Cookbook Profile: The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

by Nava Atlas

Vegetarian Family Cookbook
There are few families who don't feel that their eating habits couldn't be improved. Headline-grabbing food stories give everyone pause, even more so where children are concerned. Ironically, even as diet-related childhood diseases are on the rise in some circles, on the flip side, ethically-minded kids and teens are going vegetarian and vegan in record numbers. In these high-stress, fast-paced times, how can parents prepare uncomplicated, healthy, yet appealing home-cooked meals that suit a variety of preferences?

In The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, author Nava Atlas offers an abundance of flexible, adaptable recipes, plus a wealth of easy ideas, menus, helpful tips and information-not to mention her unique brand of moral support. As a working parent and experienced vegetarian cookbook author (this book is her eighth), readers will feel as if she's right there in the kitchen with them. She has come up with over 275 recipes that are as delicious to eat as they are realistic to make— from kid-friendly comfort-food to more sophisticated dishes that adults and teens will love.

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook is designed for everyone, particularly those families that:

• Include one or more vegetarians or vegans
• Has children or teens who want to go vegetarian or vegan
• Is not necessarily vegetarian but wants to serve more meatless meals
• Wants to use more organic foods
• Needs easy ways to please picky eaters
• Is looking for easy ways to transition from vegetarian to vegan, and/or
• Wants the daily fare to include more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and soy foods

"What I offer you here is not persuasion," Atlas writes, "but an abundance of options, information, and resources to make healthy, delicious, meatless meals as often as possible, whether your family is vegetarian, vegan, omnivorous, or a combination." Never preachy, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook is a down-to-earth, straightforward guide to making healthier choices, including a slew of great reasons to go vegetarian (for both personal and planetary well-being), as well as reasons why choosing organic products is always best.

The recipes in The Vegetarian Family Cookbook cover a wide range-from quick and hearty breakfasts, to easy and inspired lunches-including bag lunches for the kids— on to dinners for rushed weeknights as well as more elegant entertaining. Some dishes require almost no time at all to prepare, while others require a more leisurely approach. There are savory stews and cozy casseroles, perfect for that weekend meal or to prepare for the busy week ahead; simple salads and slaws, many that can be tossed together at the last minute; and new and inventive ways to prepare vegetarian staples like whole grain pasta, tofu, beans, and vegetables. Extensive chapters on quick, healthy snacks and wholesome baked goods round out the offerings.

Getting families to eat healthier may not be as difficult as one might think. "What has stood out for me over the course of time," Atlas writes, "is that children are more open to new adventures at the table than their parents give them credit for, especially if the food is kept simple and served attractively in a warm and welcoming setting." For many of the recipes, Atlas provides ways to "Embellish it"—giving suggestions for what can be added to a recipe for bolder flavor; "Make it a Meal"—helping readers create a complete menu by referencing other recipes in the book, or "For Picky Eaters"-which removes components of a recipe with more challenging ingredients, without the cook having to prepare an entirely different meal. Most of the recipes also include vegan substitutions for eggs or dairy products.

With The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, getting a delicious, meatless dinner on the table doesn't have to be a struggle or a time-consuming process. These recipes and menus present vegetarian fare in simple and enticing ways-the stress—free solution to get even the pickiest family to eat and live well.

About the Author

Nava Atlas is the author and illustrator of several popular vegetarian cookbooks, including The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, Vegetariana, Vegetarian Express, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She has also written dozens of columns and articles on food and health-related topics for publications such as Vegetarian Times, Veggie Life, and GreatLife. Her website, In a Vegetarian Kitchen, www.vegkitchen.com, is one of the most widely visited vegetarian sites on the Internet. Nava has written about and illustrated other subjects as well and is an active fine artist. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York State with her husband and two sons.

Buy the Book!

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook
by Nava Atlas
Broadway Books
$17.95, Trade Paperback Original
ISBN: 0-7679-1396-5
Information provided by the publisher.