The Easy Vegetarian Kitchen 50 Classic Recipes with Seasonal Variations for Hundreds of Fast, Delicious Plant-Based Meals

195 Pages·2014·52.97 MB·English

by  Erin Alderson

t h e
Easy
VVV eee ggg eee ttt aaa rrr iii aaa nnn
K i t c h e n
50 Classic Recipes with Seasonal Variations
for Hundreds of Fast, Delicious Plant-Based Meals
Erin Alderson
42306 - Easy Vegetarian Kitchen_001-077.indd 1 12/9/14 12:23 PM
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© 2015 Fair Winds Press
First published in the USA in 2015 by
Fair Winds Press, a member of
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
100 Cummings Center
TToo mmyy ppaarreennttss ffoorr aallwwaayyss eennccoouurraaggiinngg mmee ttoo ttrryy ssoommeetthhiinngg nneeww..
Suite 406-L
Beverly, MA 01915-6101
www.fairwindspress.com
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.
19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN: 978-1-59233-658-6
Digital edition published in 2015
eISBN: 978-1-62788-284-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
Book and cover design by Kathie Alexander
Page layout by tabula rasa graphic design
Photography by Erin Alderson
Printed and bound in China
The information in this book is for educational purposes only.
It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or
medical practitioner. Please see your health care provider
before beginning any new health program.
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© 2015 Fair Winds Press
First published in the USA in 2015 by
Fair Winds Press, a member of
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
100 Cummings Center
TToo mmyy ppaarreennttss ffoorr aallwwaayyss eennccoouurraaggiinngg mmee ttoo ttrryy ssoommeetthhiinngg nneeww..
Suite 406-L
Beverly, MA 01915-6101
www.fairwindspress.com
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.
19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN: 978-1-59233-658-6
Digital edition published in 2015
eISBN: 978-1-62788-284-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
Book and cover design by Kathie Alexander
Page layout by tabula rasa graphic design
Photography by Erin Alderson
Printed and bound in China
The information in this book is for educational purposes only.
It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or
medical practitioner. Please see your health care provider
before beginning any new health program.
4422330066 -- EEaassyy VVeeggeettaarriiaann KKiittcchheenn__000011--007777..iinndddd 22 1122//99//1144 1122::2136 PPMM 4422330066 -- EEaassyy VVeeggeettaarriiaann KKiittcchheenn__000011--007777..iinndddd 33 1122//99//1144 1122::2136 PPMM
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Contents
Introduction 6
Stocking the Pantry 9
Breakfast
Oatmeal 14 | Frittata 17 | Muffins 21 | Breakfast Parfait 24 | Waffles and Toppings 27
Omelet 30 | Scones 34 | Porridge 37 | Quiche 40 | Dutch Baby 43
Lunch/Light Dinners
Soba Noodle Bowl 48 | Grilled Cheese 51 | Panzanella Salad 54 | Polenta 57
Quesadillas 61 | Egg Skillet 64 | Fried Rice Bowl 67 | Loaded Potatoes 70
Grain Salad 73 | Lentil Stew 76
Appetizers/Small Plates
Potstickers 80 | Hummus 84 | Salsa 87 | Crostini 90 | Spring Rolls 93
Savory Turnovers 96 | Bruschetta 100 | Vegetable Skewers 103
Baked Cheese and Chutney 106 | Flatbread 109
Dinner
Pizza 114 | Homemade Ravioli 118 | Tacos 122 | Stuffed Peppers 125 | Lasagna 128
Burgers 133 | Mac and Cheese 136 | Risotto 140 | Savory Galette 143 | Enchiladas 146
Desserts
Sorbet 152 | Fresh Fruit Crisp 155 | Cupcakes 158 | Fruit Compote 161
Baked Cream Tart 164 | Crepes 168 | Fresh Fruit Galette 172 | Pudding 176
Cake 179 | Bread Pudding 182
Appendix 186 | Acknowledgments 187 | About the Author 187 | Index 188
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Contents
Introduction 6
Stocking the Pantry 9
Breakfast
Oatmeal 14 | Frittata 17 | Muffins 21 | Breakfast Parfait 24 | Waffles and Toppings 27
Omelet 30 | Scones 34 | Porridge 37 | Quiche 40 | Dutch Baby 43
