Vegetarianism and Middle Eastern Cuisine
Whether it’s a matter of health, religion, or just personal preference, some people don’t eat certain foods, and most restaurants today realize that people have different dietary needs. One such dietary preference is vegetarianism. Many restaurants offer one or two meatless entrees to try to appease those who don’t eat meat, but otherwise, vegetarians are stuck with salads and bread from which to choose from on a menu. Fortunately, for those who eschew meat, Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine is a great choice!
Vegetables have a prominent place in the Mediterranean diet. They are boiled or grilled, stewed or stuffed, and even cooked with rice. Leafy vegetables like cabbage, chard, and spinach are commonly used. Onions, garlic, beets, carrots, turnips, squash, okra, and tomatoes go into many Middle Eastern delicacies. Eggplant is prepared in different ways such as fried, roasted, and used in dips. Many herbs and spices like nutmeg, caraway, cumin, turmeric, parsley, and mint add flavors to the dishes. The use of legumes like chickpeas, beans, and lentils also feature prominently in this cuisine along with grains like wheat, rice, and barley. These dishes are originally made without meat – not “adapted” to be vegetarian.
Whether you are a vegetarian or not, you will find many delicious, meatless dishes on Paymon’s menu that you’ll want to try! Dips like hummus and baba ganoush, entrees including eggplant parmesan, spanakopita, a combination platter of vegetarian treats offering tabuli, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and Athens fries, several pita wraps, salads, and of course desserts like traditional baklava, tiramisu, and Greek rice pudding could make even the most avid carnivore consider adding more veggies to his or her diet.
Visit https://paymons.com/menu_cat/appetizers-soups/ to check out all of our menu items. Our traditional recipes have been bringing the authentic flavors of the Middle East and Mediterranean to the Las Vegas area for 30 years.
