When it comes to vegetarian food, the key ingredient is taste. If you can't make something taste good, then everything will be bland— and vegetarian food is anything but.

 Spices and sauces are a crucial component in creating a dish that tastes great. Everyone has different preferences, so it's critical that you play with what you have to find something that really works for you.

“I think as anybody develops as a cook in their own right, they come upon things that they really like to eat with their food.” Penny Cluse Owner Charles Reeves said.

Often a great meal can be taken to the next level with merely the contents of your cupboards or fridge.

Garrett Bailey, head chef of Catering by Dale, suggested starting with a great olive oil.

"I like to have a 10 percent extra virgin olive oil-canola blend, so 90 percent canola,” Bailey said. “I also like to have a really good 100 percent first press extra virgin olive oil. It’s going have a really good fruity-nutty taste.”

Then, start experimenting with different flavor combinations.

A basic mix of spices, suggested by Reeves is, “salt, pepper, paprika and dried oregano.”

Reeves also proposed mixing your own dressing or sauce. This can help develop your flavor palate and give you a better idea of what you do and don't prefer.

“A lot of times people will have vinaigrette-style salad dressing and that can be very versatile in making vegetarian food,” Reeves said. “If you have an Asian vinaigrette with ginger and soy and rice vinegar, that’s really nice on a pasta salad with peanuts and vegetables.”

Often, though, our pantries may not be filled with the items suggested by a recipe, Reeves or Bailey. What should you stock up on?

"I think you need thyme, bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, rosemary, sage, and basil," Bailey said.

These spices can be used for a number of things, but starting with something such as a pizza might give you the sense of familiarity, and it allows you to be creative.

Mixing spices into a pre-made, simple tomato sauce can add that extra flavoring, and allows you to stay away from the extra calories or fat that might be lingering in a fuller tomato sauce.  You can also thicken the sauce with fresh vegetables.

“Add into your tomato sauce a lot of vegetables like carrots and celery, maybe some rutabaga,” Reeves instructed. “Put that on your pizza, then you can add a lot of different things to highlight the base flavors that you have. You can pan roast some cauliflower, or slowly cook some eggplant, so you get these layers of vegetables.”

Using your own sauce is another great way to create a taste-friendly tofu dish. Tofu is like a sponge; on its own the taste is bland, but will soak up whatever flavors you choose to marinate it in.

Bailey gave step-by-step instructions for an easy to do and good to eat tofu dish.

“I think you should take some very firm tofu, a clove of chopped garlic, half a cup of ponzu (citrus soy sauce), quarter cup of rice wine vinegar, then add Thai red curry, maybe a quarter of a tea spoon and swirl it into that,” he said.

“Marinate the tofu with this sauce. Take the tofu and pan sear it really hard. Make a spicy peanut sauce to go with it. Generally, a cup of peanut butter, tablespoon of red curry paste, and a can of coconut milk."

The great thing about vegetarian cooking is the versatility. If this recipe doesn't suit your taste, or you don't have some of the sauces or spices it calls for you can add in ingredients and take some out to create the meal that you are craving. Turning a seemingly boring meal into something great is only one hop, skip and spice rack away!

 

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