Fresh & Fast Vegetarian

March 21, 2011
Simmons, a James Beard Awardâwinning cooking teacher and former Bon Appetit columnist, describes herself as "mostly vegetarian." In her newest book (after Things Cooks Love) she presents more than 150 meat-free recipes (including many vegan entries), from soups and salads to main dishes and sides. Each features a suggestion for how to make a meal that includes the dishâfor example, with curried quinoa and apple salad with dried cranberries, she suggests serving her red lentil soup with coconut milk and toasted cumin. Recipes do live up to the book's title: they feature fresh ingredients and they can be made quickly, generally in 30 to 45 minutes. And while they aren't exactly groundbreaking, the recipesâsuch as double-corn and jalapeno polenta gratin; roasted sweet potatoes topped with black bean chili, and a chickpea spread made with pomegranate molassesâare definitely appealing, and a notch or two more interesting and sophisticated than standard vegetarian fare. She doesn't fill space with dessert recipes, but instead focuses on savory foods that would work well for reasonably quick weeknight dinners, making this a practical resource for those who want to add more easy meatless options to their repertoire.