Lunch/Light Dinners
Soba Noodle Bowl 48 | Grilled Cheese 51 | Panzanella Salad 54 | Polenta 57
Quesadillas 61 | Egg Skillet 64 | Fried Rice Bowl 67 | Loaded Potatoes 70
Grain Salad 73 | Lentil Stew 76
Appetizers/Small Plates
Potstickers 80 | Hummus 84 | Salsa 87 | Crostini 90 | Spring Rolls 93
Savory Turnovers 96 | Bruschetta 100 | Vegetable Skewers 103
Baked Cheese and Chutney 106 | Flatbread 109
Dinner
Pizza 114 | Homemade Ravioli 118 | Tacos 122 | Stuffed Peppers 125 | Lasagna 128
Burgers 133 | Mac and Cheese 136 | Risotto 140 | Savory Galette 143 | Enchiladas 146
Desserts
Sorbet 152 | Fresh Fruit Crisp 155 | Cupcakes 158 | Fruit Compote 161
Baked Cream Tart 164 | Crepes 168 | Fresh Fruit Galette 172 | Pudding 176
Cake 179 | Bread Pudding 182
Appendix 186 | Acknowledgments 187 | About the Author 187 | Index 188
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Introduction
AA ffeeww yyeeaarrss aaggoo,, oonn aa ccoolldd JJaannuuaarryy ddaayy iinn ssnnooww--ccoovveerreedd IIlllliinnooiiss,, II bbeeggaann ddrreeaammiinngg aabboouutt ffrreesshh pprroodduuccee.. II’’dd hhaadd YYoouu’’llll aallssoo ffiinndd tthhaatt tthheessee rreecciippeess aarree eeaassyy ttoo aaddaapptt.. EEaacchh bbaassee because it was quick and easy. And my eating habits didn’t
eennoouugghh ooff wwiinntteerr,, aanndd lloonnggeedd ffoorr sspprriinngg——aanndd wwiitthh iitt,, tthhee rreettuurrnn ooff tthhee ffaarrmmeerrss’’ mmaarrkkeett.. II hhaadd ggrraanndd ppllaannss ffoorr rreecciippee iiss ffoolllloowweedd bbyy ffoouurr sseeaassoonnaall vvaarriiaattiioonnss tthhaatt aarree iinnssppiirreedd change until my family and I got a serious wake-up call.
hhiigghhlliigghhttiinngg sseeaassoonnaall pprroodduuccee oonn mmyy wweebbssiittee,, nnaattuurraallllyyeellllaa..ccoomm,, aanndd wwiitthh tthhoossee ggrraanndd ppllaannss ccaammee rreesseeaarrcchh iinnttoo bbyy tthhee pprroodduuccee ((aanndd tthhee ffllaavvoorrss)) aatt tthhaatt ttiimmee ooff yyeeaarr.. AAnndd tthhaatt
I was in my early twenties, and my father and I were playing in
mmeeaannss yyoouu ggeett ffoouurr ffoorr tthhee pprriiccee ooff oonnee,, ssoo ttoo ssppeeaakk.. OOnnccee yyoouu
llooccaall pprroodduuccee.. II hhaadd ffrreeqquueenntteedd tthhee ffaarrmmeerrss’’ mmaarrkkeett eevveerryy ssuummmmeerr,, cchhaattttiinngg wwiitthh tthhee ffaarrmmeerrss aanndd lleeaarrnniinngg pplleennttyy,,
an ice hockey game. As he headed to the bench, I noticed that
ffeeeell ccoonnffiiddeenntt wwiitthh oonnee rreecciippee,, iitt’’ss ssiimmppllee ttoo mmaakkee ffoouurr ootthheerr
bbuutt II ssttiillll ffeelltt lliikkee II wwaass mmiissssiinngg oouutt oonn ssoommeetthhiinngg.. AAtt tthhee ttiimmee,, mmyy hhuussbbaanndd aanndd II wweerree mmoovviinngg aarroouunndd ssoo mmuucchh
he was short of breath. Turns out he wasn’t just fatigued: that
ddeelliicciioouuss vveerrssiioonnss ooff iitt.. AAnndd yyoouu’’llll bbee aabbllee ttoo ccoommee uupp wwiitthh yyoouurr
tthhaatt II ccoouullddnn’’tt hhaavvee aa ggaarrddeenn ooff mmyy oowwnn,, bbuutt II kknneeww II wwaanntteedd ttoo lleeaarrnn mmoorree aabboouutt hhooww——aanndd wwhheerree——mmyy ffoooodd wwaass shortness of breath turned into a heart attack, which led to a
oowwnn ttaakkeess oonn tthhee bbaassee rreecciippeess,, ddeeppeennddiinngg oonn tthhee iinnggrreeddiieennttss
bbeeiinngg ggrroowwnn.. quadruple bypass. My dad’s illness was an eye-opening
yyoouu hhaavvee oonn hhaanndd.. GGoott oonnllyy ttwwoo ooff tthhee tthhrreeee pprroodduuccee iitteemmss aa
experience for all of us because unless we made some
rreecciippee ccaallllss ffoorr?? ((II’’vvee bbeeeenn tthheerree!!)) NNoo pprroobblleemm.. YYoouu’’llll bbee aabbllee ttoo
Finally, I stumbled upon a local Community Supported cchhaannggeedd aass aa rreessuulltt ooff tthhiiss ttrraannssiittiioonn.. YYoouu kknnooww tthhoossee wweeeekkddaayy significant changes (and fast), our unhealthy eating habits
aaddaapptt tthhee bbaassee rreecciippeess ttoo ffiitt wwhhaatteevveerr’’ss iinn yyoouurr ffrriiddggee..
