Vietnamese Style Spring Rolls

Ingredients
• 50g bean thread vermicelli noodles
• 50g black fungus
• 2 pieces of pre-fried tofu
• 4 carrots grated
• 1 taro grated
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 onion
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 pack of rice paper wrappers (50 piece)
• 1 onion
• oil, for cooking
• iceberg lettuce, mint leaves and sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional)

Method
1. Place noodles into a small heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stand for 10 minutes. Drain. Roughly chop.

2. Place dried fungus in a small heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stand for 10 minutes. Drain.

3. Fry onions for a couple of minutes. Add tofu, salt, pepper, sugar & soy sauce and continue to fry for another two minutes. Add the remainder ingredients, dried fungus, carrot, taro, noodles and fry for another minute or so. Turn off heat.

4. Line a tray with a damp tea towel. Place 2 tablespoonfuls of the mixture along edge of wrapper closest to you. Fold in sides. Roll up to enclose filling. Brush edge with flour mixture. Press to seal. Place onto tray. Repeat with remaining rice paper wrappers. This should make 50 spring rolls.

5. Preheat oven to 160C. Pour oil into a wok to half-fill it. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Cook spring rolls, in batches, for 5 minutes or until light golden. Remove to a wire rack. Keep warm in oven.

Vegetarian Dumpling Soup

5 cups water
3/4 cube of Massel mock chicken stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
Small knob of finely grated ginger
8 Vegetarian Dumplings
shallots thinly sliced
1 bunch Bock Choy
A few drops of sesame seed oil

Boil water with stock cube
Add soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, grated ginger and shallots
Add Dumplings then turn to a simmer for 15 mins
Add Bock Choy 2 mins before the Dumplings are cooked
Add the sesame seed oil at the end

The Australian School of Meditation & Yoga West End - A Buddhist Feast

Last month we held a wonderful vegetarian Buddhist feast at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga West End. We had over 40 people attend, so it definitely proved to be a very popular class. One of the reasons so many people came is because they are looking to find out more about meat substitutes. Not a lot of people are aware of the many and varied soy products available from Asian supermarkets. This is a very easy and tasty way to substitute the meat in your diet. The substitutes are suitable for vegans and are sometimes so realistic that people aren’t sure if they are actually real. They are extremely high in protein too. I’ll be posting some of the vegetarian recipes demonstrated at the class over the coming days including:

Vegetarian dumpling soup

Mock Fish in black bean sauce

Sweet and sour mock chicken

Buddha’s nine jewel hot pot

Buddha's Roast duck

Fried noodles with peanuts and sweet corn

Spring rolls

Seven treasure fried rice

Thai style coconut sticky rice

Red bean pancake

Find more great vegetarian recipes at

www.asm.org.au/lifestyle/recipes

Where do I start?

So you want to be a vegetarian, but where do you start? The first thing to understand that it’s no big deal! It’s not like you are going to become a skinny, unhealthy human specimen. Millions of people from all over the world are vegetarian and some cultures have been vegetarians for thousands of years. Look at India for example, where vegetarianism is still prevalent in their society even today. If you are dining at a restaurant there, you will be asked if you are veg or non-veg, which goes to show that a vast majority of the population are still vegetarian. The Indian population isn’t exactly emaciated, some of them are even a little on the voluptuous side and their health definitely benefits from a meat-free diet. Stokes, heart attacks and bowel cancer is much less common in India than in the western world where meat is consumed in huge proportions.

Many Asian countries have also followed a vegetarian diet for centuries. There are literally millions of Buddhists in the world today who are vegetarians and they are shining examples of the wonderful health benefits that vegetarianism brings. When you look at that lovely, round, glowing Buddhist faces, you see a healthy vitality and skin to die for that remains youthful well into old age.

So we only need to look at some prominent examples of vegetarians from around the world to see that they have been living happily and healthily without meat for a long, long time. To access some great vegetarian recipes check out the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga website at www.asm.org.au

Gayatri

What about calcium, B12 and Zinc?

Here are three more questions that are very commonly asked by people ready to make the change to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Where will I get my Calcium?

This is not a worry at all on a lacto-vegetarian diet as good sources are found in dairy products, tofu processed with calcium sulfate, and in green leafy vegetables.

Where will I get my B12?

