Highly Recommended!

Melissa Neesham

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook By Nava Atlas 338 pp. www.vegkitchen.com All too often, I buy a cookbook and try two or three recipes at the most. Although the recipes usually sound good, they are often either time-consuming or not something that the whole family would enjoy – in one word, impractical. The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas is not one of those cookbooks. Rather, here is a cookbook that I can actually use on a weekly basis. In fact, if (for some strange reason) I could keep in my possession only a few cookbooks, this would be one of them!

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook is a favorite for several reasons, one of which is it contains some recipes that I had been on the lookout for, but didn’t expect to locate in one book: Cream of broccoli soup, vegetarian pot pie, baked risotto, and dips for baked tofu, are four recipes that have been on my “to make” list, which I was delighted to discover in this cookbook. Of course there are probably versions of these recipes on the Web; however, the recipes in The Vegetarian Family Cookbook are different in that they are both tasty and healthy, and that’s what I look for. For example, the Vegetarian Family Cookbook’s version of Cream of Broccoli soup calls for pureed white beans or tofu (giving it a thick and creamy base) instead of butter and cream – a healthier version indeed.

A second reason to like this cookbook is that the recipes are for healthy meals I can cook for our toddler as he continues to grow (this is the most important reason of all) Just recently, we hosted a small party at our home and I really didn’t feel comfortable baking for the children treats that contain loads of sugar. I had just received my copy of The Vegetarian Family Cookbook a few days before the party and was pleased to find that it contains a chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses only a third of the sugar called for in most cookie recipes. The recipe also uses applesauce instead of butter (brilliant!), which meant I too could enjoy a cookie (or two) without worrying too much about the extra fat and calories. The Vegetarian Family Cookbook also features quite a few recipes using sweet potatoes, which is one of our child’s favorite vegetables. I had been running out of ways to serve them, so these recipes will certainly come in handy.

Finally, the design and layout of the cookbook is reader-friendly. With each recipe there’s a list of variations, such as, how to “embellish it” or “make it a meal,” an interesting and helpful feature of the book. Also, if you’re looking for vegan recipes, it’s not necessary to read through the entire list of ingredients, but rather just look at the top of each page where it clearly states whether or not the recipe is vegan. But all recipes have vegan options.

I consider the author of The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, Nava Atlas, a pioneer: She’s raised a vegetarian family. She knows what works, and what’s healthy, and she’s compiled it all in this book for the rest of us to benefit from! Thank you, Nava!