Agriculture (CSA) program. It was a “u-pick” farm, which meant nniigghhttss wwhheenn yyoouu’’rree ccoonnvviinncceedd tthheerree’’ss nnootthhiinngg iinn tthhee hhoouussee ffoorr were going to lead to health problems for the entire family.
that each week I headed out to the farm to connect with the ddiinnnneerr?? WWeellll,, ffoorr uuss,, tthheeyy bbeeccaammee aa tthhiinngg ooff tthhee ppaasstt,, bbeeccaauussee FFiinnaallllyy,, pplleeaassee ddoonn’’tt aassssuummee tthhaatt eevveerryy ssiinnggllee iinnggrreeddiieenntt nneeeeddss
From that point forward, I began to weed out the overly
food that eventually made its way onto my plate. I made the II’’dd bbeeccoommee aa ddaabb hhaanndd aatt mmaakkiinngg aa ssaattiissffyyiinngg mmeeaall bbyy ttoossssiinngg ttoo bbee hhoommeemmaaddee.. II ttrryy ttoo mmaakkee tthhiinnggss ffrroomm ssccrraattcchh wwhheenneevveerr II
processed foods I’d relied on for so long, and started creating
trip every single week, rain or shine, because I enjoyed that ttooggeetthheerr jjuusstt aa ffeeww ssiimmppllee,, ffrreesshh iinnggrreeddiieennttss——nnoo rreecciippee ccaann,, bbuutt tthhee ttrruutthh iiss,, wwiitthh lloonngg wwoorrkkddaayyss aanndd bbuussyy sscchheedduulleess,,
well-balanced meals. Over time, I also—slowly—became
connection so much. Being able to pick my own produce and nneeeeddeedd.. II ffeelltt ssoo lliibbeerraatteedd,, bbeeccaauussee iitt mmeeaanntt wwee wweerree mmuucchh tthhaatt’’ss nnoott aallwwaayyss ppoossssiibbllee.. SSoo II cchheeaatt aa lliittttllee,, aanndd yyoouu ccaann,, ttoooo..
vegetarian. It was a natural, organic transition: I loved
understand its growth cycles was, and still is, an incredibly lleessss ddeeppeennddeenntt oonn pprroocceesssseedd ffooooddss aanndd eeaattiinngg oouutt.. FFoorr iinnssttaannccee,, iiff mmyy hhuussbbaanndd aanndd II aarree ccrraavviinngg ppiizzzzaa aafftteerr aann
focusing on whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, balanced
rewarding experience. eexxhhaauussttiinngg ddaayy,, II’’llll uussee pprreemmaaddee ddoouugghh ffrroomm aa ssuuppeerrmmaarrkkeett oorr
LLiivviinngg iinn tthhee rruurraall MMiiddwweesstt ttaauugghhtt mmee aa lloott aabboouutt tthhee ccyyccllee ooff with a healthy portion of fruits and vegetables. It wasn’t easy
oouurr llooccaall ppiizzzzaa ppllaaccee.. II’’vvee aallssoo bbeeeenn kknnoowwnn ttoo ppiicckk uupp ssttoorree--
Of course, joining a CSA meant a regular supply of fruits and ggrroowwiinngg ffoooodd.. FFrroomm aann eeaarrllyy aaggee,, II kknneeww tthhaatt rrhhuubbaarrbb wwaass aa at first, and for a while I missed my old fast-food favorites, but
bboouugghhtt ppuummppkkiinn ppuurrééee oorr ccoorrnn ttoorrttiillllaass iinn aa ppiinncchh.. AAfftteerr aallll,,
vegetables, and I realized right away that I needed to change sspprriinnggttiimmee ttrreeaatt,, wwhhiillee ttoommaattooeess wweerree oonnllyy rreeaallllyy ggoooodd dduurriinngg as time passed, I actually found myself craving the wholesome
wwee’’rree oonnllyy hhuummaann!!
