Vegetarian Express: Easy, Tasty, and Healthy Menus in 28 Minutes(or Less!)Tag: W/ More Than

Atlas (Vegetariana) and food writer Kayte serve up a slew of recipes for cooks who don't have time for the lengthy preparation often required by vegetarian dishes. The recipes, grouped in menus that help to minimize even the decision-making time, depend heavily on such ``convenient foods'' as canned beans, frozen vegetables, quick-cooking rice and packaged, pre-cut vegetables while making good use of tofu and pasta. Recipes come with nutritional analyses that sometimes require a second look: Vermicelli with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce, for example, has a per-serving calorie count of 177, but the recipe, intended for six, uses only 10 to 12 ounces of pasta, making for servings that are quite small. Of considerable appeal is the variety of menus in the chapter, Pizzas, Sandwiches, and Burgers, that are appropriate for lunch and provide a welcome respite from peanut butter; White Bean Pate is especially flavorful. There are some tasty recipes here, particularly for those with the leisure to substitute slightly less convenient ingredients. (June)