Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless

July 1, 2017

Veteran food writer Pelzel (Toast: The Cookbook) takes the reins from Molly Gilbert (One Pan & Done) for this second, meat-free installment of Workman's best-selling "Sheet Pan Suppers" series. Featuring more than 100 new recipes (e.g., chili nachos, summer tomato slab pie with flaky sage crust, dulce de leche pumpkin pie squares), this book offers exciting choices for vegetarian, flexitarian, vegan, and gluten-free eaters. Most cooking happens in the oven, but some recipes require a turn on the stove or in a food processor. Helpful sidebars present tips such as how to pick the perfect cheese, keep grains from sticking, and prepare fruit for freezing. VERDICT Pelzel's take on sheet pan suppers will appeal to fans of this efficient approach. Be advised, however, that it involves slightly more active cooking and cleanup than similar titles.

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August 7, 2017
Pelzel’s new cookbook (after Eggplant), about the seemingly simple sheet pan, is decadent and full of surprises. She demonstrates the versatility of sheet pans with recipes that don’t appear to be flat-surface friendly, such as a caramelized onion dip made with fresh chives, a chilled avocado and roasted-garlic soup, and even a mushroom risotto that doesn’t require nearly as much attention as the stove-top variety. Readers will enjoy the ease of execution when making these recipes for kids, and Pelzel provides tips for incorporating veggies into the meals of young eaters, such as the earthy roasted red peppers she adds to a marinara. She also encourages creativity and adventure in the kitchen by offering flavor combinations and options that can be swapped out for other complementary ingredients. Pelzel tackles pasta and grains with a sheet pan covered in aluminum foil, creating such dishes as an herby singed-tomato tabbouleh and orzo with pan-roasted tomatoes, lemon, and mozzarella. Among the fresh and homey recipes included here are recipes for baba ghanoush, roasted plum salad with fresh grapefruit and cardamom syrup, shaved zucchini and minty-pesto pizza, smoky eggplant and provolone pizza, a three-cheese crispy mushroom-parm sandwich, and vegan biscuits. With recipes perfect for entertaining or even just cooking for one, there is no end to what Pelzel, this cookbook, and a sheet pan can do.