Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook [A Cookbook]

by Joe Yonan

Overview

A collection of eclectic vegetarian and vegan recipes for singles as well as lone vegetarians in meat-eating households, from the beloved James Beard award-winning Washington Post editor and author of Serve Yourself. 

Whether you’re­­ a single vegetarian, an omnivore who’s looking to incorporate more vegetables in your life, or a lone vegetarian in a meat-eating household, you know the frustrations of trying to shop, plan, and cook for one.

With Eat Your Vegetables, award-winning food editor of The Washington Post and author of the popular column Cooking for One, Joe Yonan serves up a tasty book about the joys of solo vegetarian cooking. With 80 satisfying and globally-inspired vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian recipes such as Spinach Enchiladas, Spicy Basil Tofu Fried Rice, and One-Peach Crisp with Cardamom and Honey, Yonan arms single vegetarians with easy and tasty meal options that get beyond the expected. In addition to Yonan’s fail-proof recipes, Eat Your Vegetables offers practical information on shopping for, storing, and reusing ingredients, as well as essays on a multitude of meatless topics, including moving beyond mock meat and the evolution of vegetarian restaurants.

The perfect book for anyone looking to expand their vegetarian and produce-based repertoire, Yonan’s charming, personable voice and unfussy cooking style encourage home cooks—both new and experienced—to take control in the kitchen and craft delicious veggie-centric meals for one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607744436
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	204
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Joe Yonan is the James Beard award-winning author of Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One, which Serious Eats, the San Francisco Chronicle, and blogger David Lebovitz named one of their favorite books of the year. The book was an outgrowth of his monthly column, Cooking for One, for The Washington Post, where he is Food and Travel editor. Joe holds a professional chef’s diploma from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts outside Boston and a bachelor of journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Washington, DC.

Read an Excerpt

Minty Pea Soup with Pea and Feta Toast
 
On a hot day, I want a cold pureed soup. This one goes down almost like a green smoothie, but I turn it into a meal by holding out some of the peas, mashing them with feta, and spreading it on thin toast as if it were the world’s largest crouton. (There’s a fine line between a smoothie and a cold soup; it’s mostly a matter of the serving vessel and the garnish, isn’t it?) By the way, I don’t recommend low-fat or nonfat yogurt here, because the result can be slightly chalky rather than silky.
 
            11/2       cups freshly shelled English peas (may substitute thawed frozen peas)
            2          tablespoons crumbled feta 
            2          tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
            2          slices baguette or 1 large slice bread, toasted
            8          large mint leaves, chopped
                1/4         cup chopped chives
            1          cup plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
            1          ice cube
                        Sea salt
 
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, then blanch the peas until bright green and tender but not mushy, no more than a few minutes. Drain and let cool.

Remove 1/4 cup of the peas and combine them in a small bowl with the feta. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, mash with a fork, and spread on the toast. 

Reserve a pinch each of the mint and chives for garnish. Combine the rest with the remaining 11/4 cup of peas, the yogurt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a blender, add the ice cube, and blend until very smooth and frothy. Add a little water if needed to thin the soup. Taste and add salt as needed. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with the reserved chopped mint and chives, and eat with the pea and feta toast.

Table of Contents

Preface
            Acknowledgments
            How to Use This Book
            Storing and Using Up Extra Ingredients
 
Chapter 1
Salads and Dressings
            Asian Bean and Barley Salad
            Perfect Poached Egg
            Cold Spicy Ramen Noodles with Tofu 
            and Kimchi
            Curried Broccoli and Warm Israeli 
            Couscous Salad 
            Kale and Mango Niçoise Salad
Sidebar: massaging kale • 22
            Lime Ginger Vinaigrette
            Spicy Kale Salad with Miso-Mushroom 
            Omelet
            Lemon Chile Vinaigrette
            Smoky Cabbage and Noodles with 
Glazed Tempeh
            Tomato, Beet, and Peach Stacks
            Walnut Oregano Vinaigrette
            Basil Goddess Dressing
            Sesame Miso Vinaigrette
            Sour Plum Vinaigrette
Essay: Forget the Clock, Remember Your Food • 34
 
Chapter 2
Sandwiches and Soups
            Curried Mushroom Bean Burgers
            Sloppy Vegan Joe
            Grilled Kimcheese
            Grilled Almond Butter and Dried Plum Sandwich
Sidebar: more nut butter and dried fruit sandwich ideas 
            Grilled Mushroom, Poblano, and Cheese Sandwich
            Tofu, Grilled Cabbage, and Poblano 
            Tapenade Sandwich
            Grilled Greens, Chickpea, and Peppadew Sandwich
            Ricotta, Zucchini, and Radicchio Sandwich
            Juicy Bella
            Kale and Caramelized Onion Quesadilla
            Indonesian Tofu and Egg Wraps
            Minty Pea Soup with Pea and Feta Toast
            Cool, Spicy Mango Yogurt Soup
            Green Gumbo
Sidebar: vegetable stock 
            Creamy Green Gazpacho
            Celery Soup with Apple and Blue Cheese
            Bean and Poblano Soup with Cinnamon 
            Croutons
            Carrot and Ginger Soup with Quick-
            Pickled Beet
            Bean and Israeli Couscous Soup
Essay: Should We Stop Mocking Mock Meat? 
 
