The ADA Vegetarian Cookbook is for you if you\’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes; and are interested in a meatless diet. Authored by a chef who was diagnosed with prediabetes, this cookbook contains recipes for a number of courses: soups, side dishes, sauces, and so on.

When I got the ADA Vegetarian Cookbook in February of last year, the first thing I tried was the Cauliflower Potato Cheddar Mash (page 87). It uses russet (aka baking) potatoes; and later, when I looked up the carb content of potatoes, I was surprised. Sweet potatoes are lower in carbs than other \’taters! I had the idea that sweet potatoes were the high-carb ones! Since then, I\’ve use sweet potatoes for this recipe; and I like them better than russets.

Recently I tried the Basil Ginger Cashew Pilaf, on page 57. I didn\’t have fresh basil, and substituted the dried kind. I also didn\’t have any cashews, and used peanuts instead. Another twist I made on this recipe was long-grain brown rice instead of basmati rice. It came out OK.

I want to try out more of the recipes, but at the moment my freezer is too crammed. After I use up the stuff that I already have, I\’ll try some more new recipes. Lentil Dal (page 24) sounds good, for example.

Getting back to that pilaf, don\’t be afraid to experiment. You might come up with a new favorite!