Table of Contents
Other Books by Robin Robertson
Peanut Butter Planet
Apocalypse Chow! (with Jon Robertson)
Carb-Conscious Vegetarian
Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker
Vegan Planet
The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook
Pasta for All Seasons
Rice and Spice
The Sacred Kitchen (with Jon Robertson)
The Vegetarian Chili Cookbook
Some Like It Hot
The Soy Gourmet
366 Simply Delicious Dairy-Free Recipes
366 Healthful Ways to Cook Tofu and Other Meat Alternatives
Quick-Fix Vegetarian copyright 2007 by Robin Robertson. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews. For information, write Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, an Andrews McMeel Universal company, 4520 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-6374-8 ISBN-10: 0-7407-6374-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2006051016
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For Laura
acknowledgments
Many people helped make this book a reality. Much gratitude goes to my wonderful recipe testers: Janet Aaronson, Sandy Boss, Julie Bouchet-Horwitz, Kim Hammond, Clinton Hedges, Lauren Horwitz, Sarah King, Sangeeta Kumar, Linda Levy, Gina Myers, and Anna West, with a special thanks to supertester Laura Frisk, who single-handedly tested more than one-third of these recipes and to whom this book is dedicated. Many thanks to my husband, Jon Robertson, for his ongoing encouragement and assistance and to my friend Jannette Patterson for her help and support. Thanks also to my agent, Stacey Glick, of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, and to my editor, Jean Lucas, of Andrews McMeel Publishing, for their enthusiasm for this project.
introduction
People are always looking for ways to spend less time in the kitchen, and the unlimited offerings of frozen entres in our supermarkets and the ubiquity of fast-food restaurants have made it possible. As a result, however, many of us no longer cook the way we used to. At the same time, it is clear that eating healthier food is vitally important for everyone, especially those who lead busy lives.
To eat better, many people are turning to a vegetarian diet, and the good news is that cooking great vegetarian food has never been easier. Once considered a labor-intensive chore, preparing vegetarian meals can now be pared down to fit even the busiest schedule.
With Quick-Fix Vegetarian , you will no longer be limited to microwave entres and fast-food chains for an easy solution to putting dinner on the table. Whether youre a novice or a seasoned vegetarian, the recipes, tips, and ideas in this book will turn you into a quick-fix vegetarian cook in no time. You will discover the simple techniques, shortcuts, and strategies so fast food no longer has to mean junk food.
During my years as a restaurant chef, I learned how to cook smarter, not harderwhen it was my job to prepare meals for customers within ten to fifteen minutes, I learned a lot of time-saving tricks. Now that Im working at home, its important to me to prepare healthful meals each day, but I rarely have the time to spend the day in the kitchen fussing over time-consuming recipes. That doesnt mean that I toss frozen entres in the microwave or keep my local Chinese takeout on speed-dial. Ive discovered something better: good-for-you fast food that you prepare yourself, economically, and in record time. Flavorful soups, tempting salads, rich sauces, fabulous entres, and elegant dessertsall designed to get you in and out of the kitchen in thirty minutes or less.
The 150 delicious and satisfying recipes in Quick-Fix Vegetarian call for fresh produce, grains, pastas, and beans, along with healthy convenience foods and time-saving shortcuts to help you prepare tasty and nutritious meals when theres little time to cook.
At the same time, Quick-Fix Vegetarian can help you master the art of healthy and flavorful meals with new shopping and cooking strategies as well as creative tips for stress-free entertaining. The recipes contain no animal ingredients, so they are ideal to serve to vegans and those who are lactose-intolerant.
Quick-Fix Vegetarian can be an invaluable resource to both novices and longtime vegetarians, offering easy ways to integrate smart eating into your life every day and in less time than it takes to have a pizza delivered. With uncomplicated main-dish recipes such as Rapini with Orzo and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Capellini with White Bean and Green Olive Tapenade, and Five-Minute Slow-Cooker Chili, Quick-Fix Vegetarian can simplify your life and help you put great meals on the table with a minimum of time and effort.
chapter 1
a quick-fix vegetarian kitchen
To some people, a meal isnt quick unless they pick it up at a drive-through window or nuke it in the microwave. As much as theyd love to put a home-cooked meal on the table every night, they complain that theres just no time to cook. With Quick-Fix Vegetarian , the no time to cook excuse can be a thing of the past.
The recipes in this book are designed to make great-tasting vegetarian food as easy and excuse-proof as possible. Lets face it, when getting dinner on the table is faster than ordering takeout, the choice is easy. When you prepare quick-fix recipes, youre not just saving time, you also have the satisfaction of enjoying delicious home-cooked meals that are healthier and more economical than takeout.
Thats why I developed these quick-cooking recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, and desserts that take less than thirty minutes to prepare. Before delving into the recipes themselves, Id like to share some kitchen tips and time-saving strategies as well as information about the ingredients and the recipes.
A quick-fix kitchen is about more than easy-to-prepare recipes with short cooking times. Its also about keeping a pantry well stocked with meal-enhancing ingredients that can help you save preparation time, keeping a well-organized kitchen, and assembling your ingredients before beginning a recipe. Its also about incorporating strategies such as having sharp knives and other time-saving equipment, as well as menu planning and the judicious use of convenience foods, many of which are called for in the recipes in this book. For those who prefer to prepare these convenience foods at home, I provide recipes for making many of them from scratch, along with descriptions of their store-bought counterparts.
about the recipes
First, Id like to clarify what I mean by less than thirty minutes to make these recipes. That time includes both the preparation and the cooking, although it doesnt include the time it takes to gather your equipment and ingredients or to wash your produce.