Veggie treat for carnivores

OLD jokes about vegetarian food being boring, tasteless and overflowing with lentils were long ago booted into touch as top chefs began turning out dishes so mouth-wateringly delicious even ardent carnivores were converted.

Vegetarian choices now hold their own on restaurant menus as diners who might not necessarily want to `turn veggie' opt for them as tasty way of getting an essential dose of their five-a-day.

Experimenting with veggie cuisine is even easier in March as it's Veggie Month - a time when you are encouraged to find out more about the many benefits of switching to a meat-free diet.

To mark the meat-free month, Franco Bellomusto, executive chef at award-winning restaurant San Carlo, in King Street, Manchester, has created two simple, tasty dishes.

One of his favourites is the celebrated Sicilian pasta dish, Maccheroni Rigati Alla Siciliana; in Italy it is known as `Norma' and is traditionally served at family gatherings.

Ingredients include garlic, aubergines, tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and pecorino cheese.

Salad

The second dish is marinata di legumi alla griglia - a classic salad containing aubergines, mozzarella, courgettes, peppers and rocket salad marinated in olive oil, fresh mint, fresh chilli and garlic.

The health benefits of a meat-free diet are well known and these ingredients are especially good for you.

Aubergines and tomatoes are excellent anti-oxidants and contain different minerals.

They effectively mop up harmful toxins and carcinogenics and stop them being deposited so they can then be moved out the body.

Peppers are a good source of beta-carotene, which our bodies turn into vitamin A and is important for vision at night.

The calcium in mozzarella and pecorino cheese helps to keep bones and teeth healthy.

They also contain Vitamin B12, which processes folic acid and is good for the nervous system. Garlic lowers cholesterol and is a natural antibiotic so helps the immune system.

Olive oil is a good source of unsaturated fat as it helps the body to absorb some vitamins, it is also a good source of energy and essential fatty acid, which the body can't make itself.

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk