One Pan, Two Plates: Vegetarian Suppers: More than 70 Weeknight Meals for Two (Cookbook for Vegetarian Dinners, Gifts for Vegans, Vegetarian Cooking)

I recommend this cookbook to anyone who will sit still long enough to listen to me. I had borrowed original One Pan, Two Plates cookbook from the public library and loved it so much that I bought my own copy. I purchased it in May 2016 and have cooked exclusively from it ever since. When I saw that the same author had written another cookbook, I preordered it immediately in August 2016.I had found myself in a cooking rut that even Pinterest couldn't pull me out of. Online recipes are great, but sometimes they wouldn't come out like they were intended to, or pairing a main dish and a side dish was a bit of a chore, or the two of us would get tired of eating leftovers for three days straight. At the place I was in my life, I needed a book I could just cook my way through that did much of the planning for me.There are so many good parts to this cookbook. The flavors are creative and very often jaw-droppingly delicious. I love that they cook with whole ingredients, sometimes with vegetables that I not only tried for the first time, but are now some of my favorite vegetables because of this book. The majority of them have gorgeous pictures, cook in 30 minutes or less, and serve exactly two people, so there is very little wasted food. Since it's one pan, there are no side dishes needed to round out the meal for either flavor or substance. The author included sections at the end of each recipe with ideas to beef up the meal if you're feeling extra hungry and gave wine pairing recommendations. The back of the book groups the recipes into seasons, so you can cook with what's freshest at the moment. I've doubled recipes and served it to guests. I've experimented on guests with completely new recipes not only without issue, but with many compliments. Seriously, y'all. Praise hands and heart eyes every day for eight months and counting.The only downside I feel I must mention is that there is a fair amount of vegetable chopping required for each meal, since you're cooking with fresh produce. However, I view this more as a natural side effect than a downside. The recipes are vegetable-centric, so to me, taking the time to chop fresh produce is such a small price to pay for the nutritional benefit, and for something so flipping delicious. My spouse and I both work outside the home for 45-50 hours a week, and the lifestyle of cooking daily and eating healthfully has been completely sustainable for the better part of a year for us because of this book.One more tip I'd give to new users, in addition to reading each recipe all the way through before starting to cook and keeping in mind that eating fresh produce means a little chopping, is to cook mise en place. Lay out all your ingredients on the counter, chop your produce, measure your ingredients into separate bowls, all before you even turn on the stove. Since the average recipe has you cooking something for less than 5 minutes before adding a new ingredient to the pan, and sometimes for even less than a minute, there is very little time to be chopping produce while you're cooking. We bought a set of little glass bowls here on Amazon that have been so helpful.Eating healthfully with minimal food waste can be fun and interesting and sustainable. I cannot recommend this cookbook enough.

I'd fallen into a dinner rut, cycling through the same three or four menus, and felt I needed a fresh start to get myself out. This cookbook has really helped. I've made three different frittatas, two pasta dishes, soup, and stir fry, and all of them have been fun and delicious. I have added a few judicious tweaks--I'm not a fan of kale or fennel (zucchini, cabbage, and other vegetables worked just fine), for example, and normal curry powder pleases me as much as more expensive, fancy stuff. But that's the sign of a good base recipe: you can add your own touches and still be pleased with the results. The portions are very good for two as well. We'll definitely re-make these recipes in the future!

I made the Roasted Cauliflower Gratin with Rye Crouton first and then, because I had a half of a cauliflower left, made the Cheesy Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Leek and Rye Croutons a few days later. Both dishes were quite tasty, filling, and I suspect, fattening. A major problem with the recipes is that quantities of vegetables are given in such a general way "one small sweet potato" "3 medium new potatoes" "1 parsnip" "1 small red onion." There are no "small" red onions in my supermarket! They all look huge to me! It would have been ever so much helpful to include weights or even volume of ingredients. Sometimes she does ("2 oz. goat cheese" "1 tsp. cider vinegar" ). If you've read this far you know I'm about to make Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin.

It being winter.I have started with the soups, and the flavors have been AWESOME and very satisfying. After trying a couple of recipes, I was so impressed that I invested in a 12-inch Le Creuset enameled cast iron braising pan with a lid (50% off at a Le Creuset outlet store). It is perfect for these recipes because it goes easily and beautifully from stove to table. Cooking also feels clean with less dish washing afterward. I have many vegetarian cookbooks, but Carla Snyder really has a gift for blending flavors with a focus on healthy eating. It appears that the main ingredients are vegetables flavored but not overwhelmed by dairy products and other high fat, high caloric foods. I feel good after cooking, serving and eating the dishes that I make from her recipes. They are gifts for the taste buds.

My husband is a vegetarian, and I'm not. Or at least I haven't been because the range of cuisine has seemed limited to whatever uninventive veggie combinations that Trader Joe's could dream up. I bought this cookbook on a whim, thinking that maybe experimenting with some additional dishes (particularly during the added time we have during shelter-in-place) might open both of our tastes to something new. The promise of easy "one pan" cooking also appealed.WOW! This cookbook continues to deliver and deliver! We started with the General Tso's Bok Choy with Tofu, which was mighty flavorful. The two of us can eat, so I've usually availed myself of the "Extra hungry?" option at the end of each recipe. In the case of the General Tso's, we had enough left over for a single lunch the next day! We've since tried the Lo Mein with Snow Peas and Peanut Sauce; Baked Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Spinach; Potato Gratin with Tomato, Olive, and Capers; Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin; and the Bow Ties with Brussels Sprouts, Gorgonzola, and Hazelnuts. Only the Baked Sweet Potatoes dish underwhelmed, and it was either because my sweet potatoes were too large, my oven was not hot enough, or I needed to cook them for longer than advised. I'd be willing to give that one another try!The tips the author offers in the front of the book are also really valuable. Not enough gets said about how these recommendations translate to success in the kitchen. It's why I love my America's Test Kitchen cookbooks too. They really break it all down. It's too early for me to say if this cookbook becomes my gateway to joining my husband as a vegetarian, but so far, these easy and tasty recipes are definitely challenging my preconceptions!

Wonderful book, easy recipes! I use this several times a week and am delighted every time.

Was eagerly awaiting this book. It arrived quicker than it said it would. SO excited about it. Haven’t made anything yet but have flipped through and there are so many great recipes that I’m dying to try. Would definitely recommend as a gift for a vegetarian or anyone who enjoys veg-based meals.

I love the recipes but many are pretty cheese-heavy and not exactly super healthy.