Eat Your Veggies – LCM 48 Fall 2017

Eat Your Veggies

There’s nothing boring about these vegetarian dishes

By Sandra  A.  Berry

 

 

A decadent dessert at Sunset Mona Lisa

Vegetarianism has been practiced since ancient times, but gone are the days of boring, predictable dishes. Today’s vegetarian menu options—especially in Los Cabos—go beyond steamed vegetables, brown rice, lentils, and tofu to offer a plethora of delectable choices from around the world.

 

Mediterranean-style diets emphasize plant-based food, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil, and using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods are also good choices. We are fortunate to have several excellent Italian restaurants in Los Cabos that cater to vegetarians and anyone who is health conscience while seeking tasty food.

 

a traditional Margherita pizza at La Dolce

Chef Stefano Miotto of La Dolce (www.restauranteladolce.com) hails from northern Italy and has many requests for vegetarian dishes at his popular Italian restaurant. His wait staff is eager to serve items such as spinach and cheese ravioli; fettuccini primavera; cannelloni; spaghetti puntanesca, with a sauce of a mélange of vegetables; and pomodoro, a sauce of fresh tomatoes. “Any pizza can be made with veggies,” he says, “and we have gluten-free pasta available all the time.”

 

a creamy asparagus-artichoke soup at Romeo & Julieta.

Another popular Italian eatery is Romeo & Julieta (www.restaurantromeoyjulie ta.com) with Italian-born chef Matias Forte at its helm. Forte says many items on its menu attract vegetarian diners. Popular items include a portobello stuffed with spinach; cream of asparagus and artichoke soup; minestrone, a traditional Italian-style vegetable soup; pizza with goat cheese, Gorgonzola, figs, and pears; pasta with burrata cheese, basil, pine nuts, and organic olive oil; and risotto with wild mushrooms. For those pescatarians who eat fish and seafood, several dishes are worthy of this category; try the shrimp linguini and bluefin tuna with sesame and herb crust.

 

Chef Antonello Lauri, another Italian native, invites guests to enjoy the flavors of his homeland at Invita Bistro (www.invitabistro.com), whose signature dish is eggplant parmigiana; it’s a popular item requested by vegetarians. Other dishes include fresh salads, yummy bruschetta topped with tomatoes, garlic, and basil, as well as fusilli primavera. Invita Bistro’s house-made breads and foccacia are legendary.

 

Paolo della Corte serves as executive chef for Sunset Mona Lisa (www.sun setmonalisa.com) and its sister restaurants, Sunset Point and Pan di Bacco. He serves many dishes indicative of his native Naples, such as mushrooms baked with mozzarella; Gorgonzola salad; mushrooms fettuccine; risotto of the day; and tagliatelle with black truffle. When we spoke, he reminded me that all his desserts are vegetarian. At Sunset Mona Lisa, you can try the passion macaron, warm red fruit crumble, or hazelnut iced parfait. The Sweet Energy and Chocolate Sphere desserts are vegan options.

 

It’s easy to find vegetarian options among starters, like the salad at Alcaravea Gourmet

At Alcaravea Gourmet (www.alcar aveagourmet.com), a vegetarian can make a meal on appetizers alone. Start with roasted veggie antipasto, mushrooms that are sautéed with white wine then baked, or mushrooms stuffed with sundried tomatoes and artichokes. You can then move on to salads, including Caprese with heirloom tomatoes and basil (a personal favorite) or spinach salad. Pita bread is inviting with various veggie toppings.

the miso soup at Nick-San.

With its two Los Cabos locations, the Japanese restaurant Nick-San (www .nicksan.com) offers plenty of vegetarian options. One great option is vegetable tempura, even if you usually avoid fried foods. Tempura is light and crisp, rather than greasy.  Pot stickers (or “gyoza”) is a popular veggie dish and may be steamed or pan-fried. Soba noodles, made from buckwheat flour, are a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine, often served in a plain broth or in a chilled salad. Soba is the base for a number of traditional Japanese dishes, a handful of which are vegetarian. Miso soup is another one of the foods you’ll find, and it is usually, though not always, vegetarian (and vegan). The basic ingredients are miso, seaweed, and tofu, and a little soy sauce, sesame oil, or other seasonings to flavor a simple broth.

 

Indian cuisine—with its liberal use of healthful and flavorful spices and herbs like ginger, cinnamon, coriander, and turmeric—is full of antioxidants. The presence of lentils, garbanzo beans, and herbs in many dishes also makes Indian food a high-fiber and vegetarian- and vegan-friendly option. Namaste, the Indian Kitchen (624-218-0820) is a great addition, bringing yet another bit of global flavor to Los Cabos.

 

Green cuisine is becoming more popular; veggie restaurants are cropping up that cater to the rising demand for meat-free dining options. There is a relatively new restaurant in Cabo San Lucas called Mako Vegan & Veggy Restaurant (624-157-3716), which serves lunch and dinner with a variety of meatless items such as sopes, corn masa with nopal (cactus); puff pastry stuffed with goat cheese; and bread with broiled zucchini and bell pepper. Tacos are filled with a house vegetable stew and served with guacamole and salsa. Pizzas and calzones are available, including a sweet rendition with apple or pear in syrup, goat cheese, cream cheese, nuts, and sunflower seeds. A vegan cheese is offered with tostadas.

 

Vegetarian food is no longer for a small minority but rather the mainstream. Indeed, vegetarian cooking is enjoying a makeover, prompting meat eaters to put down their steak knives. New green cuisine is tapping into the rise of the “flexitarian,” the occasional vegetarian who is helping to shrink his waistline by eating less meat. Vegetarianism has been buoyed by the same health-conscious wave that has drawn consumers in unprecedented numbers to low-fat, vegetarian, and organic foods. The trend of being fit and healthy will stay for a long time.  Y