{"id":3003,"date":"2024-12-14T04:27:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-14T04:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/the-vegetarian-reset-cheese-brings-oomph-to-vasudha-viswanaths-new-cookbook\/"},"modified":"2024-12-14T04:27:02","modified_gmt":"2024-12-14T04:27:02","slug":"the-vegetarian-reset-cheese-brings-oomph-to-vasudha-viswanaths-new-cookbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/the-vegetarian-reset-cheese-brings-oomph-to-vasudha-viswanaths-new-cookbook\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vegetarian Reset: Cheese Brings Oomph to Vasudha Viswanath\u2019s New Cookbook"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Vasudha Viswanath is the founder of We Ate Well<\/a>, a community for vegetarian foodies, and the author of a new cookbook, her debut – The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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A few years ago, Viswanath went for her annual physical. Her doctor told her that her blood sugar was elevated and recommended cutting down on sugar and starch like white rice, pasta, and bread. Viswanath left her appointment shocked; \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019ve eaten all my life,\u201d she remembered. As a lifelong vegetarian, \u201crefined grains and starch became the center of my plate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Viswanath grew up in Bangalore, in the south of India, in a family of enthusiastic cooks, eaters, and food lovers. \u201cWe were always arguing about our next meal,\u201d she said. She\u2019s always loved cheese, especially paneer<\/a>, but it wasn\u2019t until Viswanath moved to the US for graduate school at Carnegie Mellon that she discovered the vast array of cheeses in her local supermarket, from Parmigianino Reggiano to fresh mozzarella to brie. Slowly but surely, she made it her mission to experience them all and incorporate their flavors and textures into her cooking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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A focus on lower carbohydrate foods<\/h2>\n
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After her doctor\u2019s visit, Viswanath set about trying to transform her cooking to focus on lower carbohydrate foods. Cheese fit perfectly into her new diet and became a cornerstone of her kitchen. \u201cCheese is very high protein,\u201d Viswanath explained. \u201cA nice artisan cheese can be really good for you, in addition to being delicious.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Viswanath\u2019s food philosophy is apparent in her recipes \u2013 she doesn\u2019t believe eating healthfully should be a sacrifice. In other words, \u201cI didn\u2019t want people feel like they had to choose between eating healthy and eating delicious.\u201d In the Vegetarian Reset<\/em>, each recipe draws strengths from traditional cuisines that are rich in whole foods \u2014 vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. Then they take a trip around the world and borrow flavors from a wide range of global cuisines, resulting in delicious low-carb, high-protein recipes that will keep you satiated and happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, Viswanath\u2019s take on Cacio e Pepe is made with spiralized vegetables in place of pasta. Because there\u2019s no starchy water to add rich texture, Viswanath makes a corn starch flurry, then adds a mix of 70% pecorino and 30% parmesan, an ideal ratio inspired by watching Stanley Tucci\u2019s Searching for Italy. <\/em>\u201cCheese makes the dish,\u201d she says. \u201cIt makes it wonderfully filling.\u201d Her socca, a crispy chickpea pancake with origins in Nice, France, gets topped with smoked eggplant and melted mozzarella. Cheese adds richness, flavor, and substance. It turns a side into the centerpiece of a meal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Prioritizing whole foods and flavor<\/h2>\n

Her book \u201cteaches a philosophy of prioritizing whole foods and flavor.\u201d Viswanath sees her mission as helping to \u201creset people\u2019s connections with their bodies and help people feel better.\u201d After her own mission to eat lower carb, Viswanath\u2019s blood sugar returned to normal. \u201cI think more deeply about how food makes me feel, and I feel more in tune with my body,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Viswanath\u2019s Eggplant Chile Cheese Toast uses a mixture of low-moisture mozzarella and grated Cheddar to create melty, creamy depth \u2013 in contrast to crispy fried eggplant and tangy heat from chiles. It\u2019s great proof of the happy marriage of cheese, veggies, and crave-ability.\u00a0Read a sample from the the book at Vegetarian Reset<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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Eggplant Chile Cheese Toast<\/h2>\n

Chile cheese toast is probably one of India\u2019s top five street food creations. Here we reimagine the recipe and sneak in vegetables by using eggplant slices as \u201ctoast\u201d and topping them with the spiced cheese filling. Note that the eggplant \u201ctoast\u201d will have some crunchiness where the batter crisps up, but will still be soft compared to actual toast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Photo credit Alexandra Shytsman<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n

BATTER<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup\/30g chickpea flour<\/p>\n

3 Tbsp warm water<\/p>\n

1 tsp avocado oil, or other neutral oil of choice<\/p>\n

\u00bc tsp salt<\/p>\n

\u00bc tsp dried oregano<\/p>\n

\u00bd large eggplant\/aubergine (9 oz\/250g), widest part sliced into 4 flat discs about \u00be inch\/2cm thick<\/p>\n

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CHILE CHEESE TOPPING<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup\/28g grated Cheddar cheese<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup\/28g grated low-moisture mozzarella<\/p>\n

2 Indian green chiles, jalape\u00f1o peppers, or Thai chiles, chopped and seeded to adjust spice level to taste<\/p>\n

1 tsp grated ginger<\/p>\n

1 tsp minced garlic<\/p>\n

\u00bd tsp ground cumin<\/p>\n

\u00bc tsp salt<\/p>\n

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro\/fresh coriander, for garnish<\/p>\n

Directions<\/p>\n

Step 1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the batter and let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.<\/p>\n

Step 2. Preheat the air fryer to 400\u00b0F\/200\u00b0C or the oven to 450\u00b0F\/235\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

Step 3. Brush the eggplant slices with batter on both sides. Lay the eggplant flat on the base and airfry, until golden brown and dry on both sides, for 10 minutes, then flip using tongs and air fry 2 more minutes. (I can do two slices at a time in my air fryer, so I repeat this step for the remaining slices; yours may be larger). If using the oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplant slices on it. Bake on one side for 13\u201315 minutes, or until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for 3\u20135 minutes.<\/p>\n

Step 4. As the eggplant cooks, mix all the ingredients for the chile cheese topping in a bowl.<\/p>\n

Step 5. Sprinkle the cheese topping on the eggplant slices in the air fryer and air fry again for 1 1\/2 minutes, or bake for 2\u20133 minutes, until the cheese has completely melted. Garnish with cilantro and serve.<\/p>\n

Reprinted with permission from THE VEGETARIAN RESET by Vasudha Viswanath, The Collective Book Studio, January 2023.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0 Vasudha Viswanath is the founder of We Ate Well, a community for vegetarian foodies, and the author of a new cookbook, her debut – The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World.\u00a0 A few years ago, Viswanath went for her annual physical. Her doctor told her that her blood sugar was … Okumaya devam et “The Vegetarian Reset: Cheese Brings Oomph to Vasudha Viswanath\u2019s New Cookbook”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[395],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-milk-and-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3003\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}