Since 2010, Jeroen Meus’ “Daily Cost” usually consisted of a classic piece of meat, fries and a lot of butter. Now he surprises with ‘Groentekost’, a completely vegetarian cookbook. “However, vegetable dishes have been among my recipes since the first week,” Meus says. “From vegetable stoemp to mushroom and cheese croquettes, it’s not that difficult.” HLN Food spoke with the chef and shares three exclusive recipes from the book.
Do you notice a change in the role of vegetables in your recipes today compared to your early years?
“Yes, times have certainly changed. Also, if you look at my first cookbooks, they are completely different from the ones I’ve published in the last five years. Maybe it’s also time to see if once a week is enough for vegetarian inspiration. I also notice the difference in myself. While I may be very fond of a nice piece of game, a hearty piece of fish, or a delicious sausage with white cabbage, we are eating more and more vegetarians at home. I haven’t eaten a steak this week and honestly: I don’t miss it either. Although I don’t want to make a statement with it. I made a vegetarian book because I have a lot of tasty recipes and I enjoyed it ”.
Is it more difficult to cook with many vegetables in Belgian cuisine?
“Our kitchen has a lot to offer in terms of vegetables, but the preparations are often the same. We lack some variety. If you study it a little more, you will see kitchens in the rest of the world that are more creative with this. The beauty is that all those exotic ingredients are now also available with us. I started cooking at a time when it was still exotic to take out a piece of ginger or serve pesto with a plate ”.
For the first recipe you have immediately miso, kombu and bok choy. Not exactly the most average ingredients. Slightly more exotic than what we sometimes see in “Daily Food”.
“Now you can find miso in many supermarkets. Bok choy are small pak choi: they are there too. Kombu, a type of seaweed, can be found in Asian supermarkets or online. It is so interesting to walk into an Asian or Turkish supermarket – you will find everything there. By the way, that miso soup is something my son Georges likes to eat for breakfast. In any case at hand, because so you have some vegetables in the morning. The recipe in the book is a kind of fast food version of the Japanese original, where the broth is left to steep for longer. “
It sends a bad signal to our children that we teach them that things should always be done quickly in the kitchen. Food preparation is part of the evening ritual
Many recipes in the book are less “quick”. With a ravioli recipe you write that “it requires a heavy pot, but with a surprising result”. Does it take more effort to cook vegetarian?
“What really drives me crazy is that cooking should always be quick and easy. It is not needed. Cooking is fun and enjoyable. It sends a bad signal to our children that we teach them that things should always be done quickly in the kitchen. Food preparation is part of the evening ritual. I myself have always known that there was a smell of food in the house, both with my mother and with my father. I don’t think it’s my job to make things easy for people. (laughs) “
Do you think the recipes of “Vegetables” will convince people so attached to their piece of meat to try vegetarian cuisine, do you think?
“I don’t know if I can do it, but I really want to try it. With mushroom and cheese croquettes or oyster mushroom pasta pesto, it is already very accessible. In the end, you can be a lot more creative with vegetables than with bratwurst. For those who prefer traditional dishes, I recommend the escarole rolls with salsify. And yes, it’s actually a bit of work to clean up the salsify, but it’s really cool to do! And vegetables are delicious comfort food. Also great is the vegetable burger with mushrooms and beans: with that you have a lot of veggies. It is actually a big one pottage with a layer of cornstarch around it and a classic mushroom and bean sauce on the side. Nothing exotic. “
I really like all kinds of vegetables. And this was the case as a little man
Are you a fan of all vegetables or did you have to grow them yourself?
“I really like everything from vegetables. And this was the case as a little man. I may have struggled with Brussels sprouts and chicory for a while, but that’s normal. Your brain associates a bitter taste with poison, it has yet to learn that those veggies are okay.
We are now in late autumn. Is there a vegetable we can pay a little more attention to this season?
“The classic of course: the pumpkin. You can do a lot more with it than make soup. Try ravioli, a salad, baked pumpkin or gnocchi with pumpkin and sage. I often work with Hokkaido squash or butternut because they are manageable in size. In my garden I have some that are the size of a wagon wheel. You better make a soup out of it. You can also make red cabbage very differently than sausage and chips. In gyoza, for example, those are Japanese dumplings or dumplings of dough – I love it. My son was with me during my photo shoot and he loved them too. So that dish is associated with a good memory: and that’s what it’s all about in the end. It is not about the photo or the appearance of a dish, but about the fact that the food is tasty, that it is well prepared and that you can share it with each other. “
‘Groentekost’ by Jeroen Meus will be in stores on October 26 and will be published by the Manteau publishing house.
Do you want to try a delicious meat dish from Jeroen Meus? Check out his stew box here.
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