Book excerpt: Discover the amazing versatility of the slow cooker! If you're a vegetarian who thought slow cookers were just for meat-eaters, Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker will introduce you to the wonders of slow cooking. And if you're already a slow cooker enthusiast, here's a whole new array of healthy, delicious recipes for a favorite appliance. Slow cookers can be used for a lot more than just tough, inexpensive cuts of meat. They're perfect for vegetarian and healthy cooking because slow cooking is a foolproof way to make beans, grains, numerous vegetables, and much, much more. ''Until now most slow cooker cookbooks have been heavily meat oriented, leaning mightily on processed, preservative-heavy ingredients. Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker changes that. What a good idea! Here, every ingredient is fresh and real, and there's not a single pot roast with dehydrated onion soup to be found! Hooray for this cookbook's ease, innovation, delicious-sounding variety, bright ingredients, and fine results. Not just vegetarians, but anyone who needs cooking ease but doesn't want to sacrifice full flavor or health, will rejoice in this inviting book.'' - Crescent Dragonwagon, James Beard Award-winning author of Passionate Vegetarian