Freshly picked up with Simon Toohey.
eight years ago, Life changed forever. The chef and MasterChef Australia finalist met his now-wife, Georgia, who was a plant-based eater. Tuohy fell in love with both her new beau and her new lifestyle, and decided to follow a plant-based diet.
“I’ve always been very interested in plant-based foods,” recalls the 38-year-old. . “But when I started dating Georgia, I became very interested in the idea of a plant-based diet. I wanted to learn how. At a higher level to make them extra delicious. So I started playing with new flavors and using popular cooking techniques to create plant-based dishes that were really interesting.
A few years later, Toohey appeared on our screens as a contestant on plant-based MasterChef Australia. Over two seasons, in 2019 and 2020, Toohey gained a national reputation for skillfully infusing vegetable dishes with added flavor.
Today, Toohey is as passionate and active as ever in advocating for plant-forward cooking. “Plant-based food is about celebrating plants in an interesting way,” he says.
“Eating fresh produce is delicious. Vegetables can be cooked just like a steak and taste just as good.
Plant-forward eating, explained.
A plant-based diet does not have to exclude meat or fish. According to Toohey, a plant-based diet simply “emphasizes the need to eat a greater proportion of good quality plants than animal products”.
While a plant-based diet may seem like a new Western trend, it’s actually a pattern of food consumption that many cultures around the world have followed for centuries.
Historically, the majority of Plant-based to focus on legumes, vegetables and plant-based oils such as mustard seed oil. gave Another style of plant-based eating has been identified. As one of Because it can reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes.
Some people switch to a plant-based diet because of animal welfare concerns. Others, like Toohey, believe that this plant-based eating style is more sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
“You can eat very well, cheaply, by eating more plants,” says Toohey, co-founder of the Sustainable Earth Network (SEN). “I recently bought a kilo of rye for $3.50 – that would feed 20 people.
“You can buy many ancient grains in bulk and can often find them on special. I use bulgur wheat, rye, and frankincense in my cooking all the time. Cook the grains in stock or water until done. until they are soft and then mix with a bunch of herbs. Add dried fruit and roasted nuts and there you have it – a beautiful filling salad.”
Plant-based cooking hacks
Toohey insists there are endless ways to add flavor to vegetable dishes, and don’t think of plant-based foods as boring or bland.
For example, just as you may want to char a steak for added color and flavor, Touhi recommends that you lightly char your vegetables. Make four and taste the result. “Saute your vegetables—carrots, cabbage, and cabbage—in a little olive oil,” he says. “Then grill, fry or barbecue them. You won’t regret it.
“To add more color to the broccoli, place the florets high under the grill so they get a nice char. Season the florets and they’ll be delicious.”
To finish off any vegetable dish, you can also top it with a homemade sauce, like chimichurri or salsa verde. “When these sauces are poured over your dish, they will enhance the wonderful flavors you just imparted to the vegetables.”
Interesting plant-based ingredients to try
From street food-inspired dishes to bright salads and decadent desserts, Toohey likes to focus on exciting flavor combinations with fresh fruit and vegetables every day.
Toohey also recommends using a wide array of ingredients that aren’t common, such as papaya and hemp seeds, chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes, lentils and pumpkin – which he uses in everything from curries to fritters, casseroles and desserts. Uses to make things.
Each of these ingredients adds a unique flavor profile to the dish. Take hemp seeds for example. “They’re slightly nutty, earthy and very soft,” he explains.Hemp seeds work well as a garnish in salads, casseroles and smoothies. They can be turned into hemp milk and even poured over ice cream. They’re really cool.”
Toohey shares many such helpful tips and plant-based recipes on her latest show. .
“Hopefully, people will watch the show and feel inspired to cook with plants.” “If it results in them putting more vegetables on their plate, that’s great. That’s a win for me,” he says.