my approach to cooking. Until then, I’d just research recipes tthhee mmoonntthhss ooff JJuullyy,, AAuugguusstt,, aanndd SSeepptteemmbbeerr.. AAnndd nnooww tthhaatt II meals I was already making.
that piqued my interest, and base a week of meals around lliivvee iinn CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa,, II rraarreellyy eeaatt mmuucchh oouutt--ooff--sseeaassoonn pprroodduuccee aatt AAllssoo,, tthhee rreecciippeess iinn tthhiiss bbooookk aarree vveerryy iinnddiiccaattiivvee ooff mmyy ppeerrssoonnaall
And the final step in my transition to being vegetarian came
those recipes. But after I became part of a CSA, I stopped aallll——tthhee ffrreesshh ttaassttee ooff iinn--sseeaassoonn ffrruuiittss aanndd vveeggeettaabblleess iiss jjuusstt ssttyyllee.. TThheeyy’’rree eeaassyy vveeggeettaarriiaann rreecciippeess tthhaatt ssoommeettiimmeess aarree aallssoo
when I joined a CSA, as my cooking became more and more
basing my meal plans around single recipes, and shifted my ttoooo ggoooodd.. TThhaatt’’ss wwhhyy tthhiiss bbooookk pprroovviiddeess sseeaassoonnaall aaddaappttaattiioonnss nnaattuurraallllyy vveeggaann aanndd//oorr gglluutteenn--ffrreeee.. MMaannyy ooff tthheemm ccaann bbee
about showcasing fresh, seasonal produce. That’s what really
focus to working with the produce I picked that week at the ooff ssttaappllee rreecciippeess——aalltthhoouugghh tthhee ttrruutthh iiss,, tthheessee mmeeaallss ccoouulldd wwhhiippppeedd uupp aatt aa mmoommeenntt’’ss nnoottiiccee,, aanndd——eevveenn bbeetttteerr——yyoouu’’llll bbee
inspired the recipes in this book, as well as the ones on my
farm. To be honest, I wasn’t terribly creative at first, but after eeaassiillyy bbee mmaaddee aatt aannyy ttiimmee ooff yyeeaarr.. aabbllee ttoo rreedduuccee yyoouurr ffoooodd wwaassttee bbeeccaauussee yyoouu’’llll aallwwaayyss hhaavvee
website. Both of them share a goal: to introduce you and your
a little time and practice, challenging myself to come up with wwaayyss ttoo uussee tthhoossee bbiittss aanndd ppiieecceess tthhaatt mmiigghhtt’’vvee lliinnggeerreedd iinn tthhee
family to the possibilities of vegetarian meals, whether you
new recipes and meals became fun and exciting. I began bbaacckk ooff tthhee ffrriiddggee ffoorr aann eexxttrraa ddaayy.. MMyy hhooppee iiss tthhaatt tthhiiss bbooookk
WWhhaatt IIss ““EEaassyy VVeeggeettaarriiaann””?? want to dive straight into becoming vegetarian or whether
digging into unusual flavor combinations, learning how to wwiillll pprroovviiddee yyoouu wwiitthh aa rreeffeerreennccee ooff ddeelliicciioouuss,, rreelliiaabbllee rreecciippeess
you’re just looking for a few plant-based meals to add to your
bring out the best in each type of produce. SSoo wwhheerree ddooeess tthhee ““eeaassyy”” iinn tthhee ttiittllee TThhee EEaassyy VVeeggeettaarriiaann yyoouu ccaann mmaakkee tthhrroouugghhoouutt tthhee sseeaassoonnss..
weekly routine.
KKiittcchheenn ccoommee iinn?? II’’llll bbee hhoonneesstt wwiitthh yyoouu:: wwhheenn II ffiirrsstt ssttaarrtteedd
This philosophy has completely reshaped the way I cook.
