The PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) Vegetarian Cookbook: More Than 240 Healthy and Easy No-Prep Recipes for Busy Cooks

When I first got the cook book and skimmed through it I was somewhat disappointed. Mainly because she uses frozen, bagged pre-cut, and canned veggies/beans. I didn't realize that on the front cover it says 'no chopping, peeling, slicing, coring, seeding, whipping, or blending required'. You see, when I cook, I like to make things from scratch as much as possible to up the nutritional value but I reminded myself why I bought the book...to make my life easier. I am currently 20 weeks pregnant and strive to be vegan and I don't like resorting to processed, prepackaged foods. I frequently get overwhelmed thinking of how I am going to keep this lifestyle up with a newborn...won't have hours to spend on preparing a meal...besides, due to the long prep time and endless amounts of dishes created when cooking, I end up resorting to take-out or other unhealthy options for the sake of time and no clean-up so I knew that I needed to bring myself back down to earth and take Donna Klein's advice to truly be the healthiest vegetarian with a small budget and serious time constraints and reduce my level of stress.I made 4 recipes within an hour and a half (new record for me) and had a blast cooking it...my husband washed the dishes as I made them which were very few so he is definitely happy about this new cookbook as well. So, I was able to whip up some healthy, delicious food quickly with no stress, was able to sit back and relax while eating it and still have time to do bunches of other things! This book is definitely a lifesaver for me and my husband...and our future child. The recipes I made were the Italian-Style Kale and Bean Soup (I used bagged spinach instead, added it in last), Baked Ziti with Caponata and Three Cheese(didn't have caponata on hand, so I omitted it and it still tasted great!), Marinated Old-Fashioned Cabbage Salad, and the Fruited Tapioca Pudding (was a bit sugary for me so I will use less orange juice/sugar in it next time).

The recipes are great for on the go types, and those who move a lot (work moves, etc.); healthy, ingredients easy to shop for, and moreI bought this book for my Kindle, so we could have healthy meals while in hotels between household moves. It really fit that purpose, as the majority of the recipes do not call for multiple spices beyond salt, pepper, oregano, etc. These are things you would use on quick breakfast and lunch items as well as for cooking--which is great when you are in a hotel (with a cook-space) for weeks to months on end, or waiting for your cooking stuff to arrive from your last home location.Alas, I must give three stars for the Kindle version. I've not seen the paper-in-hand versions, so I can't comment to their greatness. I am sure they are great, as the recipes are the "meat" of the book, right? And those I have made were yummy!! My reason for three stars is the inability to reference page numbers, or otherwise search for anything within the book.There are a ton of searchable books for the Kindle; however this is not one of them. The ability for search is a must for a cookbook. The table of contents lets one get to a section. Unfortunately, this limited search lends the cookbook useless when trying to find a "page" referenced within a recipe.Another function missing lies within the index. If one has an ingredient for which to find a recipe (i.e. some squash badly needing to be consumed), one can certainly find it in the index. Alas, this is where the usefulness of the index ends. There are no page numbers listed in the index, which might enable one to guess the location in the book. The entries of the index are not "click-able." This would eliminate the need for the page numbers and make the book ever so useful!Again great recipes! Unfortunately, this book has terrible search functions and, consequently, useless references to other recipes. If the publisher would fix these issues and make the update available to previous purchasers, I would change the rating to five stars!!

The PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) Vegetarian by Donna Klein offers over 240 no- or low-prep healthy veggie recipes perfect for busy moms (or dads!) or frazzled college students on those too-tired-to-cook weeknights.Divided into a fairly standard arrangement of starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, noodles, vegetable, grain and legume combos, sides, brunch and egg dishes, and desserts, most of the recipes feature no prep since you use prepackaged convenience food from the supermarket such as presliced and chopped veggies, bagged salad greens, canned beans, and prepared hummus.The recipes are also clearly labeled as lacto-ovo, dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan (many recipes contain a vegan option). Roughly half the recipes are vegan or can be prepared as such with minimal alteration. The recipes are easy to follow, and many feature variations. Detailed nutritional info is included for each recipe.One of the things I especially liked was the inclusion of delicious international recipes from Asian (Toasted Potstickers with Wasabi Cream, Miso Soup with Pot Stickers, Asian Noodle and Broccoli Slaw Wrap, Japanese Vermicelli in Peanut Sauce, Coconut Sticky Rice Pudding), Mexican (Easy Appetizer Burritos, Mexican Bean and Tortilla Soup, Bean Enchiladas with Green Sauce, Spanish Tortilla, Mexican Rice Pudding), Italian (Fresh Mozzarella, Cherry Tomato, and Basil Spears, Hearty Minestrone Soup, Pesto Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes, Penne with Red Pepper Cream and Pine Nuts, Baked Pears with Caramel and Amaretti), and Middle Eastern (Artichoke Bottoms with Hummus, Chickpeas with Curried Mayonnaise, Moroccan Vegetable Stew over Couscous).Each recipe is introduced by a brief, helpful paragraph including the author's advice on preparation, presentation, and possible substitutions.The recipes are quick and easy as promised, many with minimal prep and/or clean up, so this is a lifesaver for hectic weeknights, and vastly superior to bland, unhealthy frozen dinners or trans-fat-laden takeout. This is the perfect gift for your college-bound son or daughter!

Exactly what it says, easy, quick, and haven't yet found an ingredient I couldn't source. It's American, so it uses their sensible measurements of ounces and cupfuls, rather than our prissy continental ones, and I judge my food on what it tastes like, rather than what it looks like, so appreciate the lack of artfully posed and airbrushed pictures. Great book full of recipes that work. Recommended.