Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian: Great Taste in No Time PDF
Preview Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian: Great Taste in No Time
dedication for richard contents dedication introduction a few notes on using this book the short-cut vegetarian kitchen the building blocks of short-cut vegetarian cooking dips, spreads, sandwich fillings, and a quick hors d’oeuvre soups for supper (and lunch too) salads in the limelight, salads on the side flash in the pan: hearty chilies, curries, stews, and stir-fries one-pot pasta and grain entrées vegetables à la carte a breakfast mix fuss-free desserts ingredients at a glance mail-order sources index acknowledgments about the author also by Lorna J. Sass copyright about the publisher introduction Once upon a time I believed in cooking everything from scratch. Then life got in the way. Although I work at home—presumably the ideal circumstance for letting a pot simmer on the back of the stove—I began to find myself more and more frequently coming up against mealtime without a clue about what I’d be eating. Pressure cooking—the subject of previous books—shortened cooking time dramatically, but still involved a fair amount of “schlepping and prepping” (aka “shopping and chopping”). Indeed, whenever I gave a lecture on vegetarian cooking or demonstrated one of my favorite lovingly prepared pressure cooker recipes, someone would invariably ask, “Is there any way to make really fast vegetarian food?” As one who values eating fresh, wholesome vegetarian meals and considers chopping a form of meditation, I was reluctant to explore the question. But as the pace of life quickened, I found myself joining the growing number of cooks who search for ways to get dinner on the table more quickly. I decided the first place to start was with a real staple of the vegetarian kitchen: dried beans. I love the taste of beans cooked from scratch, but they always take a bit of advanced planning because I prefer them presoaked. I was never happy with supermarket canned beans, since they are usually so salty and often contain preservatives. So I started, ever so cautiously, to experiment with organic canned beans from my local natural foods store. I still remember the moment I opened that first can of organic red kidney beans. Sporting their gorgeous bold mahogany skins, these beans not only had great texture but also tasted good. Furthermore, the cooking liquid surrounding them was clear and low in sodium—no need to drain and rinse off any questionable substances. The simple act of opening that can was a revelation—in fact, it awakened me to a whole new realm of quick-cooking culinary possibilities. If I, a hard-line “from scratch” cook felt good about keeping canned organic beans on hand, ready to prepare a last-minute chili or hummus, what other products and strategies might be available to harried cooks with high standards for quality, wholesomeness, and good taste? Lorna Sass’ Short-Cut Vegetarian offers you my hard-earned answers to that question. Writing this book has been an invigorating—often liberating— experience. Developing tasty, healthful vegan dishes (no dairy or eggs) that maximize flavor and good nutrition while minimizing preparation and cooking time has stretched my imagination and challenged me to enter realms previously unexplored. I’m delighted to welcome you to Lorna Sass’ Short-Cut Vegetarian kitchen, a place where very little effort produces substantial rewards. Happy cooking! LORNA J. SASS New York City If you’d like to share your favorite short-cut recipes or strategies with me, or if you’d like advice on purchasing a pressure cooker, I’d be happy to hear from you. Please write to me c/o Cooking Under Pressure, Box 704, New York, NY 10024. Be sure to enclose a SASE if you want a response. a few notes on using this book necessity: the mother of great taste I am a rebel in the kitchen and rarely cook a dish the same way twice. I may be running out of a particular spice or bean, or I may come upon a perfectly ripe vegetable screaming to be used. Any of these scenarios may end up transforming my original concept into something entirely new. Since I am always thinking of different possibilities and new variations, I could not resist mentioning optional items in ingredient lists and recipe headnotes. These alternatives are intended to stimulate your imagination—but if you find them distracting or confusing, just ignore them and go straight to the basic recipe. I promise you that it will taste good as is. Sometimes it’s easier not to see all of the options. Believe me, I know.… how many did you say it would serve? To be honest, I’m not sure if my idea of a portion is the same as yours. Like most cookbook authors, I’ve struggled with the concept of serving size for years. Just in case you find it helpful, I’d like to tell you that most people (not just my grandmother) think that I eat like a bird. If my serving estimates seem off to you, it’s easy to make adjustments accordingly. Any of these recipes can be doubled or tripled for heartier appetites—or so you can freeze portions for meals down the road. how I calculated prep time My estimate of prep time is based on the number of minutes it takes to get the first group of ingredients into the pot. I have not included the time required for additional ingredients that can be prepared while the dish is cooking. the short-cut vegetarian kitchen the short-cut vegetarian pantry Stocking your kitchen with carefully selected high-quality canned, bottled, and dried ingredients is the first step to becoming a successful short-cut cook. Once you’ve assembled the basic items listed below, you’ll be able to prepare most of the recipes in this book on the spur of the moment. (You probably have some of them on hand already.) If you feel like expanding your repertoire, you can branch out with other suggested foods as the spirit or a specific recipe moves you. Almost all of the ingredients used in this book are available at supermarkets and natural food stores, with an occasional foray into a specialty or Asian grocery. During the course of my travels and while testing recipes for this book, I have experimented with numerous brands and developed preferences. For a complete glossary of ingredients including recommended brands, Ingredients at a Glance. ten strategies for short-cut cooking 1. Build flavor fast by using “secret” ingredients that provide intense taste by the spoonful. 2. Be creative with carefully selected high-quality instant and prepared foods. 3. Explore the versatility of organic canned staples such as beans and diced tomatoes. 4. Prepare the whole meal in one pot whenever possible.
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