Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes

The only feedback that matters to a cookbook is whether recipes are interesting and photos look appetising. These recipes are dull and repetitive, and the book barely has photos.It’s wild that the author who gave us all-time vegan cookbooks in Veganomicon & Isa Does It also produced Appetite for Reduction and I Can Cook Vegan. Two 5 star books, two 1-2 star books. Go figure.

This is the third cookbook I've bought by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I own many more, most of them vegan or vegetarian, but I always come back to ICM, and follow the Post Punk Kitchen religiously.Moskowitz is nothing short of a genius. I received this book a week ago, and have already made ten of the 125 recipes, because it's that good. The recipes call for little to no fat, but are absolutely delicious, and very filling. The portions are hardly small, either, and you start to appreciate how a hearty size of vegetables goes a long way in nutrition without too many calories. Recipes like the Green Goddess dressing, a creamy dressing without any dairy and barely any fat, are to die for, and might change the way you eat for life. The Chickpea Piccata was the first thing I made, and I can safely say I've never tried anything like it before.The author also suggests complementary dishes, which makes meal planning a snap. I can't wait to try the rest of the recipes -- this might be my favourite cookbook yet!

Along with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's "The Vegan Table" "appetite for Reduction was one of the very first vegan cook books I ever received. For me this book was an excellent primer, it taut me a lot of basic tools, and techniques for vegan cooking, introduced me to new ingredients, flavor combinations and ideas. As is always the case with me I sometimes adjust the seasonings to taste but that's with any book. Overall I think this book is an invaluable resource for people, particualrly those just starting out, and even though I own 100+ cook books now this is still one of my `go-to' books for quick, easy, and light meals, especially on the days that I work.I also really love the layout of this book, I love the style, and I appreciate that most of the recipes have simple ingredients. I like the conversational tone of the book, and I really like that Isa suggests dish pairings. Sometimes you just don't know what to do with a tasty sounding side dish, or what to serve it with and Isa does the work for you telling you what it best compliments. I also like her stories about various dishes - and maybe this is a picky thing - but I like the typeface of the print. It's easy to read. I appreciate all of the tips and all the effort she put into making these meals healthful and low-calorie. Some people have complained that they are `too' low-calorie but that's an easy enough fix. Instead of complaining about how she only uses 1 tsp of olive oil, use 1 tbsp. This is after all a book designed to be low-cal and it's designed for weight-loss/weight management, if that's not what you're after then look for a more decadent cook book. Nutritional information is also provided for those who are concerned about such things.My only qualm with this book is the lack of pictures. I'm a very visual person and I really hate it with a cook book has limited pictures or no pictures. I love beautiful food photography and find the pictures help inspire me to make the dishes. This book simply doesn't have enough pictures, and of the ones it does contain I feel they are not as beautiful as they could be. Aside from that this book is fantastic. I have tried many recipes from it and this is what I thought.Everyday Chickpea Salad - LOVED IT - a `go-to' saladBalsamic Vinaigrette - LOVED IT - `go-to' dressingSpicy Blue Potato and Corn Salad - Pretty goodSushi Roll Edamame Salad - LOVED IT - a `go-to' saladGreen Onion Miso Vinaigrette - LOVED IT - a `go-to' dressingBig Fat Taco Salad - pretty goodQuinoa Salad with Black Beans and Toasted Cumin Seeds - pretty goodCool Slaw - pretty goodWild Rice Salad with Oranges and Roasted Beets - LOVED ITTinfoil Beets - Love it - good methodOrange Sesame Vinaigrette - LOVED ITCaesar Salad with Eggplant Bacon - LOVED ITCaesar Chavez Dressing - LOVED ITVietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tofu - LOVED ITCatalan Cous Cous Salad with Pears - Pretty goodRomesco Dressing - LOVED ITTrattoria Pasta Salad with white beans - Pretty goodSun Dried Tomato Walnut Dressing - LOVED ITStrawberry Spinach Salad - pretty good.Cauliflower Mashed potatoes - this was okay, but then as much as I love cauliflower I'm not all that fond of it mashed.Silky Chickpea Gravy - LOVED ITOMG Oven Baked Onion Rings - LOVED ITScallion Potato Pancakes - Loved itBrussels Sprout-Potato Hash - LOVED ITBhutanese Pineapple Rice - Loved itPolenta Stuffing - Pretty GoodQuinoa Puttanesca - Loved itSoft Broccoli Polenta - this was okay, but at the time I made it I'd never eaten polenta before so maybe this needs a re-try.Ethiopian Millet - Meh, not for me.Butternut Coconut Rice - pretty goodEggplant Kibbeh - I thought this was just okay, but my husband really liked itTamarind Quinoa - pretty goodGarlicky Mushrooms and Kale - loved itJerk Asparagus - loved itPineapple Collards - This was okay.Mushroom tibs - pretty goodOrange Scented Broccoli - LOVED ITEggplant Dengaku - loved itHerb Roasted Cauliflower with Breadcrumbs - pretty goodYe'abesha Gomen - Pretty goodCurried Cabbage and peas - pretty goodBaked Falafel - LOVE IT this is my `go-to' falafel recipeChipotle Lentil Burgers - LOVED ITBlack Bean Zucchini and Olive Tacos - LOVED ITGarlic Lemon Yogurt - pretty goodMango BBQ Beans - pretty goodBlack Beans in Red Velvet Mole - This was okay, but then I'm not the biggest mole fanCurried Green Onion Hummus - loved itRed Thai Tofu - pretty goodLettuce Wraps with hoison-mustard tofu - LOVED ITCurried Scrambled Tofu with Arugula - LOVED ITRed Wine and Kalamata Tempeh - LOVED ITTamarind BBQ Tempeh with Sweet Potatoes - LOVED IT!Buffalo Tempeh - LOVED ITFusilli Roasted Veggie Primavera - LOVED ITPasta con Broccoli - Loved itEasy Breezy Cheezy Sauce - Pretty goodSpinach Linguine with edamame Pesto - LOVED ITedamame Pesto - LOVED ITGinger Bok Choy and Soba - LOVED ITPasta de los Angeles - LOVED ITSpinach Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower ricotta and Spinach - LOVED ITMiso Udon Stir-fry with Greens and Beans - LOVED ITMac and Trees - Pretty goodCajun Beanballs and Spaghetti - not a fan,Black Eyed Pea and Tempeh Beanballs - not for meMom's Marinara - Loved itBistro Broccoli Chowder - pretty goodArabian Lentil and rice Soup - LOVED ITManhattan Glam Chowder - Not for meSummer Loving Curried Corn and Veggie Chowder - LOVED ITRed Lentil and Root Veggie Dal - pretty good2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma - Loved itCurried Chickpeas and Greens - LOVED ITPotato-Spinach Curry - pretty goodChipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts - not for meLentil and Eggplant Chili Mole - pretty goodFresh Corn and Scallion Cornbread - LOVED ITQuinoa, Kale and White Bean Stew - Loved itPortobello Pepper Steak Stew - LOVED ITMoroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini - LOVED ITVeggie Potpie Stew - LOVED ITSweet Potato Drop Biscuits - LOVED ITSmokey Tempeh and Greens Stew - LOVED ITEggplant Provencal - Pretty goodI've had great success with this book, and overall I think ti's a great resource especially for new vegans or vegetarians. I have made many things from this book for my omni family and friends and they were a hit. I also recently gifted this book to my mother - not vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination - and she's had a lot of fun making the recipes.