 
Chapter 3
Baking, Roasting, 
and Broiling
            Baby Eggplant Parm
            Cheesy Greens and Rice Gratin
            Asparagus with Romesco Blanco
            Oyster Mushroom and Corn Tart
Sidebar: more savory tart ideas 
            Roasted Cauliflower and Green Beans with 
            Chipotle Sauce
            Chickpea Pancake with Broccoli and 
            Eggplant Puree
            Spinach Enchiladas
            Roasted Sweet Potato with Coconut, 
            Dates, and Walnuts
Sidebar: more roasted sweet potato ideas 
            Sweet Potato Galette with Mushrooms and Kale
            Pomegranate-Glazed Eggplant
Profile: The farmer goes to market 
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 4
On the Stovetop
            Fusilli with Corn Sauce
            Pasta with Squash and Miso
            Spaghetti with Root-to-Leaf Radish
            Risotto with Greens and Zucchini
            Spicy Basil Tofu Fried Rice
            Pepper-Crusted Tofu with Broccoli Stir-Fry
            Sweet Potato, Kimchi, and Greens Hash
            Chicken-Fried Cauliflower with 
            Miso-Onion Gravy
            Enfrijoladas with Egg, Avocado, and Onion
Sidebar: grind your own 
            Potato and Bean Tostadas with Avocado
Green Onion Salsa
            Steamed Eggplant with Miso-Tomato Sauce
            Szechuan-Style Tofu and Shiitake Stir-Fry
            Thai-Style Kabocha Squash and Tofu Curry
            Tomato-Braised Green Beans and New Potatoes
Essay: When Paradise Gets Paved 
 
Chapter 5
Sweets
            Faux Tart with Instant Lemon Ginger 
            Custard
            Summer Berry “Tart” in a Jar
Sidebar: more ideas for tarts in jars 
            One-Peach Crisp with Cardamom and Honey
            Carl’s Chocolate-Chunk Cookies
            Blueberry Ginger Smoothie
Sidebar: more smoothie ideas 
            Blueberry Wine Refrigerator Jam
Essay: the vegetarian restaurant grows up 
 
Chapter 6
Entertaining
            Kimchi Deviled Eggs 
            Guaca-chi 
            Ottoman Eggplant Dip
            Poblano Tapenade
            Smoky Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip
 
            Whipped Ricotta 
Essay: the politics of cooking 
 
 
Chapter 7
Recipes for the Fridge, 
Freezer, and Pantry 
            Almond and Coconut Granola with Ginger 
            and Cherries
            Cabbage Kimchi
            Grilled Cabbage
            Caramelized Onions
            Perfectly Creamy Hard-Cooked Egg
            Chile Oil
            Za’atar
            Marinated and Baked Tofu
Sidebar: a vacuum shortcut 
            Quick-Pickled Golden Raisins
            Hearty Greens
            Pot of Beans
            Tomato Sauce with a Kick
            Quick Pot of Brown Rice
            Summer Succotash 
Sidebar: cutting corn kernels 

            Resources
            Selected Bibliography
            About the Author
            Index
            Measurement Conversion Charts

Editorial Reviews

As more and more people embrace vegetable-heavy diets, the need for a primer on these wildly varying foods is great. Yonan, the Washington Post’s Cooking for One columnist and author of Serve Yourself, comes at the subject from the solitary perspective, showing how to cook flavorful and healthy nonmeat meals that serve one. Yonan starts off with an excellent chapter that both novices and experienced cooks will find useful: how to store and use up extra ingredients, including herbs, avocado, citrus, celery, and beans. He offers fresh options on salads, such as cold spicy ramen noodles with tofu and kimchi; kale and mango niçoise; and Asian bean and barley salad. Sandwiches and soups also get a makeover: recipes include curried mushroom bean burgers; vegan sloppy joes; and green gumbo. Spinach enchiladas; sweet potato galette with mushrooms and kale; and chicken-fried cauliflower with miso-onion gravy offer appetizing alternatives to standard vegetarian meals. Desserts seem to be an afterthought in most vegetable cookbooks, but Yonan doesn’t disappoint with his faux tart with instant lemon-ginger pudding and one-peach crisp with cardamom and honey. Recipes are designed to feed one but are easily doubled or can serve nicely as a side dish if desired. The greatly appealing dishes in this collection open up a whole new culinary world for veggie lovers. Agent: Lisa Ekus, the Lisa Ekus Group. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

I love everything about this book: the concept, narrative, context, voice, look, and feel. Then there are the recipes—so inviting, I just want to start at the beginning and cook my way through the entire batch. And as if we need a bonus, Joe’s personal warmth and intelligence shine through all of this like a big embrace.” 
—Mollie Katzen, author of The Moosewood Cookbook and The Heart of the Plate
 
 
“Joe Yonan is a kindred spirit; he too is a meat lover who’s embarked on a vegetable-forward adventure and made more room for plants on the plate. But he’s done much more in Eat Your Vegetables: Joe invites us along for a delicious ride that includes the highs and lows of edible gardening and the joy of cooking for one (with smart, practical tips for managing leftovers and minimizing food waste), wrapped in an impassioned plea to get off the couch and—yes!—into the kitchen.” 
—Kim O’Donnel, author of The Meat Lover’s Meatless Celebrations and The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook
 
 
“It’s hard to write inspired recipes that are simple, but that’s just what Joe Yonan has done in Eat Your Vegetables. In addition to good food, Joe offers great advice for anyone looking to cook more often and more successfully. Read his essay on how to use a recipe and you will become a better cook even before you get into the kitchen.” 
—Jack Bishop, Editorial Director, America’s Test Kitchen, and author of Vegetables Every Day
 
 
“I’m thrilled to have Joe’s creative collection of recipes that serve vegetables in perfect portions for quick meals by myself—it even includes a sweet selection of desserts for one (which is great because I don’t have to share!). With Eat Your Vegetables as your guide, you’ll be prowling the produce bins with a fresh eye on flavor.”
—David Lebovitz, author of Ready for Dessert and The Sweet Life in Paris

From the Publisher