veggiessima

I'm not a fan of naming a plant based dish “a version of a popular traditional dish” as in **vegan** mac & cheese or **plant based** mac & cheese for example.

I think it creates a lot of expectation that the vegan version or the plant based version will taste like the traditional version and will have the exact same texture as the original version. I'm not saying achieving that is not possible, but inevitably, people will try the “version” expecting to find that dish they are used to and will feel disappointed a number of times.

Even though I do sometimes use the traditional names, I much rather name my dishes something different, like chipotle butternut pasta bake. Even though this dish looks like a mac & cheese dish, honestly it doesn't really taste exactly like cheese despite resembling it. Chipotle butternut pasta bake will send the correct message, that this is a creamy pasta dish. Period. No assumptions of a cheesy flavor.

The idea of a whole food plant based diet to me is to replace processed dishes with wholesome and more nutritious options, but that doesn't mean we need to replace the flavors we're used to with the exact same flavor. It's more about experimenting and being open to learning new flavor possibilities.

I'm not a fan of the store bought veggie burgers for example. Especially the ones that claim to mimic the regular burger experience. The great majority, if not all of them, are made with heavily processed ingredients and are not necessarily a healthier option than a traditional burger. I'm not considering the ethical aspect of choosing a vegan/veggie burger, I'm comparing the healthy aspect, and from a healthy perspective, depending on the quality of the traditional burger, the plant based option may be a poor replacement choice.

**Reading labels before choosing what to buy is very eye opening.**

Nomenclature aside, let's talk about this chipotle butternut pasta dish! It's very easy to make and adds some nutrient density to the pasta due to a very wholesome sauce made with roasted butternut squash and white beans.

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