Although not strictly vegan or vegetarian, we certainly do not shy away from eating dishes that are. In fact, many of our favorite cookbooks have featured fresh vegetables as the focus. This book arrived upon the heels of a similar one. Although we experienced mixed results with that, this one was unanimously adored for it's simple, thoughtful compositions and complex, assertive flavors. The book's subtitle, "Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes" is accurate. Not only were these dishes a delight to eat, they were visually stunning too. There isn't much in the way of additional text within the book - just 200+ pages of delicious recipes neatly divided into chapters such as 'Light Bites', 'Soups', and 'Cupboard Sustenance'. Like any good cookbook, narrowing our choices of which dishes to feature proved a challenge. No worries - as this book has earned a permanent place in our collection. Here are the dishes we chose:• Sumac, Tomato & Garlic On Toast - What can we say? We love a good toast and rarely pass on the opportunity to make one in a cookbook. If it contains sumac, one of our favorite spices, it's not even up for debate. Add some fresh tomatoes from our garden and we can barely contain our excitement! We used some Greek Yogurt we had available, in place of the labneh. Of course, our go-to bread recipe (courtesy of Michael Ruhlman's 'From Scratch') was employed yet again.• Turmeric, Lemon & Vodka Coolers - Turmeric, another favorite spice of ours, is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits. While we are not sure if that would technically make these cocktails healthy, it sure does make them delicious! You basically create a simple syrup with fresh turmeric added. This simple addition makes these drinks more "interesting" - both in appearance and taste.• Grilled Halloumi Flatbreads - If you are unfamiliar with halloumi cheese, you are missing out! A semi-hard, brined, unripened cheese made from goat and sheep's milk (and, sometimes cow), it has a high melting point - making it the perfect choice for grilling or frying. For this reason, it has become a popular meat substitute. Don't be deterred by the ingredient list for this recipe. Many of the components can be made in advance. Your effort will be rewarded with a dish bursting in flavor and stunning in appearance. Quick-pickled red onions provide a mellow bite, while the "salsa" containing fresh dill, preserved lemons, barberries (we used currants) and avocado add a depth of flavor. Finished with a simple harissa yogurt and you have a meal that just may earn you a standing ovation from your dinner guests.• Za'atar-Rubbed Pitas - Za'atar, another underrated spice that we love, is the focus here. The recipe instructs you to make your own. However, we have a ready-made blend in our pantry. Making pita bread from scratch is quite easy. Aside from the one hour resting time required for the dough, the process is simple. We made a batch of these to bring to a Summer gathering with friends and they were quickly devoured.• Crunchy Tofu Salad - It's worth acknowledging how much time and effort went into creating those photo-worthy grill marks on the tofu. We employed our stovetop plancha for the task. The things we'll do to capture a good photo. Combining both green and red cabbage, thinly sliced bell peppers, celery and green onions as the "base" for the salad, the accompanying tamarind and miso dressing provided a unique, harmonious collection of flavors to the dish. This would be a perfect side at your next backyard BBQ - offering a perfect alternative, or companion, to some grilled meats.• Mushroom, Tahini and Harissa Spaghetti - It's as if the author was reading our minds and combined many of our favorite flavors in one dish! Although quick and easy to compose, this dish had a depth of flavor usually achieved by a long cooking time. Pulsing the mix of mushrooms (we chose crimini and shitake) resulted in a coarse "base" which received a quick sauté before adding other ingredients (namely, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, harissa and soy sauce). Per usual, we substituted water for homemade vegetable stock (we always have some on hand). This meal serves as a reminder that you don't need to spend several hours in the kitchen to create something bursting with complex flavors.