ccooookkiinngg,, II llaauugghheedd aatt aannyyoonnee wwhhoo ssaaiidd aannyy aassppeecctt ooff iitt wwaass
Being an easy vegetarian is simply about eating consistently in
Today, I pay far less attention to individual recipes; instead, I TTrraannssiittiioonniinngg ttoo HHeeaalltthh
““eeaassyy..”” FFoorr mmee,, ooff ccoouurrssee,, eevveerryytthhiinngg wwaass hhaarrdd:: II wwaass lleeaarrnniinngg.. II a plant-based way for good health. And it’s about more than
adapt basic staple recipes to suit the fresh ingredients I have
hhaadd mmoorree ffaaiillss iinn tthhee kkiittcchheenn tthhaann II ccaarree ttoo ccoouunntt,, bbuutt II ssttuucckk BBeeiinngg vveeggeettaarriiaann hhaassnn’’tt aallwwaayyss bbeeeenn aa wwaayy ooff lliiffee ffoorr mmee.. IInn
just eating healthfully—it’s my hope that these recipes, in their
on hand. (I use the term recipes lightly because, for a few
wwiitthh iitt,, aanndd bbeeggaann ttoo mmaasstteerr tthhee bbaassiiccss.. UUllttiimmaatteellyy,, ““eeaassyy”” iiss aa ffaacctt,, ffoorr aa ggoooodd cchhuunnkk ooff mmyy lliiffee,, tthhee wwoorrddss wwhhoollee ffooooddss aanndd
focus on seasonal produce, will help you feel more connected
years, a lot of the recipes in this book weren’t even written
rreellaattiivvee tteerrmm,, aanndd wwhhaatt’’ss ssiimmppllee ffoorr oonnee ppeerrssoonn mmaayy bbee mmoorree uunnpprroocceesssseedd wweerreenn’’tt eevveenn ppaarrtt ooff mmyy vvooccaabbuullaarryy.. II ggrreeww uupp iinn aa
to the food that’s on your plate.
down! I simply relied on basic measurements that I knew by
cchhaalllleennggiinngg ffoorr aannootthheerr.. KKeeeeppiinngg tthhaatt iinn mmiinndd,, II’’vvee ddoonnee mmyy ttyyppiiccaall mmiiddddllee--ccllaassss ffaammiillyy.. WWee wweerree aallwwaayyss oonn tthhee ggoo,, aanndd
heart and could tweak as necessary.) And what’s more, my
bbeesstt ttoo ssttrriikkee aa bbaallaannccee bbeettwweeeenn ccrreeaattiivviittyy,, ssiimmpplliicciittyy,, aanndd tthhaatt mmeeaanntt wwee aattee pplleennttyy ooff pprreeppaacckkaaggeedd aanndd ffaasstt ffoooodd,,
husband and I found that our attitudes toward food also
ttaassttee iinn tthhee rreecciippeess iinn tthhiiss bbooookk..
66 77
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Introduction
AA ffeeww yyeeaarrss aaggoo,, oonn aa ccoolldd JJaannuuaarryy ddaayy iinn ssnnooww--ccoovveerreedd IIlllliinnooiiss,, II bbeeggaann ddrreeaammiinngg aabboouutt ffrreesshh pprroodduuccee.. II’’dd hhaadd YYoouu’’llll aallssoo ffiinndd tthhaatt tthheessee rreecciippeess aarree eeaassyy ttoo aaddaapptt.. EEaacchh bbaassee because it was quick and easy. And my eating habits didn’t
eennoouugghh ooff wwiinntteerr,, aanndd lloonnggeedd ffoorr sspprriinngg——aanndd wwiitthh iitt,, tthhee rreettuurrnn ooff tthhee ffaarrmmeerrss’’ mmaarrkkeett.. II hhaadd ggrraanndd ppllaannss ffoorr rreecciippee iiss ffoolllloowweedd bbyy ffoouurr sseeaassoonnaall vvaarriiaattiioonnss tthhaatt aarree iinnssppiirreedd change until my family and I got a serious wake-up call.
