Three ways to jazz up your vegetables!

Everyone knows that the recommended fruit and vegetable intake is at least five-a-day, but how many of us actually achieve this? Fruit is generally more likeable, as it tends to be sweeter, juicer and just a bit more fun. But thinking about consuming a mountain of vegetables on a day-to-day basis can feel like an unnecessary chore, so Le Cordon Bleu London has thought of three ways that you can jazz up your vegetables to make this task a much more enjoyable experience.  

1. Spiralize it:
A spiralizer is a kitchen utensil that turns raw vegetables into pasta-like noodles and has literally taken the culinary world by storm! Why would you need to do such a thing I hear you ask? Well think about how much lighter in calories, carbs, fat and sugar your vegetable noodles would be compared to your typical rice, wheat or egg variety. Also, think about the variety that this simple tool gives you – noodles in a range of beautiful colours, beetroot red, carrot orange, courgette green, the options are truly endless. A spiralizer is a great way to reduce your carb intake, spice up a vegetarian or vegan diet, and disguise vegetables in some classic dishes, for unsuspecting children!

2. Use something unusual:
Sometimes trying something a bit different or unusual can add a new dimension to your diet. Have you heard of purple sweet potatoes? From the outside they look like a normal potato but lurking on the inside is its vibrant purple flesh! The next time you are making something that needs potatoes, why don’t you try using these lovely spuds instead, and add a bit of uniqueness to your meal.

On our Creative Vegetables gourmet-short course our Teaching Chefs teach you how to cook something else that you would probably never have typically considered – nettle leaves! These lovely little gems are avoided by many, but are surprisingly flavourful and extremely healthy.

3. Cook it differently:
Typically we use the same old boring methods to cook our vegetables, with boiling and steaming being the most common. These may be the most convenient options, but they do nothing for the flavour of your dish and certainly don’t add any excitement to your eating experience. During the short course our Chefs introduce a plethora of other vegetable cooking methods that won’t leave you short of creative ideas. Pan-frying, deep-frying, poaching and baking – these different options add a great variety of textures and flavours to your dishes, and gives your plain old boring vegetables a bit of character and pizzazz!

If you would like to learn some meat-free recipes and explore more ways to jazz up your vegetables, then why don’t you enroll on our Creative Vegetables short course today and add some diversity to your next meal.