EXTRACT FOR
The Veggie Goddess Vegetarian Cookbook Collection
(Gina "The Veggi Matthews)
Introduction
With
a passion for nature-made foods, and gardening, I’ve always been the one to
bring ‘those interesting vegetarian dishes’ to potlucks, family gatherings and
parties. There is a strong misconception within both the meat-eating and
vegetarian community, that vegetarian eating is boring and limited. Or, on the
flip-side, that cooking vegetarian meals is complicated, and you’re required to
obtain all these hard-to-find ingredients that are not available at most
supermarkets. Well, neither misconception holds true, and that is why I decided
to embark on writing a series of vegetarian cookbooks, that are user friendly
for long-time vegetarians, some-times vegetarians and those who are looking to
incorporate more nutritious dishes into their family’s meal plans. The
‘100 – 5 Ingredients or Less, Easy and Delicious Vegetarian Recipes’ cookbook,
marks the first book in my vegetarian cookbook series, and, I chose to go this
particular route, because of the hectic lifestyle that our society leads today.
Whether you’re a busy mom, working professional, or time-restricted college
student, the vegetarian recipes in this cookbook all require only easy to find
ingredients, and easy to follow directions. The recipes are quick, easy, and,
there are definitely no ‘bark and berries’ dishes in this cookbook. Inside,
you’ll find a very diverse selection of recipes, all categorized by their
highlighted ingredient. This makes navigating to your favorite section and
recipe, a breeze. Along
with proving that vegetarian cooking is neither boring nor complicated, the
‘100 – 5 Ingredients or Less, Easy and Delicious Recipes’ cookbook, is also
very easy on your budget. You won’t need to buy any expensive, exotic, or
hard-to-find ingredients. And, you also won’t need to purchase any special
cookware or kitchen gadgets. If you’ve been frustrated before with attempts at
preparing vegetarian dishes, it is my desire that this cookbook changes your
opinion of vegetarian cooking from one of frustration, to that of being fun,
easy, and of course, fabulously delicious! These
vegetarian recipes call for a 70/30 mix of fresh ingredients, and packaged
ingredients, making this vegetarian cookbook easy to follow for those who do
not cook often, or, who might not acclimated to using a lot of fresh vegetarian
ingredients. For the more acclimated vegetarian, any of the called-for prepared
ingredients, can be easily substituted with their fresh equivalent. Many of
these recipes include dairy products, so while not vegan, these ingredients can
easily be swapped out with a vegan ingredient substitution And,
lastly, most recipes are not written ‘in stone’. So, feel free to play around
with some of the called-for ingredients, varying one or more of the vegetables,
herbs or spices, or, just make them an addition to the recipe. Vegetarian
cooking should not only be healthy, it should also be delicious and fun! That’s
coming from someone who views her kitchen, in the same way an artist of any
kind, would view their art studio or office, as a place, and space, where wonderful
creations, are imagined, and brought to delicious life. Bon
Veggie Appetit! Gina
‘The Veggie Goddess’ Matthews Chapter
1 - 5 Ingredients or Less Potato Recipes
Preheat
oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. Ingredients: 3
russet potatoes (cut into ¼ inch strips or wedges) ¼
cup grated Parmesan or Parmesan-Romano cheese 1
teaspoon dried basil (fresh is even better) olive oil to drizzle Arrange
sliced potato strips in a single layer onto greased baking sheet, skin sides
down. Drizzle lightly and evenly with olive oil, and then sprinkle with
Parmesan cheese and basil. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove
from oven, and immediately season with sea salt to taste, while fries are
piping hot, and serve. Yields 2-4 servings. |