hhiigghhlliigghhttiinngg sseeaassoonnaall pprroodduuccee oonn mmyy wweebbssiittee,, nnaattuurraallllyyeellllaa..ccoomm,, aanndd wwiitthh tthhoossee ggrraanndd ppllaannss ccaammee rreesseeaarrcchh iinnttoo bbyy tthhee pprroodduuccee ((aanndd tthhee ffllaavvoorrss)) aatt tthhaatt ttiimmee ooff yyeeaarr.. AAnndd tthhaatt
I was in my early twenties, and my father and I were playing in
mmeeaannss yyoouu ggeett ffoouurr ffoorr tthhee pprriiccee ooff oonnee,, ssoo ttoo ssppeeaakk.. OOnnccee yyoouu
llooccaall pprroodduuccee.. II hhaadd ffrreeqquueenntteedd tthhee ffaarrmmeerrss’’ mmaarrkkeett eevveerryy ssuummmmeerr,, cchhaattttiinngg wwiitthh tthhee ffaarrmmeerrss aanndd lleeaarrnniinngg pplleennttyy,,
an ice hockey game. As he headed to the bench, I noticed that
ffeeeell ccoonnffiiddeenntt wwiitthh oonnee rreecciippee,, iitt’’ss ssiimmppllee ttoo mmaakkee ffoouurr ootthheerr
bbuutt II ssttiillll ffeelltt lliikkee II wwaass mmiissssiinngg oouutt oonn ssoommeetthhiinngg.. AAtt tthhee ttiimmee,, mmyy hhuussbbaanndd aanndd II wweerree mmoovviinngg aarroouunndd ssoo mmuucchh
he was short of breath. Turns out he wasn’t just fatigued: that
ddeelliicciioouuss vveerrssiioonnss ooff iitt.. AAnndd yyoouu’’llll bbee aabbllee ttoo ccoommee uupp wwiitthh yyoouurr
tthhaatt II ccoouullddnn’’tt hhaavvee aa ggaarrddeenn ooff mmyy oowwnn,, bbuutt II kknneeww II wwaanntteedd ttoo lleeaarrnn mmoorree aabboouutt hhooww——aanndd wwhheerree——mmyy ffoooodd wwaass shortness of breath turned into a heart attack, which led to a
oowwnn ttaakkeess oonn tthhee bbaassee rreecciippeess,, ddeeppeennddiinngg oonn tthhee iinnggrreeddiieennttss
bbeeiinngg ggrroowwnn.. quadruple bypass. My dad’s illness was an eye-opening
yyoouu hhaavvee oonn hhaanndd.. GGoott oonnllyy ttwwoo ooff tthhee tthhrreeee pprroodduuccee iitteemmss aa
experience for all of us because unless we made some
rreecciippee ccaallllss ffoorr?? ((II’’vvee bbeeeenn tthheerree!!)) NNoo pprroobblleemm.. YYoouu’’llll bbee aabbllee ttoo
Finally, I stumbled upon a local Community Supported cchhaannggeedd aass aa rreessuulltt ooff tthhiiss ttrraannssiittiioonn.. YYoouu kknnooww tthhoossee wweeeekkddaayy significant changes (and fast), our unhealthy eating habits
aaddaapptt tthhee bbaassee rreecciippeess ttoo ffiitt wwhhaatteevveerr’’ss iinn yyoouurr ffrriiddggee..
Agriculture (CSA) program. It was a “u-pick” farm, which meant nniigghhttss wwhheenn yyoouu’’rree ccoonnvviinncceedd tthheerree’’ss nnootthhiinngg iinn tthhee hhoouussee ffoorr were going to lead to health problems for the entire family.
that each week I headed out to the farm to connect with the ddiinnnneerr?? WWeellll,, ffoorr uuss,, tthheeyy bbeeccaammee aa tthhiinngg ooff tthhee ppaasstt,, bbeeccaauussee FFiinnaallllyy,, pplleeaassee ddoonn’’tt aassssuummee tthhaatt eevveerryy ssiinnggllee iinnggrreeddiieenntt nneeeeddss
From that point forward, I began to weed out the overly
food that eventually made its way onto my plate. I made the II’’dd bbeeccoommee aa ddaabb hhaanndd aatt mmaakkiinngg aa ssaattiissffyyiinngg mmeeaall bbyy ttoossssiinngg ttoo bbee hhoommeemmaaddee.. II ttrryy ttoo mmaakkee tthhiinnggss ffrroomm ssccrraattcchh wwhheenneevveerr II
processed foods I’d relied on for so long, and started creating
trip every single week, rain or shine, because I enjoyed that ttooggeetthheerr jjuusstt aa ffeeww ssiimmppllee,, ffrreesshh iinnggrreeddiieennttss——nnoo rreecciippee ccaann,, bbuutt tthhee ttrruutthh iiss,, wwiitthh lloonngg wwoorrkkddaayyss aanndd bbuussyy sscchheedduulleess,,
well-balanced meals. Over time, I also—slowly—became
connection so much. Being able to pick my own produce and nneeeeddeedd.. II ffeelltt ssoo lliibbeerraatteedd,, bbeeccaauussee iitt mmeeaanntt wwee wweerree mmuucchh tthhaatt’’ss nnoott aallwwaayyss ppoossssiibbllee.. SSoo II cchheeaatt aa lliittttllee,, aanndd yyoouu ccaann,, ttoooo..
