Easy Vegan: Simple Recipes for Healthy Eating, published by Ryland Peters & Small.  Is a complete compilation of very tasty vegan dishes. Simply good food. Inspired by many different styles of cooking from all over the world and all without animal products.

About the Book

Soups, snacks, salads, main dishes, sweet things, drinks and more.  All vegan friendly, and very easy to make.

“Whether it’s a desire to improve health through eating a pure diet, or for reasons of conscience, vegan food is a popular lifestyle choice.  These easy recipes from all around the world use readily available ingredients and show just how creative, varied and delicious vegan cooking can be.”

This hard cover and hearty cookbook is worthy of any vegan, vegetarian or omnivore’s cookbook library.

 My Thoughts

I absolutely love vegan food.  I find vegan foods to be so full of flavours, textures and colours, exciting all of my senses.  Meal time is more fun when it’s Vegan night.  Becoming vegan could be an easy move for me.  I try to be vegan at least three times per week, vegetarian two times per week and carnivore at least twice a week, which in the real world would make me a well-rounded Omnivore…..and by eating all my foods from local sources, as much as I can at least 80% of the time, makes me “Lady” Locavore

Vegan Day can be fun with friends on an occasional Saturday night.  Invite them all over with a bottle of their personal favourite imbibement. Start off with a Chickpea, Cherry Tomato, and Green Bean Minestrone Soup, accompanied by Mini Spring Rolls with Chile Dipping Sauce. Introduce Provencal Pickled Beans to the main course, and a rice and vegetable dish of Perfumed Persian Pulow.  Persian food is so sophisticated. This Iranian dish is a must have.  The evening meal ends by being topped off in the lounge or patio with a vegan delightful stack of Cherry and Hazlenut Cookies, served with an array of favourite beverages, hot or cold for plenty of dunking privileges.  Friends will leave with a belly full of good food and fun, and maybe by the next day after they have talked incessantly about that fabulous meal, may finally come to realize they just experienced a totally meatless meal.

Book Highlight

With so many choices, here are a couple of recipes that may become life long favourite recipes.

SWEET POTATO AND COCONUT SOUP WITH THAI PESTO

Sweet potatoes make an excellent ingredient for soups.  When blended they take on a velvety, creamy texture.  Here their sweetness is cut through with a spicy Thai-style pesto, which really brings this soup to life.

• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 1 lb sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, vegan friendly only
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups coconut milk

Pesto

• 2/3 cup unsalted peanuts, lightly toasted
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 large green chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro or coriander
• 1 large handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon soft light brown sugar

Put the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and set over medium heat.  Add the sweet potato and onion, partially cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until they are soft and just starting to turn golden.  Increase the heat to high, add the curry paste, and stir-fry with the sweet potato for 3-4 minutes so that the paste cooks and becomes fragrant. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth.  Return the blended soup to a clean saucepan.

To make the pesto, put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whizz, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until you have a chunky green paste and the ingredients are all evenly chopped.  Gently reheat the soup, then ladle into warmed serving bowls.  Top with a generous spoonful of Thai pesto to serve.

CALABRIAN-STYLE POTATOES AND BELL PEPPERS

This is a fine example of the “less is more” approach to cooking vegetables – simple, good-quality ingredients cooked to perfection.  Use waxy potatoes that will hold their shape during cooking and the biggest bell peppers you can find.

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and thickly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, halved, seeded and thickly sliced
• 1 1/4 lbs potatoes, thinly sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet/frying pan.  Add the red and yellow bell peppers and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn golden brown.  Ad the potatoes to the pan, season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid, and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes, turning every few minutes as the potatoes begin to brown, taking care not to bread them.  If the potatoes start to stick, this will just add to the flavor of the dish, but don’t let them burn.

When the potatoes are tender, transfer to a serving dish and top with the parsley, if using.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Contest Rules

Easy Vegan: Simple Recipes for Healthy Eating, published by Ryland Peters & Small will have you running home every night excited to make dinner.  Put my copy of this precious hardcover n’ hearty cookbook on your shelf by entering this contest.  Simply make a comment below, plus your suggestion as to what new and exciting fall veggies you are looking forward to enjoying this coming season, and you are entered in the contest.  Good Luck! And Happy, Healthy, Local Eating!

Lady Locavore