Even with the growing interest in the organic-food movement and in the relationship between food and health, and despite the appearance of delicious plant-based entrees on the best restaurant menus, some people still get a bit testy when "vegetarian" cooking is mentioned. Cranky folks find it labor-intensive, or strange, or health nut-ish. Get over it, folks. You know that vegetarianism has hit the mainstream when Betty Crocker gets behind it.

"Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian" (Wiley, 2006) offers extremely simple, family-friendly vegetarian meals for the novice vegetarian or novice home cook. Although more dependent on packaged, store-bought foods than most vegetarian cookbooks, it nonetheless fills a niche as a good companion to any home cook just starting out on a journey into meatlessness.

Vegetarian cooking makes sense for families on many levels. It is often cheaper, it can be healthier, and it is usually a good way to get a larger variety of foods into your daily diet. If you are the mother of a teenage girl, you may find you have a newly minted (and quite emphatic) vegetarian on your hands. It's a stage of culinary evolution that many young women seem to go through and sometimes never leave. Or you may define yourself as one of the new breed of "flexitarians": folks who eat diets high in whole grains and fresh produce but occasionally add animal protein sources. (You can await with pleasure the publication of a Houghton-Mifflin book called "The Flexitarian Table" by Peter Berley in June.) Even if you are an adamant meat-starch-veg kind of cook, there will come a time when you find yourself entertaining a vegetarian, so it's good to have a few recipes on hand.

Once you've mastered Betty Crocker, there are a number of excellent, slightly more advanced cookbooks to look at. One of my favorites is still "Quick Vegetarian Pleasures" by Jeanne Lemlin (HarperPerrenial, 1992).

CALIFORNIA BLACK-BEAN BURGERS

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4-ounce) can green chilies, drained and chopped

1 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs

1 to 2 eggs, beaten

3/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste

1/4 cup cornmeal

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 or 5 burger buns, as needed

1 tablespoon mayonnaise or salad dressing

1-1/4 cups shredded lettuce

3 tablespoons chunky-style salsa

sliced red onions, chopped scallions, pickles or other toppings of your choice (optional)

In a food processor, puree the beans, chilies, breadcrumbs, 1 egg, chili powder and cumin. The mixture should be moist enough to hold together; if it is not, add the second egg. Shape into 4 or 5 patties, about 1/2-inch thick. Place the cornmeal in a shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper, and coat each side of each patty with the cornmeal.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add the patties, cook 10 to 15 minutes total, turning once, until crisp and cooked on both sides.

Meanwhile, split and toast as many buns as you have burgers. Spread the bottom halves with mayonnaise. Place the lettuce on top. Add a bean burger, then salsa and any other condiments of your choosing. Cover with top half of the buns and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe slightly adapted from "Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian" (Wiley, 2006)

SLOW-COOKER TAMALE PIE

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

2 cups (12-ounce) crumbled soy-protein burger (available in produce aisle of supermarket)

1 (15- to 16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 (6-1/2-ounce) pouch corn-muffin mix

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or canola oil

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack or Mexican-blend cheese

1 (4-1/2-ounce) can green chilies, drained and chopped

1/4 cup sour cream, regular, low-fat or nonfat

4 scallions, trimmed and chopped

Spray generously with cooking spray - or lightly oil - the inside of the slow-cooker stoneware.

If you have time, oil or spray a small skillet and cook the onions for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. This caramelizes them (brings out sugars, and, therefore, flavor). Add them to the slow cooker. If you don't have time, put them raw into the slow cooker. Add the soy crumbles, beans and enchilada sauce.

In a medium bowl, stir the cornbread mix, milk, butter (or oil) and egg together just until moistened. (The batter will be lumpy.) Stir in the cheese and chilies. Spoon over the mixture into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean. Serve with sour cream and scallions.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe slightly adapted from "Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian" (Wiley, 2006)

MINESTRONE

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

2 (14-1/2 ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (do not drain)

2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth

1 (15 to 16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup uncooked small pasta shells (or other small pasta)

1 medium yellow summer squash or zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into slices

1/4 cup prepared basil pesto

shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high. Add onion and bell pepper, cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until crisp-tender.

Stir in tomatoes, broth and beans. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Stir in pasta and squash. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Boil 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender. Top individual servings with pesto, swirling in slightly. Garnish with Parmesan, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from "Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian" (Wiley, 2006)

MEXICAN VEGETABLE STEW

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 large onions, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, with juice

6 to 8 cups vegetable broth (homemade, store-bought or made with bouillon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

3 medium zucchini, trimmed and chopped

3 cups freshly cooked or canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups frozen corn kernels

grated cheddar cheese (optional)

corn chips (optional)

In a 6- to 8-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic, onions and cumin for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the tomatoes (with juice), 6 cups of the vegetable broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Add the carrots and cook 15 minutes, then add zucchini and cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until zucchini is tender but not mushy.

Add the beans and corn and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes more. If the stew seems too thick, heat some or all of the remaining broth and add until it is the consistency you like.

Serve as is, or, if desired, puree 2 cups of the stew in blender or food processor, and return to pot to thicken the stew. Taste to adjust seasoning. If desired, sprinkle grated cheese and corn chips over each serving. This stew is even better the next day.

Yield: about 6 servings

Recipe adapted slightly from "Quick Vegetarian Pleasures" by Jeanne Lemlin (HarperPerrenial, 1992)

Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.