Plenty of people wouldn't dream of becoming vegetarian or vegan all the time.

But more and more people are interested in reducing the amount of meat they eat, either to reduce their carbon footprints, or reduce their cholesterol, or just reduce their grocery bills.

An intriguing new cookbook lays out a middle path for eating "Almost Meatless." The book, co-authored by Philadelphia-area food writers Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond (Ten Speed Press, $22.50), is subtitled "Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet."

"So many people want to eat like this," says Ms. Manning, 32, who has been doing so for six years, after being a vegetarian and then vegan for more than a decade. Her approach, as she sums it up in her introduction, "de-emphasizes meat while still embracing it for the flavor it can bring to a balanced meal," and focuses on quality meat that is sustainably raised, which is easier on the planet's as well as humans' health.

A food editor for a Philly magazine, she ran her idea past Ms. Mataraza Desmond, a food writer and recipe developer with more culinary experience who had never considered being a vegetarian. She was, if you will, the cheeseburger to Ms. Manning's tofu dog. But, as Ms. Manning writes, "she, too, had been thinking a lot about sustainability and what it means to be thoughtful and compassionate about meat consumption."

The two came together a bit as they developed these recipes, almost all of which contain some meat. Yet most of the titles don't sound restricted or granola-y in any way: Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie, Pork Potstickers, Beefed-Up Bean Chili.

One of Ms. Mataraza Desmond's favorites is Almond Gnocchi with Lamb Ragu, but it uses just 8 ounces of bone-in lamb. "Its flavor goes so far," she says.

"Almost Meatless" dishes have about 2 ounces of meat per serving, whereas the going recommendation is the oft-quoted "deck of cards"-sized 4 ounces, and the typical home and especially restaurant portions of meat are more like 8 or more.

Ms. Manning points out that many of the recipes in the book can be made without meat at all (the way she prefers the Beefed-Up Bean Chili).

Even with some meat, these recipes are lighter, says Ms. Manning, who blogs about her struggle to maintain a healthy weight at whatiweightoday.com. Interestingly, her day -- er, evening -- is working as restaurant critic for Philadelphia magazine. So she has to eat some meat.

She just continues to love vegetarian and vegan food, too. "Yesterday I had a total vegetarian day by accident," she says.

On her co-author's blog, crumbsonmykeyboard.com, one day last month, the two women hosted an "Almost Meatless Virtual Blogger Potluck," for which they and more than 30 bloggers chronicled a dish they'd made and photographed from the book. A couple of participants "brought" non-meat versions.

Ms. Mataraza Desmond notes how a "meat lover" like her made the Potato Corn Chowder, which uses tofu and just two slices of bacon, plus some chicken stock. "It's actually remarkable how easy it is to cook this way." (The co-authors also do a weekly "Meat Lite" column on seriouseats.com.)

Ms. Mataraza Desmond, who describes herself and her husband as "budget-conscious 30-somethings and active runners who try to eat well," says they're more careful about buying food from smaller, local sources, even though it may cost more. You still can save money if you "get several meals out of one $10 free-range organic chicken instead of a $4 factory-farmed bird."

The book includes tips on how to buy better meat, including turkey bacon, and poultry and seafood, so you can cook up your own "almost meatless" recipes, such as these for making burgers with less beef: "A half turkey, half beef sandwich would likely fool your dinner guests. Tofu would also mesh well with all but the leanest ground beef. Minced mushrooms and even shredded beets have an earthy quality that's a natural fit in burgers."

In the end, they both say readers' reaction to the book has been satisfying, even if some of them sound surprised.

"People keep saying how delicious the recipes are," says Ms. Manning, perhaps because they came at it with "the idea that having less meat would somehow prohibit it being good."

PG tested

"We took on an almost meatless burger as a challenge to ourselves," write Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond. "A hamburger, after all, crowns the list of Ultimate Meat dishes. When Tara's husband, a guy from Oklahoma whose favorite food is a cheeseburger from a revered hamburger joint in Tulsa, said 'I'd order this over a regular burger,' we knew we had pulled it off! Bulgur wheat factors in 5 grams of fiber per serving, and its textured chew is complementary to a variety of dishes, including, as it turns out, a burger."

I cooked these indoors in a frying pan and they turned out great. Froze fine, too.

-- Bob Batz Jr.

• 1 cup dried black beans, cooked, or
• 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, minced
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• 1/2 cup coarse- or medium-grind bulgur wheat
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 6 hamburger buns (whole grain recommended)
• Fixings of your choice, such as lettuce, sliced tomato, and sliced onion

Preheat the grill to medium-high and lightly oil the grates.

Pulse the beans, garlic paste, scallions, and mustard several times in a food processor until a chunky paste forms. (Alternatively, mash the beans and the other ingredients well with a fork or potato masher.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the bulgur wheat, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork. Season with the salt and pepper, or to taste, and let cool slightly.

Add the egg, bulgur wheat, and beef to the bean mixture and stir to combine the ingredients evenly. Form into 6 equal patties, about 4 ounces and 1/2 inch thick each. You can make 4 jumbo burgers (6 ounces each) or 10 sliders (2.5 ounces each).

Grill the burgers over a medium-high flame for about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer from the grill to hamburger buns and top with your favorite fixings. Alternatively, the burgers can be pan-fried over medium-high heat in a lightly oiled nonstick pan.

Serves 6.

-- "Almost Meatless: Recipes that are Better for Your Health and the Planet" by Joy Manning and Tara Matarazza Desmond (Ten Speed, 2009, $22.50).

PG tested

Chorizo, a spicy pork sausage made with garlic and chiles, is available both fresh and cured, Either works well in this recipe. (If you use cured chorizo, cut it into pieces rather than crumbling into the pan.) The smooth, rich tomato sauce is inspired by traditional mole sauce, which typically gets some of its depth from the bittersweet chocolate.

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 4 ounces (about 2 links) chorizo sausage
• 1/2 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, juices strained and reserved, tomatoes chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, or 11-ounce can, drained
• 1 1/2 cups dried black beans, cooked, or
• 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup water
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds yellow or orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch slices, or in disks
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 avocado, sliced, for garnish
• 2 limes, cut into wedges, for garnish
• Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lightly with oil.

To prepare the tomato mixture, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Slice the surface of the sausages lengthwise to remove the meat from the casings. Crumble the meat into the hot pan and saut?? for about 5 minutes, breaking it up further as it cooks and begins to brown. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 30 seconds more.

Pour the reserved tomato juices into the pan to deglaze, scraping the bits from the bottom. Add the chopped tomatoes, cumin, chile powder, and chocolate. Stir to combine while the chocolate melts. Add the corn and black beans, reduce the heat to medium, and allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the water. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Meanwhile, to assemble and cook, spread 1/3 of the sweet potatoes on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, overlapping the slices. Scoop 1/2 the tomato mixture (a heaping cup) and spread evenly across the first layer of potatoes. Top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat this layering process, ending with a layer of potatoes. Reserve the last 1/3 of the cheese.

Once assembled, cover with foil, pushing it onto the surface of the top layer, and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until potatoes are fork tender (yellow sweet potatoes tend to take longer). Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the cheese atop the potatoes. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the layers to set up.

Cut and serve with avocado and lime wedges. Garnish with cilantro as desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

-- "Almost Meatless: Recipes that are Better for Your Health and the Planet" by Joy Manning and Tara Matarazza Desmond (Ten Speed, 2009, $22.50).