Once a pejorative uttered by meat-loving Americans, the term “vegetarian” has become benign, even praiseworthy, as we learn more about the health benefits of vegetables and are exposed to better quality produce. The increased availability of sensible, tasty vegetarian recipes also has led many to consider vegetables as an entree–or as any course, for that matter.
Martha Rose Shulman, one of the best-known proponents of vegetarian pleasures, expands this repertory with “The Best Vegetarian Recipes” (Morrow, $25). This book is a good starting place for those who want to expand the role of vegetables in their diet.
First, Shulman is not rigid or dogmatic about vegetarianism. “I don’t define myself as a vegetarian anymore,” she writes, “but at heart, it’s the way I prefer to eat, and the way my family and I eat at home most of the time. (The recipes are) vivid-tasting dishes that require little fuss, that you can rely on both for everyday dining and for entertaining.”
Second, she is a compulsive teacher who cannot resist giving advice that will instruct and reassure the cook. She also provides tips for advance preparation of the recipes.
Many recipes are from regions along the Mediterranean Sea: romesco sauce from Spain, an olive oil-flavored pie crust, Turkish romaine and yogurt salad, frittatas and omelets, couscous, risotto and much more. She also includes Asian-flavored stir-fry dishes.
The book is as compact as it is practical, though an occasional recipe runs on, forcing the cook to turn a page in midstream. The recipes are not difficult and most of the ingredients are available to in supermarkets. In this age of photo-intensive cookbooks, readers will note the absence of pictures or illustrations of finished dishes.
Shulman divides the book into nine sections, from “Spreads, Dips and Condiments” (the shortest chapter) to “Grains and Beans” (the longest). In a welcome chapter on “Tofu,” “a nutritional powerhouse” that “not everybody likes . . . because of its blandness and spongelike texture,” she turns those negatives to the cook’s advantage with a generous handful of marinades, sauces and stir-fries.
Citing the “marvelous resources for food that we have today,” she outlines various approaches to assembling a vegetarian meal. With her book in hand, there’s every reason to try.
Stir-fried eggplant and green beans
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
“Japanese eggplant, the smaller, long type, is ideal for this recipe, but regular big eggplants work just fine as well,” Martha Rose Shulman writes in “The Best Vegetarian Recipes.” “The eggplants are roasted for a short time before being stir-fried; that way they don’t require too much oil in the pan.” She suggests serving this with rice.
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, preferably Japanese eggplant
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce or more to taste
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 onion, chopped, or 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 dried hot chili, crumbled
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pierce Japanese eggplants in several places and place on a baking sheet. If using a large eggplant, cut in half lengthwise and score the cut side down to the skin, being careful not to pierce the skin. Place on an oiled baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat and when cool enough to handle, peel if desired and dice.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and green beans. Cook for 5 minutes, drain, and transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain.
3. In a small bowl, combine the stock, soy sauce, wine, vinegar and sugar. Set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or a large, heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion or the white part of the scallions. Stir for a couple of minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir for 30 to 60 seconds, until the garlic and ginger smell fragrant. Add the eggplant, green beans and chili. Stir together for a minute, then add the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until the eggplant is cooked through and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Taste and add soy sauce as desired. Add the arrowroot mixture and stir together until glazed.
5. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the cilantro and, if using scallions, the green part of the scallions. Serve at once.
6. Advanced preparation: The eggplant can be baked and the green beans blanched hours ahead of making this.
To add tofu: Drain 1/2 pound tofu, blot dry and cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces. Before adding the ginger and garlic to the oil, brown the tofu: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, add the tofu and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel. Proceed with the recipe as written, adding the second 2 tablespoons of oil and the onion, then the garlic and ginger to the pan. Return the tofu to the pan when you add the eggplants and beans.
Nutrition information per serving (calculated by the Tribune):
155 calories, 40% calories from fat, 7 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 3.3 g protein, 6 g fiber
Citrus and date gratin
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 4 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
From “The Best Vegetarian Recipes,” by Martha Rose Shulman.
6 navel oranges
3 pink grapefruit
1 vanilla bean, cut in half, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons mild honey, such as clover or acacia
12 dates, the fresher the better, pitted and quartered lengthwise
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rum or Grand Marnier
1/3 cup regular or low-fat sour cream
1. Squeeze the juice from one of the oranges and one of the grapefruit. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, if using, and set aside.
2. Peel the remaining oranges and grapefruit and cut away the white pith. Cut the ends off, then hold the fruit above the bowl and cut wide strips from top to bottom, cutting away the pith as you go. Divide the fruit into sections and toss together in the bowl with the honey and dates. Transfer to a 2-quart gratin dish or baking dish.
3. Combine the vanilla bean pod, if using, with the juice in a heavy 2-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove the pod.
4. Meanwhile, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and lemon colored. You can do this in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Make sure the juice isn’t boiling, and slowly whisk into the egg yolks, or, if using a food processor, slowly pour in the juice with the machine running. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat through, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the spoon like thick cream. Make sure that it does not boil, or the mixture will curdle. It will begin to thicken when you see wisps of steam coming off the surface. When the custard is thick, remove from the heat and stir in the rum and vanilla extract, if using. Stir for a minute and set aside.
5. About 15 minutes before serving, heat the broiler with the rack at the highest setting. Whisk the sour cream into the custard sauce. Give the citrus mixture a stir and pour on the sauce. Place under the broiler for 3 to 6 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Remove from the heat and serve.
Advance preparation: The custard sauce will hold for a day in the refrigerator in a covered bowl. The fruit can be prepared several hours ahead of time. Assemble just before broiling.
Tribune test kitchen notes: The gratin will be very juicy; plan to eat it with spoons. To reduce the chance of burning the gratin, place the rack in the second highest position beneath the broiler and watch carefully.
Nutrition information per serving (calculated by the Tribune):
205 calories, 20% calories from fat, 4.8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 9 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 3.4 g protein, 4.6 g fiber