vegetarian. It was a natural, organic transition: I loved
understand its growth cycles was, and still is, an incredibly lleessss ddeeppeennddeenntt oonn pprroocceesssseedd ffooooddss aanndd eeaattiinngg oouutt.. FFoorr iinnssttaannccee,, iiff mmyy hhuussbbaanndd aanndd II aarree ccrraavviinngg ppiizzzzaa aafftteerr aann
focusing on whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, balanced
rewarding experience. eexxhhaauussttiinngg ddaayy,, II’’llll uussee pprreemmaaddee ddoouugghh ffrroomm aa ssuuppeerrmmaarrkkeett oorr
LLiivviinngg iinn tthhee rruurraall MMiiddwweesstt ttaauugghhtt mmee aa lloott aabboouutt tthhee ccyyccllee ooff with a healthy portion of fruits and vegetables. It wasn’t easy
oouurr llooccaall ppiizzzzaa ppllaaccee.. II’’vvee aallssoo bbeeeenn kknnoowwnn ttoo ppiicckk uupp ssttoorree--
Of course, joining a CSA meant a regular supply of fruits and ggrroowwiinngg ffoooodd.. FFrroomm aann eeaarrllyy aaggee,, II kknneeww tthhaatt rrhhuubbaarrbb wwaass aa at first, and for a while I missed my old fast-food favorites, but
bboouugghhtt ppuummppkkiinn ppuurrééee oorr ccoorrnn ttoorrttiillllaass iinn aa ppiinncchh.. AAfftteerr aallll,,
vegetables, and I realized right away that I needed to change sspprriinnggttiimmee ttrreeaatt,, wwhhiillee ttoommaattooeess wweerree oonnllyy rreeaallllyy ggoooodd dduurriinngg as time passed, I actually found myself craving the wholesome
wwee’’rree oonnllyy hhuummaann!!
my approach to cooking. Until then, I’d just research recipes tthhee mmoonntthhss ooff JJuullyy,, AAuugguusstt,, aanndd SSeepptteemmbbeerr.. AAnndd nnooww tthhaatt II meals I was already making.
that piqued my interest, and base a week of meals around lliivvee iinn CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa,, II rraarreellyy eeaatt mmuucchh oouutt--ooff--sseeaassoonn pprroodduuccee aatt AAllssoo,, tthhee rreecciippeess iinn tthhiiss bbooookk aarree vveerryy iinnddiiccaattiivvee ooff mmyy ppeerrssoonnaall
And the final step in my transition to being vegetarian came
those recipes. But after I became part of a CSA, I stopped aallll——tthhee ffrreesshh ttaassttee ooff iinn--sseeaassoonn ffrruuiittss aanndd vveeggeettaabblleess iiss jjuusstt ssttyyllee.. TThheeyy’’rree eeaassyy vveeggeettaarriiaann rreecciippeess tthhaatt ssoommeettiimmeess aarree aallssoo
when I joined a CSA, as my cooking became more and more
basing my meal plans around single recipes, and shifted my ttoooo ggoooodd.. TThhaatt’’ss wwhhyy tthhiiss bbooookk pprroovviiddeess sseeaassoonnaall aaddaappttaattiioonnss nnaattuurraallllyy vveeggaann aanndd//oorr gglluutteenn--ffrreeee.. MMaannyy ooff tthheemm ccaann bbee
about showcasing fresh, seasonal produce. That’s what really
focus to working with the produce I picked that week at the ooff ssttaappllee rreecciippeess——aalltthhoouugghh tthhee ttrruutthh iiss,, tthheessee mmeeaallss ccoouulldd wwhhiippppeedd uupp aatt aa mmoommeenntt’’ss nnoottiiccee,, aanndd——eevveenn bbeetttteerr——yyoouu’’llll bbee
inspired the recipes in this book, as well as the ones on my
farm. To be honest, I wasn’t terribly creative at first, but after eeaassiillyy bbee mmaaddee aatt aannyy ttiimmee ooff yyeeaarr.. aabbllee ttoo rreedduuccee yyoouurr ffoooodd wwaassttee bbeeccaauussee yyoouu’’llll aallwwaayyss hhaavvee
website. Both of them share a goal: to introduce you and your
a little time and practice, challenging myself to come up with wwaayyss ttoo uussee tthhoossee bbiittss aanndd ppiieecceess tthhaatt mmiigghhtt’’vvee lliinnggeerreedd iinn tthhee
family to the possibilities of vegetarian meals, whether you
new recipes and meals became fun and exciting. I began bbaacckk ooff tthhee ffrriiddggee ffoorr aann eexxttrraa ddaayy.. MMyy hhooppee iiss tthhaatt tthhiiss bbooookk
WWhhaatt IIss ““EEaassyy VVeeggeettaarriiaann””?? want to dive straight into becoming vegetarian or whether
digging into unusual flavor combinations, learning how to wwiillll pprroovviiddee yyoouu wwiitthh aa rreeffeerreennccee ooff ddeelliicciioouuss,, rreelliiaabbllee rreecciippeess
you’re just looking for a few plant-based meals to add to your
bring out the best in each type of produce. SSoo wwhheerree ddooeess tthhee ““eeaassyy”” iinn tthhee ttiittllee TThhee EEaassyy VVeeggeettaarriiaann yyoouu ccaann mmaakkee tthhrroouugghhoouutt tthhee sseeaassoonnss..
weekly routine.
