I have been a fan of the Cooking Light magazine for over 10 years and this cookbook is one of my favorites and probably my current most used book on my cookbook shelf (which numbers over 80 cookbooks). I was looking to add more vegetarian meals to my family's diet and this is one of the many books I purchased. Here's what I love about it:
1. Photos - This book is filled with photos. I love that - food is so visual. Most recipes have a photo of the finished dish plus special "Kitchen How-To" photos which demonstrate techniques such as the step-by-step process of cooking and assembling a frittata or the step-by-step photos of sautéing tofu cubes for a nice caramelized flavor.
2. Ease of Recipe - The recipes in this book are easy to make. The instructions are clear and the steps are straightforward. Most recipes have only 3-5 steps; these are not fussy or time-consuming meals to make. The addition of the step-by-step technique photos for most dishes makes cooking the recipes fun and stress-free. No need to guess whether you are twisting your breadsticks properly, just follow the photos!
3. Common Ingredients - I hate having to search all over town for an uncommon ingredient which may or may not make a difference to the finished dish. This book doesn't use hard to find ingredients. If you are new to vegetarianism, then some of the food listed may be new to you (such as Tempeh or Seitan) but actually can be found in your local supermarket.
4. Nutritional Information - Maybe not important to everyone but I look for this. Each recipe contains detailed nutritional information such as calories, total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, cholesterol, iron, sodium and calcium.
5. Food that Tastes Great - Of course the recipes have to work and these deliver. The recipes I've tried produce wonderful, fresh tasting food which I have made again and again! This book has a great variety of vegetarian options for whatever your mood.
There are a few things that could be improved (but don't take away from my 5 stars). Like other reviewers, I did find the odd mistake in several recipes. However, unless you really know NOTHING about cooking, I don't think these would take away from your use/enjoyment of this cookbook. I'd also prefer if the binding wasn't hardcover but was spiral bound or a binder so it would lie open on my counter.
Bottom-line: I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in adding some healthy vegetarian meals to their diet - definitely try the recipes for Polenta with Olives, Tomatoes & Feta, the Peanut Crusted Tofu Triangles, or the Chipotle Bean Burritos. Of the 20 or so books I've purchased looking for great vegetarian meals, this is my go-to book.
If you are looking for books (not vegetarian) with similar qualities to this one, I highly recommend:
1.
Cooking Light Way to Cook: The Complete Visual Guide to Everyday Cooking
2.
The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook: A New, Healthier Way to Cook Everything from America's Most Trusted Test Kitchen
3.
Betty Crocker Healthy Heart Cookbook (Betty Crocker Books)
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Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2011
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2011
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Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2011
Top reviews from other countries
Maeve J Knight
... vegetarian is a well thought out cook book with good illustrations and clear simple instructions
Reviewed in Canada on July 1, 2017