Three Plates at the Table, by two Central Iowa writers—Sheryl Ellinwood (Pella) and Jamilee McQuivey (Fremont) —has just received a Finalist award in the 2011 Indie Excellence Award in the category of cookbooks. This award celebrates the highest achievements in independent press and self-publishing, a sector of the industry that has grown exponentially in size and prestige in recent years.

Published by The Write Place, Three Plates at the Table is a 415-page collection of practical recipe adaptations and nutritional insights for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters. Its recipes have variations for all three eating preferences.

Write Place owner Carol Van Klompenburg said, “When Sheryl proposed this concept to The Write Place, she was frustrated by the lack of a holistic health cookbook like this in the marketplace, and saw a high need for it to help cooks prepare healthy foods in a world of multiple eating tracks. She and Jamilee did a masterful job of providing healthy, tasty recipes and useful nutrition information. It is a landmark publication, and the Indie Excellence award validates their work.”

The authors taste-tested each of the 215 recipes in the book, which range from Thai fish cakes and Greek spinach pie to standard favorites such as macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and chocolate ice cream.

The 90 pages of nutritional information show why certain foods provide more energy, promote weight loss naturally and alleviate health problems. Ellinwood is a holistic health consultant and author of a previous book, the award-winning Empowered: A Woman-to-Woman Guide to Preventing and Surviving Breast Cancer. McQuivey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in holistic nutrition, and is a holistic nutrition consultant, personal trainer and yoga instructor. Both women own health-consulting services that offer cooking classes and various workshops. Ellinwood owns Empowered Health Resource based in Pella, and McQuivey owns Holistic Logistics based in Fremont.

Three Plates at the Table can be ordered at Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com.