KKiittcchheenn ccoommee iinn?? II’’llll bbee hhoonneesstt wwiitthh yyoouu:: wwhheenn II ffiirrsstt ssttaarrtteedd
This philosophy has completely reshaped the way I cook.
ccooookkiinngg,, II llaauugghheedd aatt aannyyoonnee wwhhoo ssaaiidd aannyy aassppeecctt ooff iitt wwaass
Being an easy vegetarian is simply about eating consistently in
Today, I pay far less attention to individual recipes; instead, I TTrraannssiittiioonniinngg ttoo HHeeaalltthh
““eeaassyy..”” FFoorr mmee,, ooff ccoouurrssee,, eevveerryytthhiinngg wwaass hhaarrdd:: II wwaass lleeaarrnniinngg.. II a plant-based way for good health. And it’s about more than
adapt basic staple recipes to suit the fresh ingredients I have
hhaadd mmoorree ffaaiillss iinn tthhee kkiittcchheenn tthhaann II ccaarree ttoo ccoouunntt,, bbuutt II ssttuucckk BBeeiinngg vveeggeettaarriiaann hhaassnn’’tt aallwwaayyss bbeeeenn aa wwaayy ooff lliiffee ffoorr mmee.. IInn
just eating healthfully—it’s my hope that these recipes, in their
on hand. (I use the term recipes lightly because, for a few
wwiitthh iitt,, aanndd bbeeggaann ttoo mmaasstteerr tthhee bbaassiiccss.. UUllttiimmaatteellyy,, ““eeaassyy”” iiss aa ffaacctt,, ffoorr aa ggoooodd cchhuunnkk ooff mmyy lliiffee,, tthhee wwoorrddss wwhhoollee ffooooddss aanndd
focus on seasonal produce, will help you feel more connected
years, a lot of the recipes in this book weren’t even written
rreellaattiivvee tteerrmm,, aanndd wwhhaatt’’ss ssiimmppllee ffoorr oonnee ppeerrssoonn mmaayy bbee mmoorree uunnpprroocceesssseedd wweerreenn’’tt eevveenn ppaarrtt ooff mmyy vvooccaabbuullaarryy.. II ggrreeww uupp iinn aa
to the food that’s on your plate.
down! I simply relied on basic measurements that I knew by
cchhaalllleennggiinngg ffoorr aannootthheerr.. KKeeeeppiinngg tthhaatt iinn mmiinndd,, II’’vvee ddoonnee mmyy ttyyppiiccaall mmiiddddllee--ccllaassss ffaammiillyy.. WWee wweerree aallwwaayyss oonn tthhee ggoo,, aanndd
heart and could tweak as necessary.) And what’s more, my
bbeesstt ttoo ssttrriikkee aa bbaallaannccee bbeettwweeeenn ccrreeaattiivviittyy,, ssiimmpplliicciittyy,, aanndd tthhaatt mmeeaanntt wwee aattee pplleennttyy ooff pprreeppaacckkaaggeedd aanndd ffaasstt ffoooodd,,
husband and I found that our attitudes toward food also
ttaassttee iinn tthhee rreecciippeess iinn tthhiiss bbooookk..
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1
Stocking the Pantry
After I joined a CSA, I started to In the following pages, I’ll take you through the items I keep
experiment with various pantry items, stocked in my kitchen. But don’t feel you need to rush out and
such as grains, legumes, nuts, and buy everything on my list. Instead, find the items you and your
family like, and use them as the building blocks for your own
seeds. And it was one of the best
meals. I usually keep a few different grains and two or three
things I ever did. Keeping a few
types of legumes on hand, and I’ll often cook a couple batches
varieties of grains and legumes
of each on the weekend to use in meals during the week.
around ensures that you’ll always
have a meal at the ready. Some of
these staples do require a bit of
prep—certain varieties of beans and
grains need to be soaked before
cooking, for example—but plenty of
others (such as lentils) can be cooked
up quickly and easily, and can help
bring a meal together in no time flat.
< Cinnamon Apples with Sorghum-Spelt Granola
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