It's here! the new vegetarian times cookbook

We did it! We crammed 650 of our yummiest, easiest and most crowd-pleasing recipes into a gorgeous 500-page cookbook that's sure to become your newest old favorite (shameless plug, but it's true). Thoroughly updated, the 2005 Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook is available now. Packed with tips, lists and charts, this book will make vegetarian cooking a breeze--for anyone. What's to love about the contents? Plenty:

* 30-minute meals for every time-stressed cook

* An entire chapter devoted to recipes your kids will eat

* Innovative uses of soy, beans and grains

* Breakfasts you'll want to eat for dinner

* Holiday menus that take the stress out of celebrating

* Salads that scream "wow!" instead of "wimpy"

* Party favorites, pastas and pizzas

* Mail-order sources and more

Want a sneak peek? Just keep on reading ...

behind the scenes

How many people does it take to create a cookbook? Lots, we discovered: nine picky editors, four workhorse writers, two inventive recipe developers, two sleepless recipe testers, two creative designers, one tried-and-true photographer, one savvy food stylist, one patient nutritionist--and one publisher who wouldn't budge on the deadlines! A year ago, we couldn't wait to get started. Now were thrilled that it's done! (Whew.)

did you know?

Whole "wheat flour contains the wheat germ--it has more fiber and nutrients than white flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from lower-protein flour (so it's not a good choice for bread baking), but it does make tender muffins, quick breads and pancakes. Other than protein content, it doesn't differ much from regular whole wheat flour.

LOW-FAT APRICOT-PECAN MUFFINS

Makes 24 muffins

Apricots and pecans combined make
positively yummy muffins, especially
when served right out of the oven
because the pecans tasty best hot.
These muffins keep well for up to
3 days and also freeze well.

    1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped
    2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    1 cup whole wheat flour
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 Tbs. baking powder
    1 tsp. baking soda
  1/2 tsp. salt
    1 cup chopped pecans
    1 cup orange juice
    2 large eggs, beaten, or 1/2 cup egg
      substitute
  1/4 cup almond oil or canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line two 12-cup
muffin tins with baking liners, or spray
with cooking spray.

2. Pour water over apricots, and set aside
to soften. When soft, remove from water.

3. Sift flours, sugar, baking powder,
baking soda and salt into bowl. Add
pecans. Stir juice, eggs and oil into softened
apricots, Add to dry ingredients,
and mix just enough to moisten. Do not
overmix. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until beginning
to brown. Remove from oven, and
serve hot.

PER MUFFIN; 170 CAL; 3G PROT; 6G FAT (0.5G SAT.
FAT); 27G CARB; 18MG CHOL; 145MG SOD; 2G
FIBER; 12G SUGARS.

BROILED EGGPLANT STEAKS WITH GORGONZOLA CHEESE

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

Feature luscious summertime eggplants
as a light main course, and dress them
up with chopped tomatoes, sprinkles
of Gorgonzola cheese and capers.

1 1/2-lb. eggplant, cut into 8 slices
    4 Tbs. pesto
    2 large tomatoes, chopped
    4 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
    4 Tbs. capers, drained

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to broil Line baking dish
with foil, and set aside.

2. Arrange eggplant slices in dish, and
brush tops with 2 Tbs. pesto. Broil until
tops begin to brown and eggplant begins
to soften, 3-5 minutes. Turn over using
a spatula, and spread remaining pesto on
second sides. Broil about 5 minutes more.
Remove from oven.

3. To serve, arrange eggplant steaks
on individual plates, and top each with
equal amounts of tomatoes, Gorgonzola
cheese and capers. Sprinkle with pepper.

PER SERVING: 245 CAL; 10G PROT; 16G FAT (7G SAT
FAT); 17G CARB; 24MG CHOL; 773MG SOD: 6G
FIBER: 9G SUGARS

GOLDEN VEGETABLES

Serves 8

30 minutes or fewer

Yellow zucchini is also called "gold bar"
squash. Presentation is everything here.

