Author: Deborah Gray
Length: 288 pages (Dutch edition)
This is a base cooking book for everyone who is interested in eating vegan. With 500 dishes from breakfast to dessert, there is something for everyone.
Personal opinion:
This book is in one word awesome! I would say it is the perfect book for people who are just beginning to taste of a vegan lifestyle. The book starts off with a few very basic recipes for cheese, milk and egg replacements, and then moves on to every dinner course you can think of. Breakfast, main dishes and desserts. But also sides, soups, salads and even vegan baking. The recipes are in general easy to follow and there are 3 or 4 variations of each recipe included in the book. The one thing that I sometimes find intimidating is the large list of ingredients you find with dishes, but a lot of times this are just herb & spice combinations. For the people who like pictures in there cookbooks, this book might disappoint. There are small pictures from each dish in the variations section and there certainly are larger pictures throughout the book, but not from every recipe.
Purchase links: The Book Depository
Challenges: Foodies Reading Challenge
As always I will share a recipe with you from the book and this time it will be a three-bean chili. It is the perfect recipe for bulk cooking and it is so easy to make. I adjusted my vegetables somewhat with what I had in the house, using the recipe as a guideline for the spice combination. Don't be scared off by the long ingredient list, I have most of these in my pantry anyway as will most people who cook regularly. I didn't have to buy any of the spices, only the fresh and canned veggies which aren't that expensive.
Three-Bean Chili (serves 6-8)
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 can (400 gr) kidney beans
- 1 can (400 gr) white beans
- 1 can (400 gr) black beans (or any other bean combination)
- 1-2 spring onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 300gr corn
- 250 gr mushrooms
- 1-2 bell peppers (or more spicy ones)
- 2 cans (800 gr) diced tomatoes
- 100 gr tomato puree
- 750 ml vegetable broth
- 2-4 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp sugar
- some fresh thyme (own addition)
- 2 bay leaves (own addition)
Cut the onions, garlic, bell peppers and mushrooms. Heat some oil in a very large pan and stir fry those veggies together for a few minutes. Then add the chili powder, paprika and cumin and stir fry for about one more minute. After that add all the other ingredients. I always rinse my canned beans well before I add them. This way they will lose the tin flavour. Bring everything to a boil and then put the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
As a variation you can also cut the recipe in half and serve with potatoes, rice or as a wrap type of dish.
This post is part of Weekend Cooking. Please make sure you visit all the other posts, because it will give you a lot of inspiration :)
Fist, the book sounds terrific. I love cookbooks that offer variations so it's easy to adapt a recipe to your own tastes. If my niece ever moves from vegetarian to vegan, I'll have to see if this book comes in English.
ReplyDeleteSecond, the recipe looks easy. The mushrooms and corn add to the heartiness and anything with smoked paprika is usually a win for me.
Yes, the book is in English. My Dutch edition is a translated one :)
DeleteI'm a fan of vegetarian chili. I have a recipe for a spring chili that uses chickpeas and pesto that is dynamite. Yum.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds wonderful! Do you have a recipe for me? I would love to try it :)
Deletewell, I am not a vegan, but I make a very similar veggie chili...except the cocoa. I must try that.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds wonderful. I'm not vegan but I'm always interested in widening my horizons and eating healthier things. So for me it would be nice in addition to my usual.
ReplyDeleteThis chili recipe looks wonderful. My nephew eats vegan, and this book is perfect for him.
ReplyDeleteMy son is dating a vegan now, this might be helpful! Also she is new to this lifestyle and it might make a nice Christmas gift for her too!
ReplyDeletethis is great. Always good to have options for vegans. Would you like to link it to Food on Friday: Chillies as well? Just pop over to Carole's Chatter if you would like to. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI am always up for trying a chili recipe - and this one looks delicious. My current favorite recipe for chili uses white beans and chicken, so this would be quite a departure. I'm curious about the taste, so will have to try it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteinteresting combination = good tasting recipe!
ReplyDeleteI've seen the Dutch version of this series in the bookshops, but not this one. How cool is this one! I mean, it's also a wonderful book for people who would like to cook more creatively, or with less dairy/meat.
ReplyDeleteYour counter top looks a bit full, that makes this recipe a bit daunting o__O But three bean chili sounds delish. Must make!
Fascinated by the idea of adding cocoa to chile, but chocolate is an ingredient in Mexican mole dishes, so this sounds authentic. Just never occurred to me. Must try.
ReplyDelete