Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
K udos go to editor Perrin Davis and editorial assistants Rachel Hinton, Leona Pitej, and Christine Swinko for their enthusiasm and superb editing skills. Many thanks to associate Pat Molden for her willingness to help whenever and wherever needed. A thank you goes to Linda Yoakam for providing the nutritional information that is so necessary for recipe development, as well as its final documentation. Im also grateful to publisher Susan Schwartz, for her encouragement in publishing the initial edition of this book, and to publisher Doug Seibold, for his support and encouragement in publishing this new fabulous fourth edition!
To my family and many friends who contribute so much to the world this cookbook is a gift to nourish you and bring you joy.
INTRODUCTION
E ATING VEGETARIAN is possibly one of Americas fastest growing food trends. Vegetarian Times Magazine reports that although 6% of the US population says they never eat meat, the most recent 2003 Vegetarian Resource Study survey confirms that 2.8% of the population is vegetarian. That translates to somewhere between 5.7 and 11.4 million people who are choosing a meatless lifestyle. Many restaurants offer vegetarian fare to meet the demand for meatless meals, and vegetarian restaurants are popping up in every city with the growth rate of alfalfa sprouts!
If you are already a vegetarian, this book will provide you with more than 1,000 delicious low-fat healthy recipes in 17 recipe categories from appetizers to desserts. If you are interested in becoming vegetarian but not quite sure how to approach the transition, this book will serve as a recipe encyclopedia to get you started! Youll also find the book helpful if you are a sometimes vegetarian who is interested in incorporating delicious meatless meals into current family meal patterns. Theres no doubt about it: new vegetable recipes are welcome in any kitchen!
There are recipes for every meal occasion, with most being appropriate for casual entertaining as well as family dining.
Spinach and Cheese Mini-Quiches or Curried Onion Croustades will start any party in tasteful style. Tuscan Bean Soup, Mediterranean Curried Stew, and Cabbage and Sauerkraut Casserole entice with a travelogue of flavors. Tempeh Fajitas, Smoked Tofu Burgers, Moo Shu Tempeh, and Oriental Loaf are a few of the creative uses of the many soy products available today. Ever-popular pasta dishes entice as well; they include Artichoke Tortellini Bake, Rice Noodle Salad, and Ziti with Gremolata. Pizzas with pizzazz include Pizza Southwest-Style, Leek and Feta Cheese Pizza with Pesto, and Tuscan Potato Pizza, which is accented with a generous sprinkling of smoked mozzarella cheese.
Sweet Potato Hash and Poached Eggs is a delicious brunch or lunch offering. Adzuki Bean Pastitsio, Asian Fried Rice, Wheat Berry Waldorf, and Bean and Pasta Salad with White Bean Dressing are tempting dishes from the bean and grain chapters. Creative salads and side dishes include Caribbean Potato Salad, Vegetable Salad with Millet, Smashed Potatoes and Greens, and Gulfport Okra. English Muffin Bread, Focaccia, or Lima Bean Wheat Bread are all perfect accompaniments to any meal. Healthful sweet endings such as low-fat Flourless Chocolate Cake, Rhubarb Streusel Cake, Rustic Fruit Tart, and Sugared Lemon Squares will have everyone scheming for second helpings!
Busy lifestyles allow precious little cooking time for many of us, so recipes are designed to get you in and out of the kitchen as quickly and effortlessly as possible. In fact, more than 500 of the recipes in this book can be prepared in 45 minutes or less! For easy identification, these recipes will have this symbol
. If the recipe requires baking, refrigeration, or freezing in addition to the actual preparation time, the symbols
and
will also appear.
To prepare the designated recipes in 45 minutes, youll want to assemble ingredients and equipment and read through the recipe to plan your preparation strategy. For example, youll want to begin cooking pasta first and prepare other ingredients while the pasta is cooking. Or, start pizza dough and proceed with the recipe while the dough is rising. To aid in strategy planning, many recipes will include a 45 Minute Preparation Tip, located at the end of the recipe.
Eating vegetarian is extremely healthy. Medical research increasingly supports the health benefits of increasing the amounts of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, breads, cereals, and pasta in our diets and limiting, if not totally eliminating, meat, poultry, fish, dairy foods, and fats. The new My Pyramid nutrition plan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests eating at least 6 servings of grains, 4 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of dairy products and 5 ounces of protein sources or their equivalents each day, along with exercise.
Its commonly thought that vegetarian cooking is high in fat, due to ingredients such as nuts, cheese, or oil that are included as meat substitutes and for flavor and nutrition. Weve proven here that vegetarian cooking can be low in fat without losing a bit of delicious flavor. To achieve optimal nutrition and low-fat percentages, we emphasize the use of fresh versus processed ingredients and use the many excellent fat-free, reduced-fat, and reduced-sodium products currently available. Flavors are fresh, with an integrity further enhanced by herbs and seasonings.
New in this edition is the Smart Carbs chapter, for those vegetarians who also are interested in wisely choosing their carbohydrates. But what is a low-carb diet? There is no standard definition. Registered dietitians recommend a minimum of 130 grams of total carbohydrate daily, which is the minimum that is required for normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Because the long-term effects of following a very low-carbohydrate diet are still unknown, we do not advocate eating fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrate daily. This is still considered low compared to the Dietary Reference Intake recommended amount of 45-65 % of total calories from carbohydrates (45% of a 2000 calorie diet is 225 grams of carbohydrate; 65% is 325 grams of carbohydrate).
For each of the recipes in this new chapter, you will find a net carbs value in the nutritional analysis. The net carbs value is based on the belief that fiber sources of carbohydrate are not absorbed by the body and therefore are calorie-free, do not affect blood sugars, and do not contribute to weight gain. Since this is the case, carbohydrates from fiber can be subtracted from the total carbohydrate count of a recipe or food. The total carbohydrates minus the fiber carbohydrates leaves the net carbs available for absorption into the body.
Although its also commonly believed that low-carb recipes are high in fat, the recipes in the Smart Carbs chapter adhere to the low-fat guidelines in this book.
In accordance with American Heart Association guidelines, very few recipes in this book exceed 30 percent calories from fat, and almost all adhere to the following nutritional criteria:
Type of Recipe Maximum Amounts per Serving
Specific nutritional information is provided for each recipe (not including variations) in this book, but remember that nutritional data are not always infallible. The nutritional analyses are derived with computer software that is highly regarded by nutritionists and dietitians, but they are intended as guidelines only. The figures are based on actual laboratory values of ingredients, so results may vary slightly depending upon the brand or manufacturer of an ingredient that are used.
