General interest in non-meat recipes continues to grow, judging from the positive reaction from our readers when we run them as well as a flurry of recent vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. Earlier this month, we in Food & Flavor got a copy of the new "Vegan Lunch Box: 125 Easy, International Lunches Kids and Grown-ups Will Love" by Jennifer McCann (Da Capo, Sept. 2009, $18.95). Also in the mail that day: Notice of the November release, from the same publisher, of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats."

Now, most Pittsburghers are no more likely to become vegans than they are to stop putting butter in their holiday cookies. But there are all sorts of reasons all sorts of people can use good meat- or dairy-free recipes. Here are a few for inspiration.

-- Bob Batz Jr.

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These vegan squares, which resemble crustless knishes, drew compliments from colleagues. If you were a vegetarian but not a vegan, you might add a bit of butter on top of the bread crumbs. If I were making them again, I'd omit the nutritional yeast, which was hard to find and -- to be blunt -- smelled like socks in a clothes hamper. Yet the recipe didn't seem to suffer from it.

-- Jim Heinrich

• 3 pounds yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (see note)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 16-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups bread crumbs, divided
• A few pinches paprika
• Additional fresh oregano for garnish (optional)

In a large pot, cover the potatoes in water and bring them to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes a bit. Add nutritional yeast and oil and continue to mash until creamy. Press the thawed spinach in a colander to remove some of the water. Combine with the potatoes. Add oregano, lemon juice, zest, salt and several dashes of pepper. Mix in 1 cup of the bread crumbs and thoroughly combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Spread potatoes in evenly, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup bread crumbs and a few pinches of paprika. Spray with cooking spray to moisten the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. The dish is ready when the top is browned and the potatoes are pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing into squares and serving, but a word to the wise: This dish tastes better the longer you let it cool. Sprinkle with fresh oregano if you like.

Note: Nutritional yeast, sometimes called "nooch," lends a cheesy flavor to sauces and scrambles. Available in flakes or powder form, it is usually found in the bulk bins of your health food store. It is nothing like brewer's yeast or any other kind of yeast, so don't go replacing it.

-- "Vegan Brunch" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Da Capo Lifelong, $19.95)

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In middle school, I became a vegetarian for ethical reasons, and subsisted on Frosted Flakes, Pop Tarts and peanut butter sandwiches for a year -- until I realized I didn't actually care about cows, chickens or pigs, which are frankly quite tasty.

If my compassion for farm animals were to resurface, I'd turn to these simple zucchini cakes, from the new "College Vegetarian Cooking," for something less carb-y and more sophisticated.

They have a crisp golden exterior that gives way to a shock of green softness at the prod of a fork. The most challenging part is grating the zucchini, which took more patience and upper body strength than I have. You could use a food processor to get the same results.

-- Liyun Jin

• 2 green onions
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons horseradish
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 zucchini
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon flour, plus about 1/4 cup for dipping (I used whole wheat)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Cut off and discard the roots of the green onions, and cut the whites and about 1 inch of the green parts into thin slices. Place half the sliced green onions, the mayonnaise, horseradish, and milk in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Reserve the rest of the sliced green onions.

Cut off the ends the zucchini and discard. Grate the zucchini and place it on a paper towel. Wrap the paper towel and the zucchini and squeeze over the sink to remove the excess liquid. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press.

Lightly beat the egg yolk in a large bowl. Add the reserved green onions, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of flour. Gently stir in the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Put the 1/4 cup of flour into a small, flat dish. Form the zucchini mixture into two balls, dip the balls into the dish of flour so that they are coated all over, and flatten them slightly to form cakes. Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the zucchini cakes, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Place the zucchini cakes on a plate and top with the sauce.

Makes 2 cakes.

-- "College Vegetarian Cookbook" by Megan Carle (Ten Speed, $20)

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This scramble is inspired by the classic Italian dish, Pasta Puttanesca. Cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz recommends pairing it with Potato Spinach Squares. The tofu didn't brown as it was supposed to. The recipe was flavorful, but a little of it goes a long way.

