Restaurant launches an eat less meat menu
The transition to a vegetarian is one that Kenyans find hard to fathom especially because of their love for nyama choma. Kenyans consume at least three types of meat per week which scientists say greatly contributes to the escalating climate crisis. The World Animal Protection launched the #EatLessMeat campaign earlier this month at Inca Restaurant in the Social House to raise awareness about the negative impacts of meat production and promote healthy and sustainable eating habits for the good of animals, people and the planet. Apart from the educational presentation by experts, those present were treated to a vegetarian meal prepared by Jasmine Mungai better known by her Instagram profile, @cookingwithjaz, where she has over 60 thousand followers. The chef-cum-author of cookbooks ‘Breakfast with the King’ and ‘Joyful’ displayed an array of colourful, healthy vegetarian food that most were eager to try and at the same time skeptical to ingest. The variety ranged from vegetable pilau rice and couscous which is made out of semolina wheat. For protein, chickpea stew and vegan meatballs were served in savoury sauces. The ‘meatballs’ were a crowd favourite as the beef was substituted with lentils and made flavourful. The vegetable burger did the same especially since the patty between the bread buns looked like meat but once you bite, the texture was totally different. The star of the show, however, was the pesto penne pasta which was being made on order in an open setup so that people could watch their pasta bring fried to perfection. The dish is of Italian origin and is mainly made with pesto sauce which is a mix of pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese and basil which gives the dish a distinctive, rich green colour. When served hot, the parmesan cheese melts with the pasta and comes together to give a sapid taste. Another meal that was enjoyable for cheese fans like me was the zucchini lasagna. Using the vegetable instead of beef made it feel like there was something missing but it was cooked to perfection. For dessert, we were spoilt for choice with three different options. The cacao brownie was a perfect blend of sweet and bitter and crunchy because of the nuts. Cacao tastes like dark chocolate and is the raw unprocessed form of cocoa, making it a healthier alternative. The other sweeter option was the tres leches cake which is a light sponge cake made from condensed, evaporated and whole milk. It melted easily in the mouth and was a perfect choice especially if you were already full. Lastly, there were fruit skewers dipped in passion shots for those who preferred a simple dessert option. It was simple but also refreshing. [email protected]