Power plates 100 nutritionally balanced, one-dish vegan meals

Vegan blogger Hamshaw (The Full Helping) presents appealing options for creating nutrient-dense meals on a single plate. Using her "macronutrient building blocks" concept (which balances proteins, fats, and carbs), home cooks can design dishes that promote a "nutritious, sustainable eating pattern" with recipes that "just happen to be vegan." There are recipes for savory breakfast options such as a root-vegetable hash and Indian kitchari (a combination of mung beans and rice) along with whole-grain muffins and pancakes. Meal-size salads include a sesame citrus soba-noodle salad chock-full of edamame, red cabbage, carrots, and almonds with a tahini ginger garlic dressing, as well as a warm tofu chop salad with peanut dressing. Soup selections include a spicy chickpea-peanut West African stew and a curried Jamaican stew with kidney beans. There are sides such as green-bean aloo gobi and holiday fare such as a vegetable harvest pie-a shepherd's pie filled with kidney beans, tempeh, and winter vegetables. This vegan cookbook-with seasonal meal-plan charts that incorporate leftovers and ideas for batch cooking and freezing-is a useful guide for home cooks, vegan or not. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In her best cookbook yet, blogger-turned-author Hamshaw (Food52 Vegan) shares appetizing vegan meals that won't leave you hungry. Substantial recipes such as apple ginger muesli, Vietnamese rice noodle salad with seared tofu, and herbed cauliflower steaks with lemon caper lentils offer a delightful balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Delicious main dishes are the stars here-there are no desserts, appetizers, snacks, or beverages. In particular, the meal-sized salads could be welcome weekday lunches or potluck contributions. Hamshaw touches lightly on nutritional guidance, meal planning, and make-ahead techniques (e.g., batch cooking grains and legumes over the weekend), but her advice never feels prescriptive or preachy. VERDICT Hamshaw brings style and substance to healthful vegan cooking. Highly recommended for anyone interested in plant-based recipes. © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

WHITE CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH Makes 6 servings  1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups (540 g) cooked navy, Great Northern, or cannellini beans, or 2 (15-oz, or 425-g) cans, drained and rinsed 1 small zucchini, cut into 3⁄4-inch (2-cm) cubes 11⁄2 pounds (680 g) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3⁄4-inch (2-cm) cubes 2 (4-oz, or 113-g) cans mild green chiles with their liquid 2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo with their sauce 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 3⁄4 teaspoon salt 2⁄3 cup (115 g) quinoa, rinsed 3 cups (710 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in the beans, zucchini, butternut squash, green chiles, chipotles in adobo, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and quinoa, then pour in the broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the butternut squash is fork-tender and the quinoa is fully cooked. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, then taste and adjust the seasonings if desired. Serve piping hot. Excerpted from Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced One-Dish Vegan Meals by Gena Hamshaw All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.