Vitamin B12 is only required in very small proportions and is stored in the body for years. The only type of vegetarian who will need to supplement their diet with a B12 supplement are vegans, who do not consume any animal product at all including dairy products. As for lacto-vegetarians, good sources of B12 are found in dairy products. Only 1-2 glasses of milk will supply the body with more than enough B12.

Fermented soy products, for example tempeh and miso may contain some B12, but due to different processing techniques, it is an unreliable source of B12.

Where will I get my Zinc?

This is not a problem for someone on a healthy vegetarian diet. Good sources of zinc are found in nuts and seeds, wholegrains, lentils, chickpeas, whole milk and yoghurt.

If you have more questions regarding nutrition on a vegetarian diet, don’t hesitate to contact me or you may like to come along to one of our popular vegetarian cooking classes held at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga For information and dates check out our comprehensive website at www.asm.org.au

Gayatri

Will I get enough Iron?

Will I get enough Iron? This is another much asked question when it comes to making the change to a vegetarian lifestyle.

As one of the cooks at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga, I often get asked this question. I have been a vegetarian for well over 30 years and the only time I have every suffered from low iron levels is when I hemorrhaged after child birth and after surgery. Even during my pregnancy, my iron levels were high for a pregnant woman

Iron is found in many vegetarian foods. Good sources of iron are found in bananas, raisins, whole grains, parsley, plums, blackstrap molasses, green leafy vegetables, legumes, prunes, dried fruit, beetroot, sunflower seeds, pepitas and sea vegetables.

Some foods interfere with iron absorption and it is recommended to avoid them altogether. These are cocoa, chocolate, tea, coffee, beer and smoking.

It is good to take plenty of vitamin C, which aids the absorption of iron. Foods high in vitamin C are citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, also in strawberries, kiwifruit, watermelon, blackcurrants, papaya, tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, pinto beans, blackeyed peas, red peppers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. However, all fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of vitamin C so it certainly is no concern on a healthy vegetarian diet.

Gayatri

Instructor Australian school of meditation and yoga

How do I get my Protein?

One of the most frequently asked questions at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga Vegetarian Cooking Classes is “Am I going to get enough protein?”

This is easy to answer as all foods for the exception of fruits, fats and alcohol provide protein in varying degrees. I am sure that very few people live on a diet of only fruits, fats and alcohol. The highest source of protein for vegetarians comes from dairy products, legumes, breads, cereals, nuts, tofu and soy products. I once read an article written by a doctor in the U.S. which said that he had never come across a person in a western country who lacked protein, but it was a daily occurrence for him to treat patients who consumed too much protein.

The secret to a healthy vegetarian diet is to get a wide variety of whole foods. Make sure that you eat a good selection of vegetables, whole grain breads, nuts, cereals and of course legumes. There are so many delicious lentil dishes to choose from. Moroccan, Indian and African to name but a few, but probably one of the most popular ways to consume legumes is in the form of tofu. Tofu comes in so many varieties, soft, firm, regular soft, regular firm, fried, puffed, silken, nuggets, seasoned, the list goes on and on and on. Tofu is a great substitute for meat in many dishes and is a delicious, rich source of protein. You can find some great legume and tofu recipes at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga website asm.org.au

Gayatri

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga - Becoming a Vegetarian

At the Australian School of Meditation & Yoga, Brisbane, we offer a large variety of very popular classes as a community service. They include yoga, meditation, relaxation, stretch and relax, relaxation, as well as spiritual gatherings and chanting evenings, but probably our most popular classes of all are our vegetarian cooking classes which are held 6 times throughout the year. At these classes we teach at least 7-8 healthy, simple, delicious recipes and offer a wealth of information on healthy living and vegetarianism. These vegetarian cooking classes are conducted by volunteer staff, from Australian School of Meditation and Yoga, who are all seasoned vegetarians, and these classes attract people for all sorts of reasons. They may be looking to make the change to vegetarianism or they have a family member who has chosen to follow a meatless diet. Some people come for some new healthy recipes to add to their weekly menu and others come to enjoy the infamous buffet that is served out after the demonstration. Whatever the reason, everyone who attends is sure to leave with some great ideas for vegetarian dishes and numerous tips on becoming a vegetarian and living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Gayatri
Instructor at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga