In general, vegan nutrition is pretty simple. After all, many main dishes are already vegan: beans and rice, fried sweet potatoes with salsa, peanut butter and jam sandwich, the list is long. These dishes may well form the basis of your diet, but sometimes you want to snack on something like pizza.
How do you make the perfect smoothie bowl, delicious homemade almond milk, and so much more? The first and most important step is the choice of kitchen utensils.
Here is a list of appliances and accessories that will help you save money, reduce cooking time and cook like a vegan chef.
1. Spiralizer
Stores already offer a wide variety of vegetable noodles, but you can save some money by making your own vegetable noodles at home. For this you will need a spiralizer.
A manual spiralizer is quite cheap, but its size allows you to process only small cylindrical vegetables like zucchini. If you want to have more options, buy an electric spiralizer – it will cost you a little more, but such a device often comes with various attachments, thanks to which it can process even large vegetables like pumpkin.
A manual or electric spiralizer will allow you to quickly cook vegetable noodles that do not even need to be boiled!
Tip: Vegetable noodles go well with all kinds of sauces. So, count, cut the noodles – and the dish is ready!
2. Cast iron pan
A cast iron skillet will become an indispensable tool for any cook. With proper care, it will serve you for many years! You can cook everything in it, from fried mushrooms with tofu to pancakes. This is an excellent non-stick frying pan – better than any dubious “non-stick” pans that are actively offered to us in stores.
Tip: You don’t need soap to clean the pan after cooking! First, rinse the pan under hot water and scrub it with a stiff brush. To remove leftover pieces of food, lightly dampen the pan, add a little trusted salt to it, and brush off the dirt with a brush. To keep your pan in good condition, wipe it dry, pour some vegetable oil into it, and rub it into the surface with a paper towel.
3. Aerogrill
Although the airfryer is not the most compact appliance, it deserves a permanent place on your kitchen countertop. You will be convinced of this by experiencing his incredible culinary skills.
Not only does an air fryer make food light and crispy without the use of oil, it also drastically reduces cooking time. Crispy potatoes, fried tofu, Brussels sprouts, and even some baked goods – these dishes will take no more than 20 minutes. The oven just can’t compete!
4. High speed blender
Be aware that there is a huge difference between a cheap standard blender and a powerful high speed blender from brands like Vitamix or Blendtec. By comparison, a standard blender is like a weak car engine, while a high-speed blender is like a Ferrari engine. Although buying such a device may hit your pocket, then you will probably use it every day for soups, sauces, smoothies and sweets.
Tip: If the prices in stores seem too high for you, look for a similar blender in the goods on Amazon. Even after some time of use, they work well and are quite reliable, and such a purchase will cost much less.
5. Food processor
Even if you have a high-speed blender, a food processor will not be superfluous. If you are preparing meals for one or two, a small model will suffice. The food processor is useful for making nut butters, salsa, cauliflower rice, pie dough and bread.
6. Multicooker
If you have not yet had a chance to cook with a slow cooker, you may think that this is not such a necessary kitchen appliance, but believe me – having experienced its amazing culinary abilities, you will not be able to refuse it. A multicooker is especially useful for those who do not have the patience to cook. 20 minutes – and your dish is already on the table. In addition, with the help of a multicooker, you can cook whole batches of food.
7. Bamboo steamer basket
The bamboo steamer basket is another piece of equipment that your kitchen will feel incomplete without when you try it out. The advantage of a bamboo basket is that it allows you to cook food in multiple layers. With the help of such a basket, it is incredibly convenient to prepare buns, Chinese dumplings and tamales.
Tip: To prevent food from sticking to the basket while cooking, line the bottom with parchment paper or cabbage leaves.