Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian [Paperback]

Weight Watchers (Author)

Book Description

Series: Weight Watchers | Publication Date: May 15, 2001

One of the greatest challenges for vegetarians is keeping the fat levels in their diet at a healthy level -- Weight Watchers makes that easy with fresh, delicious meals that are short on fat, and long on flavor. Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian brings you 150 easy recipes that highlight the best of vegetarian food -- from delectable lasagna and other pastas, to pizza, main course salads and sandwiches, skillet meals, appetizers and creative side dishes. Recipes are low in fat, especially saturated fat, which has been linked to heart disease and many forms of cancer.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Tofu "Egg Salad"; Caramelized Onion and Tomato Calzone; Pear, Walnut, and Feta Salad--do these treats sound like Weight Watchers fare? You betcha! The recipes in this eclectic and elegant meatless cookbook will help you discover ways to enjoy unfamiliar foods that can add variety to vegetarian meals, including millet, tempeh, and purslane. Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian even makes tofu more appealing by explaining tricks such as pressing and freezing it. Icons indicate which recipes are spicy; can be made ahead; cooked in the microwave; in one pot; or are ready in under 30 minutes. If there's a diehard meat-and-potatoes person in the house, add some extra spice or a touch more fat to these recipes and they will please everyone at the table; in fact, the dishes in this book may seduce others who need to lose weight into joining you in a healthful regimen. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Versatile Vegetarian Although you're probably eating more chicken, fish, pasta and rice instead of the meat-and-potatoes fare you grew up on, making a more dramatic change in your eating habits can be downright daunting. You know what you should eat, but how—how to prepare these unfamiliar foods, how to plan a meatless meal, how to make sure it's flavorful, how to get your family to eat tofu—is a mystery. In Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian, you'll find 150 recipes that are healthful, easy-to-prepare and reassuringly similiar to the meat-based dishes your family loves. Serve cheesy-rich Creamy Spinach and Pepper Lasagna, hearty Rigatoni with "Meat" Sauce or even Asian-infused Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce to pasta lovers; bring Tofu Burgers and Boston Baked Soybeans to your next cook-out. For an easy, kid-pleasing supper, try Tempeh Sloppy Joes with Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips, and when winter winds howl, wouldn't Mexican Casserole or Split Pea Soup with Garlic Croutons warm you right up? To keep your dinner menus from falling into a rut, you'll also find delectable recipes for slightly unusual side dishes—Moroccan Couscous Salad, Kasha with Apples, Curried Rice and Lentil Pilaf, Wild Rice Pancakes—that are a breeze to prepare. And because you have better things to do than spend your life in the kitchen, these recipes use convenience foods and streamlined techniques. For example, although you'll find step-by-step instructions for soaking and cooking dried beans, harried cooks don't always have the foresight to soak beans overnight, so our recipes call for canned beans. Best of all, these recipes are designed to be low in fat, especially in saturated fat, which has been linked to heart disease and many forms of cancer. You'll find more than just recipes, though. Nearly 100 boxes provide "Hints" on preparation shortcuts and buying tips, as well as "Good Advice" about making the transition to meatless eating, getting more soy and more fiber in your diet, as well as "primers" of less common fruits, vegetables and grains. As a bonus, Versatile Vegetarian includes symbols that let you know a recipe's features at a glance. If a dish can be made ahead, frozen or prepared in about 20 minutes (start to finish), these easy-to-identify icons tell you in a flash. They'll also let you know if a recipe is spicy or microwavable. Whether you're trying to lose or maintain weight, or even if you just want to eat more healthfully, you know you can trust Weight Watchers. With Versatile Vegetarian in your kitchen, you'll be well on your way to success, no matter what your goals are. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Hungry Minds (May 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764564072
• ISBN-13: 978-0764564079
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For everyone, not just vegetarians, January 31, 2005

By 

Greger Wikstrand (Höör, Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian (Paperback)

This cook-book offers vegan and vegetarian low-fat, low-calories recipes for those on the weight watchers program or for anyone else. The book contains 150 recipes and each has suggestions for variations so you can probably cook several hundred different varieties. Each recipe is clearly marked so that you can see if it should be prepared ahead or if it is fast and easy to make and so on.

The best things about this book:
+ Good value for my money
+ Each recipe has WW points and a full nutritional analysis per serving
+ Lots of tips for varieties of the dishes, other ingredients to try etc
+ Conversion table to metric units

The worst things about this book:
- Poor paper quality. Cookbooks really should have glossy paper so that you can wipe them easily.
- Some recipes are not very filling

A tip:
Many of the dishes can be prepared either partially or fully in advance. That's good if you need to: a) bring your own lunch to dinner, b) want the flavours to develop more fully, or c) if you want to avoid cooking when hungry.

You should buy this book if:
* You are a vegan or vegetarian on the WW program
* You want to eat healthy and wholesome food
* You are not a vegetarian but want to experiment with non-meat cooking

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great choice for Vegetarian Weight Watchers, June 8, 2001

By 

K. Corn "reviewer" (midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian (Hardcover)

Although vegetarian meals are often seen as healthier and lower in fat and calories than non-vegetarian meals, this is NOT always the case, especially if the recipes are packed with fat and/or whole-milk dairy products, cheeses, etc. Whether you are a followers of Weight Watchers or not, this book is a great choice, offering healthy benefits for those who prefer meatless meals. It is also a great choice for non-vegetarians looking for an occasional change of pace and unique ways to prepare entrees and other menu items. There's plenty here to satisfy even the most discriminating palette!

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you don't need to be in WW to love this book, October 15, 2001

By 

"eeyore26" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian (Hardcover)

I am not in WW and frankly always assumed that their recipes were boring and unsatisfying (I came to this conclusion from reading the older cookbooks my mother has from years ago). Well, WW has come a long way since then! These recipes sound great! I made the chickpea and vegetable tagine, and my normally picky husband loved it, as did I. It had a very aromatic and authentic flavor that I would not have expected from a WW recipe. I am plannig to make the Risotto with Leeks and Artichokes tonight. I think the recipes are creative and easy to prepare--many of them are one pot meals--and the ingredients and spices eclectic and interesting. It's not your average bland and boring steamed vegetable platter. For Weight Watchers members, the POINTS are very low for large, satisfying servings, which is great for anyone with a healthy appetite.

I would also like to add that I came across this title at the WW Web site and have found wonderful recipes from there as well (which is what led me to buy this book sight unseen). I am happily surprised and very impressed with this book. I am much more open to the idea of buying more WW cookbooks.