When making the switch to a plant-based diet, your kitchen is either your friend or your enemy. Certainly, you need the right kind of tools to make the conversion to being a plant-based eater much easier. It\u2019s also a good idea to have some easy plant-based recipes at the ready too.<\/p>\n
Here are seven of the essentials needed to make a plant-based diet easier.<\/p>\n
A tofu press is an ideal prep tool for avid tofu lovers. There is a press called TofuXpress that squeezes the excess water out of the tofu. This makes it much more pleasant with a firmer texture that\u2019s suitable for different dishes and salads too. Marinating the tofu with a sauce of your choice gives it additional flavor too.<\/p>\n
Beyond tofu, this press is also useful to create Greek yogurt, to press down vegetables to make them drier, or to produce cheese that meets the vegan standard.<\/p>\n
A blender is a great kitchen tool to make light work of mixing ingredients together and reducing them down to a small size. Slicing smaller pieces only get you so far and risk cutting your fingers. By using a Vitamix, Blendtec or other branded blender, you\u2019ll be done in no time.<\/p>\n
These blenders come in all shapes and sizes. It\u2019s necessary to pick the size either based on your budget or the number of portions you wish to create in a single use. Making a choice based on volume is better even if you have to cut back on what you spend in other areas.<\/p>\n
A frozen herb retainer is a great way to take fresh herbs and give them a longer life. Some herb retainers like the Herbcicle Plus have a mill in them as well to grind up fresh herbs to make them smaller ready for use.<\/p>\n
A new set of pots and pans is a good idea if you have been using other ones for a non-plant-based diet recently. If you\u2019re worried about a baked in meat taste that always seems to result, or your current cooking pots are just too old, then it\u2019s time to replace them with a complete set of stainless steel ones.<\/p>\n
Also, look to get some cast iron pans. They\u2019re durable and easy to clean. They weigh a bit more than other pans, but they\u2019re very adaptable.<\/p>\n
A decent chef shouldn\u2019t ever be without a set of dependable knives they can rely upon.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re better off spending a bit more to get a well-produced set of knives that will last the test of time. If you have a set, then you have specialized knives for cutting through produce or preparing a host of plant-based dishes well.<\/p>\n
There are plenty of Asian style meals that can be adapted by using tofu instead of meat and making sure that the sauce is acceptable for your new diet.<\/p>\n
A wok is a useful extra cooking pan with a non-stick coating. Vegetables are particularly easy to toss in a wok and cook evenly. A carbon steel wok is a good option to make it last for many years. Use a wok brush to scrape out any remaining food particles afterward and clean it thoroughly. Then dry it off to avoid the metal from rusting.<\/p>\n
Whether you live alone or you\u2019re preparing food for several people, you don\u2019t want to be handling multiple plates or bowls at once. It\u2019s necessary to bring them in one at a time which isn\u2019t very convenient when you like to prepare a selection of small delicacies for friends or family to try.<\/p>\n