Vegan

A somewhat more exotic salsa, this jazzes up meals with a tropical beat. See the menu with Gingered Coconut Rice, page 96. Serve with tortilla chips or as a condiment with spicy dishes.

Use this as a dip for vegetables or small crackers or as a dressing for salads or pita sandwiches.

Serve as a spread on whole-grain crackers, crisp lavash, or wedges of pita bread. For more information on miso, a pungent soyfood, see page 21.

Silken tofu makes a perfect base for a good, dairy-free dip.

Smoky roasted eggplant is tempered by yogurt in this Middle-Eastern-inspired dip. This is good for spreading on fresh bread as well as scooping up on pita.

Here’s a nourishing dip for whole-grain crackers or pita bread.

A classic Middle Eastern dip for scooping onto wedges of pita bread.

Like the previous recipe, this classic dip is delicious scooped up on wedges of pita bread.

A delectable sauce to serve over noodles, grains, or green vegetables. Cashew butter is a luscious treat. Look for it in natural foods stores. It is also, as you may imagine, a delicious change of pace from peanut butter in sandwiches. This recipe doubles easily if you’d like a larger quantity.

I consider spaghetti squash a “fun” vegetable and enjoy serving it to anyone who has never tried it. Everyone seems delighted by this unique squash and its spaghetti-like flesh. This is delicious accompanied by Long-Grain and Wild Rice Salad (page 50).

Despite all the wonderful varieties of winter squash, I still like butternut best for basic preparations like this one. This smooth puree will add color to your plate and comfort your palate.

An intensely flavored (but not overpowering) accompaniment for Asian-style dishes, this adds an enticing visual accent to the dinner plate as well.

Both spinach and eggplant are compatible with curry seasoning, so teaming the two vegetables makes this stew-like side dish twice as nice. This is delicious on its own or over couscous.

Use this preparation in stews, for topping pizza, on French bread sandwiches topped with mozzarella cheese, spread with goat cheese, or in wraps. See Curried Spinach and Eggplant (page 213) or Eggplant Parmigiana Wraps (page 177).

An appealing vegetable trio is enlivened by a wine-scented sauté.

Use a variety of peppers to make this side dish colorful. Use leftovers to make sandwiches on fresh bread with spreadable goat cheese.

Raw turnips have a pleasantly bitter bite like radishes, but sautéed they are delectably sweet.

Leeks and carrots both have a natural sweetness that mingles nicely. This is a mild and pleasant side dish, good with pasta, potatoes, and soy dishes.

Here’s a summer harvest dish that I absolutely love. Fresh corn kernels are a must if you want to get the full impact of the fresh flavors. This is great with veggie burgers, soy hot dogs, and tortilla specialties.

Here’s an easy way to enjoy a roasted effect with no cutting involved. It’s a good side dish to make while something else, like Shake-and-Bake Tofu, is in the oven (see the menu on page 138). This is one children are likely to go for.