11 Epic Ways to Cook Vegetarian Prey

Just because vegetarians don't eat meat doesn't mean they don't have to hunt down their prey. Farmers' markets, grocery stores, home gardens, and Amazon Fresh are just a few of the lairs where vegetables may be tracked down. And once the vegetarian game is bagged and brought home, there are a number of epicly delicious ways to prepare and serve it.

Boiling

Cooking vegetables in boiling water is probably the simplest way to get them to the table. One of the all-time favorite candidates for boiling is corn on the cob: dump the fresh ears of corn into the boiling water, cover the pot, turn the heat to simmer, and cook for no more than six minutes.

Sauteing

Sauteing — that is, pan-frying in oil over medium-high heat — is a great way to prepare many vegetable treats. Try slender green beans this way. Saute them in a bit of butter or olive oil, and, during the last few minutes of cooking, add some freshly chopped thyme.

Steaming

Steaming involves cooking food over (not in) rapidly boiling water. Steaming preserves flavor, color, and nutrients, so it’s a great choice for delicate creatures like fresh asparagus spears or spring onions.

Braising

Braising is a technique that combines sauteing and steaming. The food is first browned in oil or butter, then a bit of water is added, the pan is covered, and the food cooks in the resulting steam. Fingerling potatoes and small whole carrots are great candidates for braising, as are sliced turnips and beets.

Stir-Frying

Like sauteing, stir-frying is done in a frying pan; oil gives the food flavor and prevents sticking. Unlike sauteing, however, stir-frying is done very quickly, over high heat; the vegetables are kept moving to prevent burning. The vegetables are cooked very lightly; there’s always a bit of texture to stir-fried vegetables, such as thinly sliced carrots, pea pods, and thick sweet-onion slices.

Deep-Fat Frying

Like sauteing and stir-frying, deep-fat frying involves a frying pan and oil. But, as its name indicates, deep-fat frying requires that the food be submerged in the hot oil while it cooks. French-fried potatoes and potato chips are notoriously deep-fat fried.

Roasting

Roasting takes place in the oven, and involves baking food in a dish, usually with a bit of liquid. Baby potatoes are everyone’s go-to vegetable for roasting; they’re delicious whole, slathered in butter, and with a sprinkling of freshly ground parmesan added during the last few minutes of cooking time. Try parsnips or brussels sprouts this way as well, sliced lengthwise and basted with oregano-seasoned olive oil.

Tempura

Tempura is a variation of deep-fat frying that involves coating small portions of vegetables (sliced or in small chunks, like broccoli flowerets) in a batter before dropping them into the hot fat. True tempura (that is, prepared in the true Japanese style) requires the use of sesame-seed oil for the frying.

Stewing

Like boiling, stewing is done in a pot of boiling water. However, when you stew vegetables, your goal is to mix and mingle flavors; hence, stewing is done over low heat, and usually takes considerable more time than simple boiling. Root vegetables were born to be stewed. There’s no better way to celebrate autumn, for example, than to simmer carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and turnips in vegetable broth.

Broiling

Broiling is done in the oven, with the food placed on the top rack just beneath the heating element. (It’s essentially the opposite of grilling.) Broiling is done quickly, so it’s a great option if you want to retain lots of nutrients. Slather thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put under the broiler until the tops have just begun to brown.

Grilling

Grilling is cooking food over a direct flame, either on an indoor grill or at the barbecue. It’s no accident that barbecues are most operative when the garden is at its peak of production. Hunt your vegetarian prey there, for maximum grilling flavor. Try threading a kebab-stick with chunks of fresh pineapple, cherry tomatoes, small whole onions, bite-size pieces of zucchini, and some tofu squares. Place the kebabs on the grill, and cook just until the veggies are tender.