Chef Chatter
Cooking plant-based cuisine the right way
Kajsa Alger, VP of Food and Beverage at Veggie Grill and Más Veggies Taqueria, discusses why the pandemic accelerated the popularity of plant-based eating and how chefs can learn to cook for customers demanding more options.
March 1, 2021
By Kajsa Alger, VP of Food and Beverage, Veggie Grill and Más Veggies Taqueria
Historically when people thought of vegan or plant-based food, unsavory or dull may have come to mind. But oh, how times have changed. Think of chips and salsa, spaghetti and tomato sauce, beans and rice or even sourdough bread. Those things are all vegan by nature and full of flavor. Many things that people love and eat daily are actually 'plant-based' and they don't even realize it.
Over the past few years, the plant-based diet movement has surged in popularity with non-vegan and non-vegetarians alike seeking alternatives to meat and dairy as a way to take charge of their health and care for the planet. The pandemic accelerated the popularity of plant-based eating and now one in three Americans consider themselves a flexitarian, which is over 50% that are currently trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into their daily lives. This trend is worldwide and growing. It would be remiss not to cater to them in your restaurant.
At Veggie Grill and at Más Veggies Taqueria, our new plant-based virtual Mexican food restaurant, we know that our guests are meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans, so we cook for a range of people. That is really key and always top of mind. It could be for a lifelong hearty meat eater who needs to eat a plant-based diet for health purposes, the young salad eating millennial or for someone who is looking to eat whole food ingredients a few days a week.
So, if you're thinking about serving up a few plant-based dishes in your restaurant, you don't have to be intimidated and it doesn't have to be complicated. Here are a few tips to doing it right.
Focus on vegetables and then balance
First thing to remember is that plant-based means plants take center stage. The days of just putting a veggie burger on a bun or a meatless meatball on a sub are over. It's outdated and quite simply, unappetizing. Even though there are many innovative and incredible protein alternative products on the market today, vegetables need to play a key role. It's true that you do need 'gateway' products for balance like a Gardein chicken patty, Beyond Meat Burger, or vegan shredded mozzarella but you must expand and build from that to ensure maximum flavor and broad appeal. There are tons of sauces and condiments that enhance every food. Many of the fermented foods like miso and kimchi and sauerkraut add a depth of flavor that can take a vegetable to the next level.
Focus on the range of people
If you're a chef that doesn't cook plant-based food, start by thinking of your average customer and not just those that are vegan. What would someone that is an avid steak eater or who is paleo / eating a keto diet want and crave in a veggie forward dish? There is a huge trend right now of consumers looking for lower carb options, but they are under the impression that plant-based menu offerings are carb heavy. They don't have to be at all. That meal could incorporate mushrooms, jackfruit, cauliflower or sweet potatoes but in a way that is as indulgent or as healthy as you want to make it. My advice is to handcraft these items as you would any other foods. We prepare and make all our food in the kitchen at Veggie Grill and Más Veggies Taqueria. This is something restaurant chains don't usually do but it makes all the difference. As we all know, when you make everything yourself and don't rely on processed foods or condiments, this is where the magic truly happens. We also have to remember, we've hit a time now where Plant-based eating is starting to adapt away from being a "food that we choose" to a younger audience of "a food that I grew up on."
We see a swing back to whole food and vegetable ingredients rather than the over-processed food that new plant-based eaters think of as "revolutionary". My kids grew up on vegan cheese on pizza and impossible burgers so it doesn't feel special to them. They prefer the flavors of the homemade veggie burger because they don't have a meat-eater palate that makes the other taste good. We need to be conscious of this generation of plant based eater who doesn't have to "get used to" the ingredients.
Make small changes
You're probably thinking, how could I change my kitchen and switch to vegan products. You don't really have to do that. If you switch your mindset more than your pantry, you will realize how many ingredients you actually have in your kitchen that are already vegan. There are also a ton of good vegan butters and mayo's that taste really good with which you can use to cook. When I first started shifting to plant based cooking, I realized that by having plant based butter and plant based mayonnaise in the kitchen, I could turn many of the dishes I was already making into vegan creations. Right now also, plant-based milks are gaining ground on dairy milk in grocery store sales. Having an oat milk or almond milk at the ready makes for easy transitions. Take a look at your recipes. Your sauces and your sides and main dishes. Aside from that big chunk of steak in the middle of your plate, I'm guessing that the rest of the food could easily be shifted to plant based. Start there, and then turn to replacing that steak for your plant-based consumer.
There has simply never been a more exciting time to cook and serve plant-based cuisine. The abundance of farm fresh produce, the numerous protein options and products out there today allows you to make anything you can think with a vegan / plant-based twist. Just remember, plant-based foods are not meant to trick the eater into thinking they are eating healthy or that they are eating meat but simply something they just find flavorful and really enjoy. If you take care of your flavors, you can offer something for everyone on your menu and keep them coming back for more.