2 large (1 lb.) yellow bell peppers
1 lb. yellow zucchini
1 lb. very small baby carrots
4 Tbs. unsalted butter or
  soy margarine
Large pinch saffron
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Pinch nutmeg

1. Put whole bell peppers upright on
cutting board, Using sharp knife, cut off
4 or 5 strips from top bottom. This
should leave top, bottom and seed core in
one piece. Remove any white membranes,
and cut strips into very thin slices about
2 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.

2. Pare skins off yellow zucchini lengthwise,
and cut into matchsticks resembling
pepper strips.

3. Peel carrots, if necessary, and cook
in boiling water until tender, about
5 minutes. Set aside.

4. To serve, heat butter in heavy-bottomed
skillet over medium heat.
Crush saffron, and add it to butter. Add
salt, pepper and nutmeg. Do not let
butter brown. Add vegetables, and cook
4 minutes, stirring gently or tossing
in skillet. Remove from heat before
peppers and zucchini wilt. Serve hot.

PER SERVING: 95 CAL; 2G PROT; 7G FAT (4G SAT.
FAT); 9G CARB; 16MG CHOL; 23MG SOD; 2G FIBER;
6G SUGARS

ICY SHERRIED LEMONADE

Serves 10 (makes 5 cups) Vegan
30 minutes or fewer

Your guests will have a hard time
what's in this refreshing drink.

1 12-oz. can frozen lemonade
  concentrate, thawed
1 qt. sherry
Crushed or shaved ice
8 fresh mint sprigs, optional

Mix lemonade concentrate with sherry,
and pour 1/2 cup over tall glass of crushed
ice. Stir well; garnish with mint sprig.

PER SERVING (1/2 CUP); 215 CAL; 0G PROT; 0G FAT
(0G SAT. FAT); 28G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 5MG SOD;
0G FIBER; 21G SUGARS

GARDEN PO' BOY

Serves 6

New Orleans folks cut crisp French bread
in half, remove some of the soft bread
center and fill that hollow with anything
good to eat. The easiest way to grill
vegetables is with a grill basket. It looks
like a square metal bowl with lots of holes
in it. This lets you to toss the vegetables
freely without having them fall in the fire.

18 jumbo asparagus stems or smaller
   asparagus
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  lengthwise
6 scallions
3 large red onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 red bell peppers, quartered
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. mashed garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black
    pepper
2 18-inch French baguettes
  or 6 submarine rolls
8 oz. Boursin cheese or herbed
  goat cheese

1. Prepare medium charcoal fire,
of preheat gas grill to medium.

2. Snap offends of asparagus.
Using vegetable basket, grill asparagus
on all sides until done. Set aside.

3. Grill carrot slices and scallions in
basket until done. When finished,
grill onion slices and bell peppers.
All vegetables should be cooked through
and lightly charred.

4. Meanwhile, mix oil, garlic, salt and
pepper in bowl. Pour over hot grilled
vegetables. Toss gently.

5. Cut bread in half lengthwise. Tear out
about one-third of interior to hollow it
slightly. Spread bottom and top with
cheese. Divide vegetables evenly on
bottom parts of bread, and drizzle with
any olive oil marinade left in bowl.

6. Place tops on loaves, and press lightly.
Cut each baguette into 3 equal sections.

PER SERVING: 555 CAL; 15G PROT; 29G FAT (12G
SAT. FAT; 65G CARB; 44MG CHOL; 964MG SOD;
9G FIBER; 14G SUGARS


BARLEY-MUSHROOM "BURGERS"

Serves 6

The batter for these "burgers" is soft,
so turn the patties carefully. As the cheese
cools, the patties firm up, Treat these
"burgers to all the trimmings: coleslaw,
pickles, sliced tomatoes and onions,
and relish and ketchup.

1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
1 large egg, well beaten
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup minced mushrooms
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook barley according to package
directions. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, combine egg, ricotta
cheese, cheddar cheese, mushrooms,
breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper.
Stir barley into egg mixture.

