After years of research, scientists declared that the Mediterranean diet was the best one for overall good health-and the exciting news was that it tasted great, too.

With recipes for everything from nutritious appetizers to dairy-free desserts, this unique Mediterranean vegan cookbook is ideal for vegetarians, those with a lactose intolerance, and anyone who wants to make gloriously delicious dishes without meat, eggs, or dairy. Dishes include:

* Sicilian Eggplant Relish
* Catalan Grilled Vegetables with Almond Sauce
* Classic Italian Minestrone
* Moroccan Fresh Tomato Salad
* Black Olive Bread
* Zucchini-Lemon Couscous
* Greek Currant Cake
* Braised Pears in Red Wine
* and moreThe medical world has been touting the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet for decades. In The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, Donna Klein provides more than 300 recipes suited to anyone who wants to eat a healthful diet free of animal products. Unlike many vegetarian or vegan cookbooks that simply take the meat or dairy products out of a recipe–or even worse, use tasteless substitutes–this book includes only recipes that actually exist in Mediterranean cuisine. You won’t find any grainy cheese substitutes or spongy meat imposters here.

In chapters on every course from appetizers to desserts, the author presents recipe upon recipe for flavorful and healthy dishes–all without meat, dairy, or eggs. Appetizers like Mushrooms Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Parsley, and Garlic–given a sweet and nutty zing from the addition of a fortified wine–or Baked Black Olives with Herbes de Provence and Anise are so full flavored they certainly don’t need the richness of animal products. The Poor Man’s Pesto (so named because of the absence of cheese) that tops fluffy Potato Gnocchi proves that fruity green olive oil is the heart and garden-fresh basil is the soul of a good pesto. Desserts don’t disappoint either. Relying on fresh fruits for flavor, they are just the sort of sweet and rich concoctions we expect from the Mediterranean. Baked Pears are stuffed with a rich blend of bread crumbs, toasted almonds, and chocolate and baked in a flavorful mixture of marsala, white wine, and pear or apple juice.

An extremely helpful Meals in Minutes section offers menu suggestions for those whose schedules allow only an hour or less for meal preparation, and the nutritional information provided for each dish is a welcome bonus for health-conscious cooks. –Robin Donovan