Cookbook Roundup - Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson
This book is technically not mine… I borrowed it from a friend and then she moved away -sorry Jenny! But it’s in good hands, and is, of all my vegan cookbooks, the one used most often. It’s recipes are simple and don’t try to smother you with weird recipes using hard to find, whacky ingredients like some vegan cookbooks do. This book is a behemoth, clocking in at 555 pages and 400 recipes! I’ve barely scratched the surface of this one, but probably have about 40 recipes flagged for immediate trial!
Broken down into a staggering 20 chapters, Robertson covers every course and every food staple there is. The first chapter on Vegan Basics is awesome, covering everything from vegan pantry staples (a favorite topic of mine) to different kinds of flours, seaweeds, nuts, and sweeteners. With a good dose of solid nutrition information, this intro chapter really is a must read for new vegans - or honestly, anyone looking to eat more whole foods. And that right there is why I love this book - it uses whole, unmessed around with foods, and doesn’t often suggest the use of technically vegan, but not healthy foods like Earth Balance Margarine (which frankly, I’m getting a little sick of seeing in every new vegan cookbook). Sure, there are a few mentions of things like veggie burgers or vegan cream cheese, but these are really the exception to the rule.
If I had to pick something about this book to change, I’d pick two. First, please, pretty please, use pictures! This book doesn’t have a single one. I know it’s cheaper to leave them out, and the book would be twice the size with them in there, but half the time I browse cookbooks visually (for those into the whole food-porn thing, you HAVE to check out www.tastespotting.com - an immense website that posts just the photos of recipes culled from the internet. I’ve wasted many many hours on this site…). Second, although this book of 400 recipes is a bargain at $22 (mine was free! Sorry again Jenny! I’ll return it one day), I do wish it was smaller. And only because it’s overwhelming to have this many good recipes to choose from in one book! You know how you’re lucky if you find 5 or 6 great recipes in any single book? Well this one will throw you for a loop, because there are literally hundreds of great recipes in here. Robin’s new book 1000 Vegan Recipes actually scares me! I know I’ll get it, but seriously, one thousand recipes?? On top of the 400 in this book, and the other few hundred in her other 6 or 7 published cookbooks? This woman is a prolific recipe magician!
Anyway, on to the recipes I like, nay love, and have made over and over again: Ginger Scented Vegetable Potstickers- easy, quick, and beyond tasty, I keep meaning to make a wonton style soup with these inside. Not to be outdone by the equally simply and equally delicious Vegetable Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce. Seriously yum! Broccoli Rabe with Figs, Garlic and Pine Nuts was surprisingly tasty despite my not usually liking fruits in my dinner. I end up using regular broccoli for this though, as I find the smell of broccoli rabe to be, er, really offensive. Sorry broccoli rabe, I don’t like you. But this recipe is super yummy, and the best part is? Six ingredients! Love it. For all those people who complain about being too tired to make dinner after work, for shame! This healthy and tasty dinner cooks up in a whopping 7 minutes. Serve it over some pasta or brown rice and you’ve got healthy eats. No excuses!
I’ve not made it to the dessert section of this book (which is strange, because that’s usually the section I start with), but I’m dying to make her Coconut-Macadamia Cheesecake. Next special ocassion cake is going to be this one! But then I skip ahead a few pages and find the Fresh Peach Crisp with Almond Butter Cream. Ooooh my! (Hmmm… I do have peaches I froze over the summer just waiting to be used….) And Mango-Coconut Bread Pudding. Seroiusly, I love coconut, in any form (except those juice boxed coconut waters. ick. Fresh coconut water is 1000% better). Oh god! and the very next page is Coconut-Cardamom Rice Pudding. Why in hell have I ignored the back of this book for so long??!?!
She’s got chapters on chutneys & salsas, breads, smoothies, sauces & dressings, along with the staple chapters on soups, salads, veggies, grains, beans, breakfasts, and desserts. If you’re really looking for a 1-stop vegan cookbook, this one is it, bar none. When I end up getting her 1000 Vegan Recipes book I’ll report back what I think, although I’m sure it will be great (as if I’ll ever get to make even half of the recipes in there… it would take me years!)
Tags: cookbook roundup