3. Spray large nonstick skillet of griddle
with cooking spray. When it is hot, spoon
about 1/2 cup of mixture onto hot skillet;
repeat until skillet is full, but take care
not to overcrowd. Cook until golden,
5-7 minutes each side. Using spatula.
turn "burgers" over carefully, and cook
until mixture is firm and cheese has
melted. Remove from skillet, and set
aside, Repeat until mixture is used
up. Serve.

PER SERVING: 180 CAL; 14G PROT, 9G FAT (5G SAT.
FAT); 12G CARB 62MG CHOL; 195MG SOD; 1G
FIBER; 2.5G SUGARS

LOW-CALORIE BLACK AND WHITE BROWNIES

Serves 16

This may be the best brownie you've ever
had--especially since it's low calorie!

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sucralose-type
    sweetener
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter of soy
    margarine, at room temperature
2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter
8- of 9-inch square cake pan.

2. Stir together flora; sweetener and
baking powder in bowl. Beat together
butter, eggs and vanilla in separate bowl
until butter is broken into little pieces.
Add applesauce, and stir until blended.
Fold in flour mixture until moistened.
Fold in white chocolate. Measure out
1/2 cup of mixture, and drop by spoonfuls
into prepared pan.

3. Fold cocoa powder and chocolate chips
into remaining batter. Gently spoon
chocolate batter over white batter. Batter
is thick, so smooth out surface.

4. Bake 20 minutes, of until toothpick
inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool before cutting into 1 1/2-inch squares.

PER SERVING (1 SQUARE): 125 CAL; 2G PROT; 7G FAT
(4G SAT. FAT); 14G CARB; 35MG CHOL; 65MG SOD;
1G FIBER; 6G SUGARS

LOWER-CALORIE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Makes about 60 cookies Vegan
30 minutes or fewer

These are very tender cookies, and they
break easily, so handle carefully.

1 cup creamy, well-stirred peanut
  butter, preferably all natural
1 cup apple juice concentrate,
  thawed and undiluted
1/2 cup sucralose-type sweetener
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray
2 baking sheets with cooking spray, of
line with baking parchment, and set aside,

2. Mix peanut butter, apple juice,
sweetener and vanilla until blended but
not smooth. In second bowl, whisk
together flour and baking soda, and fold
into peanut butter mixture. Stir until
thick. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons
onto baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Use fork dipped in flour to make crisscross
marks on top of each cookie.

3. Bake 12 minutes, or until light brown.
Remove from oven; cool on sheets.

PER COOKIE: 40 CAL; 1G PROT; 2G FAT (0G SAT. FAT);
5G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 50MG SOD; <1G FIBER; 0G
SUGARS

HUCKLEBERRY ORANGE ICED MILK

Serves 8 (makes 2 quarts ice milk)

Huckleberries are a close relative of
blueberries. Wild Maine blueberries
arc a perfect substitute.

2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
  or rice syrup
1 cup orange juice
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1/2 orange
2 cups fresh or frozen huckleberries
  or wild blueberries
3 cups whole milk

1. Heat sugar and orange juice in
saucepan over medium heat until boiling.
Add lemon and orange zests. Stir until
sugar is dissolved, remove from heat
and chill mixture.

2. Combine orange juice mixture, berries
and milk, pour into ice cream machine
and freeze according to manufacturer's
directions. Or pour mixture into glass
baking dish, and freeze. When frozen,
scrape into work bowl of processor
or blender, and process until smooth.
Refreeze. Process again, and freeze until
serving time.

PER SERVING: 320 CAL; 3G PROT; 3G FAT (2G SAT.
FAT); 71G CARB; 10MG CHOL; 50MG SOD; 1G
FIBER; 66G SUGARS

hot tips

A barbecue is great for infusing food with extra flavor. One you buy a small-meshed basket or screen to fit over the grilling rack, you can barbecue any number of fruits and vegetables--plus veggie burgers--without fear of losing them to the flames below. To jazz up your dinner, try flavor-enhancing woods, such as mesquite or hickory, or drop some fresh herbs into the flames and cover the grill.

Photographs by Renee Comet Food Styling by Lisa Cherkasky Props by E.F. Stewart

COPYRIGHT 2005 Vegetarian Times, Inc. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group