Book Review

The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet
by Nava Atlas
Review by Cathe Olson

Nava Atlas, the queen of quick and easy vegetarian cooking, has done it again. The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet contains 250 delicious and healthful recipes that will fit into your fast-paced life.

You can enjoy soup all year round with Atlas’s recipes for hot and cold soups, like Creamy Zucchini, Leek and Potato, and Cold Curried Cucumber Soup. There are plenty of salads. Most call for bottled dressings but the other ingredients are creative, for example Cranberry Slaw is made with Shredded Coleslaw mix, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. My children especially liked the Pasta “Tuna” Salad.

For entrees, the book offers pasta dishes from around the world. Recipes for lasagna and other Italian favorites include vegan options. There are southwestern pastas made with salsa and beans, Asian versions like Lo Mein and Sesame-Soy Noodles, and an unusual but delicious Hungarian Cabbage Noodles made with cabbage and poppy seeds. There is a separate section just for soy foods with entrees like Mushroom Scrambled Tofu, Shake-and-Bake Tofu, “Chili Dogs”, and Soy Sloppy Joes. Also included are many types of pizzas and wraps suitable for both lunch and dinner.

Looking for an easy side dish? You’ll find lots of grain dishes made with brown rice, quinoa, couscous, bulgur, polenta, and seitan and bean dishes like Black-Eyed Peas with Greens and Green Chili Black Beans. Vegetable dishes include Soy Scalloped Potatoes, Curried Sweet Potatoes with Green Peas, Roasted Italian Vegetables, and Maple-Roasted Carrots. The Contemporary Creamed Spinach is delicious and vegan. The book also includes a selection of easy-to-make dips, sauces, and sandwich spreads. When you want something sweet, you’ll enjoy the fruit smoothies and desserts.

This book is not geared to the person who wants gourmet meals cooked from scratch. Because the recipes are limited to five ingredients, many dishes call for prepared products like bottled sauces, salad dressings, and precut vegetable mixes. This book is ideal for the beginning cook, someone who doesn’t like to cook, someone who just doesn’t have time to cook, and college students who have a limited budget or pantry. It offers an excellent compromise for someone who wants to eat healthful meals but still likes the convenience of prepared products.

As with all of Atlas’s books, the recipes are easy to follow and suitable for children. Not all of the dishes are vegan, but except for the egg dishes, they can be easily altered – and Atlas offers suggestions on how to do this. Also included are suggestions on stocking your pantry and menu planning. This would be a great shower gift for a newlywed or a mom-to-be. If you are a working parent, I predict this will quickly become your number one cookbook.

Order The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet Now!

Cathe is a freelance writer and the author of Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will LoveSimply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook: Whole Foods To Nourish Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women - And Their Families. She has studied vegetarian, macrobiotic, and whole foods nutrition and cookery. Cathe cooked at natural foods restaurants and delis in the San Francisco Bay and Central Coast areas of California before settling down with her husband Gary to raise a family. She works at home while caring for her daughters Aimie and Emily. Read Cathe's blog

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