The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen [Mass Market Paperback]

Donna Klein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

After years of research, scientists declared that the Mediterranean diet was the best one for overall good health-and the exciting news was that it tasted great, too.

With recipes for everything from nutritious appetizers to dairy-free desserts, this unique Mediterranean vegan cookbook is ideal for vegetarians, those with a lactose intolerance, and anyone who wants to make gloriously delicious dishes without meat, eggs, or dairy. Dishes include:

* Sicilian Eggplant Relish
* Catalan Grilled Vegetables with Almond Sauce
* Classic Italian Minestrone
* Moroccan Fresh Tomato Salad
* Black Olive Bread
* Zucchini-Lemon Couscous
* Greek Currant Cake
* Braised Pears in Red Wine
* and more

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The medical world has been touting the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet for decades. In The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, Donna Klein provides more than 300 recipes suited to anyone who wants to eat a healthful diet free of animal products. Unlike many vegetarian or vegan cookbooks that simply take the meat or dairy products out of a recipe--or even worse, use tasteless substitutes--this book includes only recipes that actually exist in Mediterranean cuisine. You won't find any grainy cheese substitutes or spongy meat imposters here.

In chapters on every course from appetizers to desserts, the author presents recipe upon recipe for flavorful and healthy dishes--all without meat, dairy, or eggs. Appetizers like Mushrooms Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Parsley, and Garlic--given a sweet and nutty zing from the addition of a fortified wine--or Baked Black Olives with Herbes de Provence and Anise are so full flavored they certainly don't need the richness of animal products. The Poor Man's Pesto (so named because of the absence of cheese) that tops fluffy Potato Gnocchi proves that fruity green olive oil is the heart and garden-fresh basil is the soul of a good pesto. Desserts don't disappoint either. Relying on fresh fruits for flavor, they are just the sort of sweet and rich concoctions we expect from the Mediterranean. Baked Pears are stuffed with a rich blend of bread crumbs, toasted almonds, and chocolate and baked in a flavorful mixture of marsala, white wine, and pear or apple juice.

An extremely helpful Meals in Minutes section offers menu suggestions for those whose schedules allow only an hour or less for meal preparation, and the nutritional information provided for each dish is a welcome bonus for health-conscious cooks. --Robin Donovan

From Library Journal

Food writer Klein's goal was to include only vegan recipes "that really exist in Mediterranean cuisine," and because much of Mediterranean cooking is vegan by nature olive oil is used in many cuisines rather than butter, and meat has never been the centerpiece of the meal, for example she was successful. Rather than experimenting with replacements for anchovies and the like, she chose recipes that already met the requirements of a vegan diet, from a Moroccan Couscous with Seven-Vegetable Tagine to Proven?al Tomatoes Stuffed with Herbed Rice. The one ingredient that is conspicuously absent, which Klein acknowledges, is cheese, as it's difficult to think of pesto and many pasta dishes without it; she leaves the option of using cheese substitutes to her readers. For all vegetarian collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: HP Trade; Reprint edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557883599
• ISBN-13: 978-1557883599
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Mediterranean

More About the Author

Donna Klein is a food writer whose work has been featured in such publications as the Washington Post, The Yoga Journal, Body and Soul magazine, and Vegetarian Gourmet.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

299 of 304 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this incredible vegan cookbook!, October 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen (Mass Market Paperback)

This cookbook is the antidote for the question often posed by well-meaning non-vegans: "don't you find a vegan diet limiting, with only vegetables and tofu?"

I've cooked several of the dishes, all of which have been hits with vegan and non-vegan eaters - satisfying even to my meat-eating friends who believe only meat makes a meal! I served the squash gnocchi recently at a dinner party, and my guests were bowled over by it (it was worth every minute of effort). A cold cauliflower salad with a dressing involving capers was outstanding.

What I most enjoy about the book is its quintessentially mediterranean nature: simple, fresh, uncomplicated, and absolutely delicious. Having grown up in an Italian family, I've hungered for vegan recipes with mediterranean roots that are not the usual pasta and sauce fare. This book has this and more.

While I enjoy cooking with and eating soy products, this book takes a creative approach that doesn't rely on this as many vegan cookbooks do. It also has recipes appealing to every level, from the person wanting only a few ingredients and easy prep to the experienced cook willing to invest a good amount of time. Buy this book - you won't regret it!

99 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good honest eats!, July 6, 2001

By 

P. Wales "pamw23" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen (Mass Market Paperback)

My husband and I tried two recipes from this book...the Marinated Lentil Salad (pg 87) and the Roasted Green Beans with Slivered Almonds (pg 147). Both were excellent (note: while I am a vegetarian, my husband is definitely not, and he declared that these were both "make it again" recipes). In fact, the lentil salad was the best we've ever eaten. I'm going to try one of the other bean salads tomorrow.

I bought this book because it contained recipes that did not contain soy replacements, but instead relied on good, honest combinations of "real" ingredients. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of wonderful soy substitutes out there, and we enjoy many of them (except for the soy cheese-substitutes, which are uniformly too strong and strange-tasting). But when I found myself using miso in a Mediterranean dish as a substitute for anchovies, I knew things had gone too far! I happened upon this book quite by accident, but by the time I finished reading the author's introduction, I knew it was a book for me.

I am also a weight watcher and this book contains nutritional information with each recipe (sufficient enough to calculate POINTS, if you are a member of WW). While the recipes are not all lowfat, many are -- simply because of the lack of dairy and meat. Some recipes seem to be a little heavy-handed with olives, olive oil, and nuts, but it will be easy to use a lighter hand when I make some of those dishes.

I heartily recommend this book to vegetarians of all types, and also to omnivores who want to incorporate a few meatless meals into their lifestyles. Even if you are not a vegan or a vegetarian, do not shy away from this title. You won't be disappointed. Way to go, Ms. Klein! I'm looking forward to your next vegetarian cookbook.

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Food for Real Vegans, July 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen (Mass Market Paperback)

Thank you, Donna Klein, for writing the vegan cookbook I've always wanted! These are real, authentic, naturally vegan recipes from the different Mediterranean nations, not imitations that rely on faux meats or obscure Asian condiments (tasty as those things can be in the right context).

You'll find some old favorites here, like a variety of bean- and tomato-based crostini toppings or minestrone, as well as some interesting treats--my personal favorite is the rich and moist currant cake, made with light olive oil. Many of the recipes are Italian, but a good number are from less well-known cuisines, such as Catalan and Provencal. There are relatively few Middle Eastern or Greek recipes, but these cuisines are already well-represented in so many other cookbooks, that I didn't miss them.

Klein gives a lot of helpful hints along the way: nutritional information about each recipe, cook's tips, menu ideas, and substitutions for the few fresh vegetables (e.g., fava beans) and other ingredients that may be hard to find outside of major cities.

This is a cook-your-way-through cookbook! Enjoy!