Recipes and principles of vegetarian cuisine (spanish version)

Prioritizing the consumption of seasonal products brings many benefits, including nutritional benefits: by being collected at the right point and respecting its natural cycle, they offer us the best contribution and keep all their properties intact. But not only ourOur health benefits from this respect for temporality: the less time that passes between the collection of fruits and vegetables and their arrival on our plate, the better they taste.

This implies prolonging the maturation of the food to the maximumin the plant, and only avoids its passage through refrigeration chambers, but also its transport over long distances. Both of these things improve the traceability of food, since it reduces energy consumption and pollution (emission of gases,material for packaging or warehouses, among other things).

Producing and consuming seasonal vegetables and fruits also contributes to respecting the social environment: when we buy directly in the production area, we benefit the tradelocally and indirectly we promote the activity of the small farmer.

We understand by vegetables everything that grows on land, in trees and in the sea (in the case of algae). If it seems like a boring principle, think that this equation includes everything from wild strawberries to artichokes, lime leaves andaffirm, peaches, beans, thyme, almond yogurt or coconut milk, including each and every one of the spices in the world. A festival of flavor and color that makes vegetables go from being an accompaniment to taking center stagein the dishes, and it feels good to both the body and the palate.

Foods such as seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables and grains, bread, pasta and whole grains are a great source of energy for the body.
They provide a large amount of nutrients and slow-burning carbohydrates, much mmore satisfying and beneficial for our body than any of its refined versions,
In addition, to the "white" versions that are used to prepare industrial foods, improvements are usually added that optimize their duration andprofitability, but they affect both the taste and the way we digest them. Healthy eating has come to stay in part as a contrary reaction to products high in fats, sugars and starches with which the industry bombards us.ria of the ultra-processed.

The basis of our cuisine is very close to the well-known "Mediterranean diet" that includes varied meals based on pillars of plant origin common throughout the Mediterranean area. Some of its protagonists are the olive tree, the wheat, the vine, thes vegetables and greens, legumes, nuts and spices and aromatic plants. This legacy, declared intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO, is a treasure that we want to conserve and improve, adapting it to the needs and concontemporary foundations.

In our travels around the world we have connected with the cuisine of other countries where vegetables are also very present, either for religious or cultural reasons. From all of them we have brought new preparations, spices or seasonings thatthey have become part of our menu. From the best known, such as Korean kimchi or Indian yosas : if it adds up and can be prepared with local ingredients, it is welcome.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but at a time when restaurants tend to abuse elaborate fifth-range dishes, it is not. Everything we serve at Teresa Carles is prepared in our kitchen or in our workshop, in an artisan and natural way.to the. We are committed to a cuisine that is always fresh, integral, without additives and very tasty thanks to the rich variety of seasonal ingredients that we have.

We live in a time in which there are more poultry farms and vaccines than ever and in which, in addition, the animals are not usually in the best conditions. A situation that invites us to adjust the consumption of dairy, new and other high-end foods.animal origin, and to make sure - if we consume any - that they come from farms with ethical treatment. Vegetarian food also has an ecological advantage: animal protein is much more expensive to produce than plant protein.

There are many studies that indicate that among vegetarians there are fewer cases of diseases related to diet such as obesity, hypertension, arteriosclerosis and type 2 diabetes. The vegetarian diet usually involves the consumption of lesss saturated fat, less protein, less cholesterol, less sugar, more complex carbohydrates, more antioxidants and more fiber, presenting a profile close to that recommended by nutrition experts. You will be happier, and it is possible thatYou also end up living longer, although the genetic component and external factors will also end up being part of the equation.

The expression “eat with your eyes” goes far beyond a cliché. It is proven that a properly presented dish is more attractive to the senses, and therefore more palatable. Also, with the number of colors, textures, formats- from the seed or legumes as is or roasted to their finished version- aromas and beauty in general that the plant kingdom offers, how could we not?

Science has made it clear that counting calories - an exercise that is not always easy and often frustrating - does not work, and invites us to think and eat positively, avoiding ultra-processed claims such as light or “0 calories”. The keyIt is in eating nutritious ingredients such as fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, seeds, whole grains and others that contain vitamins, minerals, slow-burning hydrates, and quality proteins and carbohydrates. Don't count calories, dolet calories count!