 2 cups and 2 pints equal 1 quart. So cups, pints quarts and gallons all depend on which system you use. Confused yet?

In the land of the decimal, 1000g = 1000ml =1kg = 1 L. Aren't we glad someone used their noggin?

Standardised metric conversions of cups and the like used in Australia are based on the U.S. system.

I use the standardised metric cups and spoons of Australia.

Measures for the 8 liquid ounce cup (U.S) are used throughout this book.
Standardised metric equivalents common in Australia are based on converting this system.

Measures for the 10 liquid ounce cup (Imperial). I have not used this system for measuring anywhere in this book. These conversions are here as a reference only.

Spoon measurements can be:
Level
Round (default)
Heaped

Cups of dry ingredients should be level measurements.