The Almost Vegetarian Cookbook: 150 Recipes for Fish, Poultry, Vegetables and Fruit Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1995

I found this very good it was easy to follow & the recipe,s were very good

GOOD FOR HE PRICE

Great value

THE ALMOST VEGETARIAN COOKBOOKJOSCELINE DIMBLEBYPhotography by Simon WheelerMany of us now eat much less meat, a greater variety of fish and shellfish, moregrains, pasta and pulses and, of course, lots of fresh vegetables and fruit.What began as the tendency of a minority has become the normal everyday diet ofmany, and families and social gatherings today are very likely to include bothvegetarians and people with `almost vegetarian' tastes.The Almost Vegetarian Cookbook is not vegetarian -- because it includes recipes for fish and poultry -- but it makes the most of the marvellous range of vegetables now available, and shows that vegetables and vegetarian food can be the centre of a meal instead of mere accompaniments.[Sections] STARTERS & SOUPS PASTA * GRAINS & PULSES * EGGS & CHEESE VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES * SALADS * FISH & SHELLFISH * POULTRY *VEGETABLE MAIN DISHES * PUDDINGS & CAKES *BREADS, BISCUITS & PRESERVESINTRODUCTIONI don't think I shall ever become a total vegetarian. My love of all food, of the wonderful variety now available, and of my freedom to try anything, would stop me. However, I have noticed that these days I eat far less meat and, indeed, don't miss it at all even when I haven't touched it for weeks. Vegetarianism has increased enormously over recent years hut so, perhaps even more, has the number of people who have reduced their consumption of red meat to almost nothing, and concentrate instead on eating far more vegetables, as well as poultry and fish dishes which are combined with a large proportion of vegetables, or with grains such as rice or bulgar, with pasta or with pulses. In this way, they easily consume less animal fat and feel healthier and more energetic: in fact, the `almost vegetarian' diet could be considered to provide the best of both worlds.My philosophy of eating is a very straightforward, even old-fashioned one. I am a firm believer that any normally healthy person is wisest to eat the most varied diet they can, remembering only the simple rule that they can eat what they want, but never too much of any one thing. There are so many different diets suggested nowadays that people with no specific medical reason to restrict themselves are sometimes persuaded to try a complicated way of eating -- to cut out this or that ingredient or type of food often on the slightest of pretexts. This sort of thing induces worry, and worry is not healthy. We have to eat to live and luckily good food is one of the great joys of life; it promotes a feeling of happiness and well-being -- and happiness is most definitely healthy.I do love vegetables, with their magnificent variety of appetizing colours, textures and flavours, and this book has therefore been a great pleasure to work on. I have one vegetarian daughter and several vegetarian friends, and this gave rile particular inspiration when dreaming up the strictly vegetable main dishes. The increasing availability of different kinds of vegetables offers endless scope for interesting combinations, and vegetables can truly he a feast for the eye as well as the stomach. Gone are the days when all vegetarian dishes seemed to be varying shades of brown.Salads in particular have become much more interesting. We now have at our disposal not only some truly wonderful salad leaves but also nut oils and fruit and herb vinegars to combine with spices and seasonings in exciting dressings.A large variety of pulses, grains and rice as well as both eggs and cheese greatly extend the culinary possibilities for any vegetarian. They also help to replace the proteins that would otherwise be provided by meat-based dishes. They are also extremely useful for informal meals of any kind. Pasta has of course become an absolutely vital part of almost everyone's life; what would we do, arriving home late and tired to an almost empty fridge. if we did not have that packet of tagliatelle on the shelf arid a bottle of extra virgin olive oil?When it is really fresh and carefully cooked, fish is probably always my first choice. I still think of it as the `brain food' I was told it was as a child, and it never makes you feel weighed down or bloated. The flavours are delicate, and textures light and succulent, and these days again there is a wider range of fish and shellfish available than ever before.All kinds of poultry are a boon to the family cook. Inexpensive, versatile and loved by children, it is a great stand-by. Poultry adapts to almost any added ingredients or flavourings, and as you will see from my recipes, poultry dishes can he transformed into mild, homely dishes or something excitingly exotic, to suit your mood.I could not produce any comprehensive collection of recipes without a large selection of puddings. Puddings are my passion: fruit puddings, chocolate puddings, ice creams, gooey cakes --in fact, all kinds of puddings. I know that puddings cannot he said to be strictly necessary to a healthy diet, but they are fun to make and a supreme pleasure to eat. The occasional indulgence is not going to do you any harm and will almost certainly do a great deal to lift your spirits.Websters/Sainsbury, London 1994, (reprinted at least 4 times to 1997). Paperback, 22x28.5cm, 159pages; colour photos throughout. ISBN 187060413X.[OCR & additional text prepared by Jegs11 for CooksBookery, 2008]

This is a brilliant addition to my fairly amateur collection of cookbooks. I turn to it time and time again when I need some ideas, particularly when I am entertaining friends to a meal. Our son is vegetarian and loves many of the vegetable dishes in this book. We love the fish and poultry and puds variety. There are some surprising additions to ingredients which are fun to try. The recipes are easy to follow, and obviously the ingredients can be sourced from any good supermarket. Brilliant.

Our daughter and son-in-law are vegetarian, we are not, but we do eat a lot of vegetarian food anyway and this book is just wonderful. The recipes are not only delicious, but they are also something truly different. The meat recipes are only for us and where there are chillies, I just leave them out (me no likee chillies!!). This 'lack' of an ingredient hasn't spoiled our pleasure in the dishes in any way. Well done Jocelyn!