Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet [Paperback]

Joy Manning (Author), Tara Mataraza Desmond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

A Little Meat Can Go a Long Way

We all know that eating less meat is healthier, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly, but how do we cut back without sacrificing flavor or resorting to a carb-heavy diet?

For today’s health-, budget-, and eco-conscious omnivores, Almost Meatless offers ingenious ideas for creating delicious, nutritionally balanced meals in which meat is an enhancement rather than the centerpiece. From all-American comfort food to global favorites, you’ll find more than 60 satisfying, easy-to-prepare main dish recipes that go light on the meat, including:

Beefed-Up Bean Chili
Eggplant and Chicken Puttanesca Stacks
Shrimp and Slow-Roasted Tomato Risotto
Sweet Potato Chorizo Mole
Tofu-Turkey Sloppy Joes

Almost Meatless also presents guidelines for buying poultry, meat, seafood, and other animal products responsibly, to ensure the best quality, flavor, and value. No matter what your reasons are for reducing your meat consumption, you’ll discover versatile cooking solutions that maximize flavor while minimizing your grocery bill.


 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite its title, almost every recipe in this book uses meat, fish or eggs. A collaboration between Manning, a former vegan, and Desmond, an unabashed meat lover, the aim is to help Americans, who they believe eat far more meat than is healthy or good for agricultural sustainability, compose meals that are both tasty and filling without having a slab of meat as the overbearing star ingredient. Instead, meat appears in smaller quantities supplemented by layers of flavor in the form of additional savory ingredients that should keep people who usually expect lots of meat from noticing the difference. In a burger recipe, for example, black beans and bulgur are mashed together with a minimum of ground beef to make a patty that is full-size, fully delicious and less meaty; similarly, a recipe for gyros uses a small amount of lamb amped up with tzatziki sauce and fava beans fragrant with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs. Manning and Desmond encourage preparing meat more healthfully, as well as substituting lighter forms of meat or even tofu in some cases, and many of the recipes can be made vegetarian. Overall, Desmond's meat-loving side often seems to win out, which may disappoint readers looking to make bigger changes, but the baby-step approach is likely to be much more palatable for many others. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Meals that are both tasty and filling without having a slab of meat as the overbearing star ingredient”
—Publisher’s Weekly
 
“The authors of the new book Almost Meatless make a satisfying case for eating less meat and more vegetables and grains...The resulting dishes are healthier, less expensive and beautifully balanced.”
—Chicago Sun Times
 
“The recipes look good enough for carnivores to enjoy as well”
—Tampa Tribune
 
“This way of eating makes sense not just for saving money, but, as the authors say in the subtitle, for the planet.”
—Newsday
 
“Show[s] that a less meatcentric diet than the typical American one can still be satisfying and delicious”
—Library Journal
 
“Filled with recipes that use only a small amount of meat in each dish, a flavorful accent rather than the star of the show”
—Boston Globe

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580089615
• ISBN-13: 978-1580089616
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.5 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Meat, Poultry & Seafood > Meats

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More flavor, less meat, August 18, 2009

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet (Paperback)

From Caramelized Onion Meatloaf to Shrimp and Slow-Roasted Tomato Risotto; from Eggplant and Chicken Puttanesca Stacks to Springtime Spaghetti Carbonara, the authors (a former vegan and an unabashed carnivore) aim for more flavor with less meat, pleasing the eye as well as the palate in this attractively designed full-color paperback.

The book is organized by ingredient - fleshly protein ingredient. Boxed cooking tips, storage and shopping advice and occasional variations accompany well-organized recipes.

Most recipes are naturals for meat restraint - Corn and Cod Cakes, Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie (whole wheat crust), Chili, while a few traditionally meat centered dishes - Philly Cheese Steak, Tofu-Turkey Sloppy Joes - require some veggie adjustment.

The authors include whole grains without belaboring the point and the whole family will greet the meals here with enthusiasm.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, tasty and easy!, June 18, 2009

By 

Colin Mcdonough "Colin McDonough "novice ... (Keeseville, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet (Paperback)

The eggplant-chicken stacks on the cover immediately drew me in! Having limited kitchen skills (as I do) is not a problem. Recipes are detailed and easy to follow. Want total vegetarian? Leave out the chicken! Still delicious! Next, I'm on to the Shepherd's Pie.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right on the mark!, June 12, 2009

By 

DrMom (Brookline, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet (Paperback)

As someone who is leaning towards the vegetarian side, I love this book! It is truly a pleasure to see the use of meat minimized and the spotlight focused on "healthy" and organic food!