This article was written by Volunteer Madalyn Bookout.

On my adventure to discover new recipes to fit my gluten and dairy dietary restrictions I came across the cookbook PNW Veg by journalist and chef Kim O’Donnel. At first, I was hesitant to cook vegetarian recipes because I did not think they would taste good. However, I found one hundred creative vegetable recipes that O’Donnel shares that are perfect for any occasion: starters and snacks, soups, salads, sides, savory pancakes, patties and tarts, grains and pastas, protein, sweet things, and fridge and freezer pantry items. A few recipes that caught my attention were her roasted squash toasts with spiced nut dust, smoky carrot and sweet potato soup, celery root-apple slaw with tahini dressing, spinach pancakes, pan-fried quinoa patties with miso yogurt sauce, and chocolate beet bundt.

For a nice evening meal with my family, I settled on cooking her smoky carrot and sweet potato soup with a side of pan-fried quinoa patties and miso yogurt sauce. Cooking the soup proved to be a quick and effortless process of chopping the vegetables, simmering the vegetables and liquids, and then blending them together. The blend of carrots and sweet potatoes created a smooth texture, with notes of smoked paprika, coffee grounds, honey, and cinnamon, bursting in each spoonful.

The quinoa patties were a little more challenging since I did not factor in enough time to chill the cooked quinoa. However, they were still brown and crispy with a satisfying crunchy texture. The yogurt sauce, although not my favorite by itself, paired well with the patties to add a pop of lemon to my flavor palette.

As someone that has gluten and dairy restrictions, I found these recipes to be simple and painless. The only substitute I had to make was in the miso sauce, so I switched out regular yogurt with dairy-free yogurt. In the future, I know I will be cooking these recipes again as well as exploring other vegetarian and vegan recipes.

Overall, I recommend cooking a new recipe tonight and checking out PNW Veg by Kim O’Donnel at the 21 Acres library. Few people know about the 21 Acres library, but it is a cozy nook where you can further your knowledge and create healthy, sustainable habits!

PNW Veg and other books are available in the 21 Acres library to borrow whenever campus is open! Stop by the front desk to ask how to check out a book. This resource is always free to our community.

About Madalyn Bookout

Madalyn Bookout is a senior in high school and a passionate cook and writer. She has lived in Washington state for most of her life but lived in Tennessee for a few years as well. In the coming years, Madalyn plans to major in journalism and author meaningful stories. Madalyn began to cook in sixth grade through 21 Acres’ cooking classes. After learning to cook, she started experimenting with different recipes and has not stopped since. Madalyn likes to cook to bring joy and comfort to those closest to her, as well as to find recipes that taste good and fit her dietary restrictions.