Susann Geiskopf-Hadler - 15-Minute Vegetarian Recipes: 200 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

200 QUICK, EASY, AND DELICIOUS RECIPES THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE

Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay

Text 2005 by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay

First published in the USA in 2006 by
Fair Winds Press, a member of
Quayside Publishing Group
33 Commercial Street
Gloucester, MA 01930

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

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Digital edition: ISBN - 13: 978-1-59233-176-5
Hardcover edition: ISBN - 10: 1-59233-176-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Geiskopf-Hadler, Susann, 1950

15-minute vegetarian recipes: 200 quick, easy, and delicious recipes the whole family will love / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler with Mindy Toomay.

p. cm.

Summary: Vegetarian recipes that can be made in fifteen minutes or less--Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 1-59233-176-9

1. Vegetarian cookery. 2. Quick and easy cookery. I. Title: Fifteen-minute vegetarian recipes. II. Toomay, Mindy, 1951- III. Title.

TX837.G3793 2005
641.5636--dc22

2005023970

Cover design by Mary Ann Smith
Cover photograph by Allan Penn
Book design by Yee Design

Printed and bound in Canada

Is it possible to invent over 200 delicious, nutritious, and quick vegetarian dishes? After writing this book, we can answer that question with an unequivocal YES!

When we first embarked on the vegetarian path, it seemed we had a luxury of time. We set about inventing recipes based on whole, natural foodsgrains and beans, fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, soy products, organic eggs and dairy products, and a world of seasoningsgiving little consideration to how much time they would take to prepare. We were passionate cooks and enjoyed spending hours at a time in the kitchen.

But over the years, our lives became increasingly hectic. Along came careers, families, and a multitude of other commitments. Sound familiar? Busy as we were, however, we didnt want to give up the pleasures of preparing and sharing healthy home-cooked meals. Thats why all of our previous collaborative cookbooks (and this is our eleventh!) have included Almost Instant recipes that require thirty minutes or less to prepare.

But could we make great dishes in half that time? Creating this cookbook challenged our quick-cooking skills, prompting us to explore the great selection of prepackaged ingredients now available in supermarkets. We found many that offer convenience without sacrificing good nutrition or flavor.

In these pages, we share our favorite discoveries with you, including plenty of tips that can save you time and trouble in the kitchen. Best of all, we provide a wide range of innovative recipes that achieve from-scratch results in a flash.

Now its time to tie on an apron and enter the new age of quick vegetarian cooking.

Even if you have only fifteen minutes to spend on meal preparation, you dont have to settle for a microwaved frozen dinner. With a little planning, some savvy shopping, and slight adjustments to your kitchen habits, you can turn out fresh and delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner disheseven luscious dessertsin mere minutes.

This chapter provides some tidbits of information that can help you become a happy and successful 15-minute cook.

Fifteen minutes may not seem like a long time, but its amazing what you can accomplish if you start with a well-stocked pantry and a great recipe. Heres whats included in our 15-minute preparation time:

Dicing or mincing ingredients as called for in the recipe

Measuring all ingredients

Boiling water for cooking pasta or other purposes

Preheating the broiler or gas grill

Toasting nuts and seeds

Garnishing and setting out finished dishes

Cooking, from start to finish!

We took the liberty of excluding the following simple and basic tasks from the 15-minute time frame:

Reading the recipe to fully grasp the cooking process before beginning

Setting out all the ingredients called for in the recipe

Setting out all necessary tools and equipment

Chilling foods and beverages that are to be served cold

Our 15-minute time frame applies to people who are familiar with the most basic cooking tools and techniques. If youre just embarking on the cooking path, it may take you a few extra mintues to prepare our recipes.

That said, this is a great book for beginners, because it will introduce you to a wide variety of cooking styles and methods as you prepare very simple recipes. And dont forget: The more you practice, the faster you get!

You dont have to move at a frantic pace to prepare a 15-minute meal. An attitude of calm efficiency should be your modus operandi. Dont stress; enjoy the process. If you try the following tips, your cooking experience will feel almost effortless.