-- Jim Heinrich

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound extra-firm tofu, diced
• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup mixed olives, roughly chopped (we used Kalamata)
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned, but be careful not to burn. (Three minutes ought to do it.) Add the red pepper flakes and the tofu and saute for about 10 minutes, until the tofu is browned. Add a little extra oil if necessary.

Mix in tomatoes, thyme and oregano and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are a bit broken down but still whole. Add olives, capers and salt. Cook just until heated through.

-- "Vegan Brunch" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Da Capo Lifelong, $19.95)

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With their earthy taste and fleshy texture, mushrooms are a great substitute for meat, so when I saw a picture of these ravioli, with translucent wonton wrappers hinting at the savoriness within, I was ready to eat the page.

I was a little dubious about the wonton wrapper shortcut, but the paper-thin dough perfectly complemented the fresh taste of the mushrooms and onion. Without so much as touching a rolling pin, these parsley- and parmesan-adorned morsels manage to look and taste as if you've slaved all day.

-- Liyun Jin

• Oil or cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 ounces portabello, shiitake, or other brown mushrooms (I used cremini)
• 1/2 small onion
• Salt and pepper
• 20 3-inch wonton wrappers
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Up to 4 hours before mealtime, lightly coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Cut the ends off the mushroom stems, discard, and cut the mushrooms into very thin slices. Peel the onion and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.

Place the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the onion is soft and all the liquid is evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Lay a wonton wrapper on a work surface, dip your finger in water, and wet the entire edge of the wrapper. Place a spoonful of the mushroom mixture in the center and top with another wonton wrapper. Firmly press the edges to seal, pushing gently around the filling to remove any air pockets. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Lay the finished ravioli on the baking sheet, keeping them separate so they don't stick together.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully lower a few of the ravioli into the water using a slotted spoon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the wrapper is translucent. Remove with the slotted spoon, drain well, and place on the baking sheet. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap right on top of the ravioli, smoothing it down to remove any air pockets. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Fifteen minutes before mealtime, place the butter in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add the ravioli to the pan one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly coated in butter before adding another so they don't stick together and tear. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm. Spoon the ravioli onto plates, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and parsley, and serve immediately.

Makes 10 ravioli.

-- "College Vegetarian Cookbook" by Megan Carle (Ten Speed, $20)

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"Cilantro, mint, and toasted cumin seeds join together to perfume this refreshing summer soup, and a subversive bit of jalapeño adds a streak of heat under the cooling yogurt, just as in my favorite Indian raitas," writes Anna Thomas in her forthcoming book, "Love Soup" (she also wrote "The Vegetarian Epicure").

If you like raita (we do), you'll like this soup, whose flavor is not dominated by any single ingredient; the cilantro, mint, cumin and crunchy cukes all come into play. Two cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped, amounted to 4 cups. I found goat yogurt, which retains its mild chevre taste in this soup, at Whole Foods. You can substitute cow's milk yogurt, Ms. Thomas advises.

-- Patricia Lowry

• 1 1/2 pounds cucumbers
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 3 cups whole goat yogurt
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup water
• Chopped unsalted pistachio nuts (optional)

Peel the cucumbers, quarter them lengthwise, cut out the seeds, and slice or dice them. You should have about 4 cups. Toss the cucumbers with the salt and leave them in a bowl for 15 minutes or so. Do not drain.

Add the yogurt to the cucumbers and their liquid, stir in the cilantro, mint, and cumin, and pulse everything in a blender a few times, in batches, or use an immersion blender. I prefer a chunkier texture for this soup, sort of half blended, but you can make it as smooth as you like. Add the minced jalapeno.

Season the soup with the lemon juice and a bit more salt if you like, and then stir in enough water to make a souplike consistency; the soup should not be watery but should pour easily from a ladle. Chill the soup for several hours, and serve in chilled bowls.

Sprinkle a few chopped pistachios on top of each serving if you like.

Makes 6 servings.

-- "Love Soup" by Anna Thomas (Norton, Sept. 2009, $22.95).