I have finally found the holy grail of low fat cookbooks. This is real food that will fill you up and make your belly happy, oh, and it just so happens to be vegan. I've been on the 5.2 diet for a while, mainly for health longevity reasons (although losing weight is also a bonus) and I must admit I struggle with the lack of food on a starvey day whereas the hubs has found it easy. This book has really helped me stay on track on starvey days, the salads really fill me up and are surprisingly satisfying. Nutritional information is included for each recipe. The recipes are perfect for any day of the week, i don't just limit them to fast days. They may be low in fat but they are full of flavour. My favourites so far have been:Everyday Quinoa Chickpea Salad - full of protein and good things and the dressing made from a blend of cashews, balsamic vinegar and other stuff is gorg, I've always hated bottled dressings from the supermarket, this is heaps better.Big fat Taco Salad - my favourite salad in the world ever because it has tortilla chips in it! Even my children dig this salad. The slightly lower in fat version of Guacamole, "Guacamame" made from a blend of avocados and edamame beans is awesome, tastes just like the real thing. I hated the salsa dressing, however. It tasted like vinegary tomatoes so I won't bother with it again.Mango Bbq beans - a big hit with the kiddos and quite easy to make. Just a smidgen of agave and a whole mango provide the sweetness.Jerk Asparagus - made this several times when British asparagus was at it's prime and man, is it spicy! That's a good thing though.I've made other things that I wouldn't make again but nothing has been in edible. Overall it's a winner. I have most of Isa's books and although this isn't my favourite, it's definitely the most used as I can't live on a diet of cupcakes alone, I did try. Ingredients are all easily found in supermarkets and health food shops, she tends to use the same blend of spices for several of the recipes so you won't find yourself buying some random ingredient and never using it again. There are not pictures for every recipe but there is about 6 pages in the middle of the book with photos, but I can live with that.As a lifelong omnivore, I found these dishes incredibly satisfying and I didn't miss the meat.

Un ottimo libro per chi vuole ricette vegane, appetitose ma caloricamente bilanciate. Ogni ricetta ha la tabella nutrizionale, ogni tanto c'é qualche riferimento ad ingredienti non facilmente reperibili da noi, m acon un pò di fantasia sono facilmente sostituibili.