Vegetarian Cooking For Dummies

If you thought you had to be a nutritionist to figure out a vegetarian diet, it's actually a lot simpler than you think. Eating vegetarian, in addition to being healthy and delicious, is just plain fun. Discovering new and exotic vegetables like celeriac or kohlrabi will widen your palate as well as your sense of adventure in the kitchen. Plus, vegetarian cuisine is chockfull of dishes that are robust and flavorful, and a match for any standard meat dish. And, most important of all, eating a plateful of vegetarian lasagna or pasta primavera, or any other scrumptious dish prepared vegetarian style will let you indulgewithout guilt!

With Vegetarian Cooking For Dummies, you'll get the skinny on just what lacto-ovo, lacto, and just plain vegan diets are all about and how to create nutritious meals from the rich cornucopia of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and dairy and egg substitutes that are the staple of the vegetarian menu. You'll also find out:

• How to get your full complement of protein and vitamins, including calcium, iron, C, B12, and zincand from what, often surprising, food sources
• How to successfully convert to a vegetarian diet
• How to stock up a vegetarian pantryincluding tips on where to shop, starting a kitchen garden, as well as handy weekly and monthly food lists
• Vegetarian cooking basicsincluding preparing ingredients, cooking beans and grains, handling tofu and tempeh, washing and cutting fruits and vegetables
• Simple cooking techniquesincluding baking, boiling, steaming, sautéing, and stewing
• The ins and outs of vegetarian etiquette

Not only will you become fully acquainted with the new and delicious world of meat replacements (like tofu, tempeh, seitan, textured vegetable protein, veggie burgers and franks) and egg, dairy, yogurt and cheese substitutes, you'll see how truly simple and enjoyable cooking vegetarian can be. With over delicious 100 recipes, you'll find yourself choosing among such soon-to-be favorites as:

• Smoothie snacksincluding a Caramel Apple Smoothie and a Winter Berry Smooth
• Breakfast dishesincluding Savory Mushroom Tofu Quiche, Healthy Pancakes, and French Toasties
• Delicious dipsincluding Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, and Fresh Avocado and Lime Dip
• Soups for all seasonsincluding Vegetarian Chili with Cashews and Southern Sweet Onion Soup
• Scrumptious saladsincluding Festive Broccoli Salad, Tofu Salad, and Lentil Vinaigrette Salad
• Entrees for everyoneincluding Basic Bean Burritos, Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti, Garden Pizza, and Tempeh Sloppy Joes

Full of tips on adapting traditional recipes to vegetarian style cooking, plus a spicy spin on old standbys like Home Fries, Vegetarian Cooking For Dummies lets you reinvent the vegetarian lifestyle to suit your needs and tastes. With pages of full-color photos, black-and-white how-to illustrations, and humorous cartoons along the way, this fun, informative, and upbeat guide makes every meal an exciting step in the journey toward lifelong health.

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