I’ve been blogging for several years now, and I get sent a lot of vegan cookbooks to review. While I appreciate each and every one of them, it’s difficult for a book to impress me. I mean knock-my-non-wool-socks-off, call-all-my-vegan-friends, you-gotta-see-this book impress me. That is, until Vegan Cuisine arrived in the mail. This book is amazing.
Vegan Cuisine
Vegan Cuisine by Jean-Christian Jury is a gorgeous hardcover cookbook full of incredibly creative plant-based recipes and mouthwateringly gorgeous photographs taken by Joerg Lehmann. Weighing close to 6½ pounds (yes, you read that right) and measuring over 13-inches high, Vegan Cuisine is the largest cookbook I’ve ever seen. It’s far to large for my bookcase, but that’s okay, because it would be a shame to keep this book cooped up on a shelf – it needs to be on the coffee table in the living room for everyone to see.
Vegan Cuisine is packed with over 800 recipes that have been collected and curated by top vegan chef Jean-Christian Jury. These creative recipes squash all misconceptions that vegan food is just salads and tofu, and they elevate plant-based cooking to an art form.
From Soup to Desserts
The recipes in Vegan Cuisine range from tasty appetizers and scrumptious soups to deliciously filling main dishes and luscious desserts. You’ll also find plenty of recipes for salads, sauces and dressings, breads, and snacks. There’s even an entire chapter devoted to cheese and crackers. These dishes will please vegans and omnivores alike. Who can say no to a plate of Walnut and Pear Crackers paired with Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Cheese? Or Wild Mushroom and Artichoke Strudel? Make sure you save room for Strawberry and Chocolate Cheesecake!
Simple Ingredients
While the recipes sound like dishes you’d find on the menu of five-star restaurant, they’re all made with simple, plant-based ingredients, and they come with easy-to-follow instructions that demystify fine cuisine. Those who think they don’t know how to cook will be amazed at how easy it is to make flavorful meals, while seasoned cooks will be pleased to have a new cache of recipes in their vegan arsenals.
Vegan Cuisine is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to cook this holiday season!
- 2 small butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed and discarded
- ¼ cup/60 g vegan margarine
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp vegan margarine
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup/50 g seedless white grapes
- 3 tbsp/20 g grated ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 4 oz/120 g silken tofu
- 7 tbsp/50 g dried breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp grated orange zest
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. For?the squash, using a sharp knife, score?the flesh of the squash. Place the squash halves, cut sides up, in an ovenproof dish or rimmed baking sheet. Brush them with the margarine and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour and let cool.
- For the stuffing, while the squash roasts, heat the margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, cover, and cook gently for 8 minutes, until softened. Add the grapes, ginger, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and paprika and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. Add the tofu and breadcrumbs and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Spoon out 2 halves of the butternut squash, cut the flesh into small cubes and mix with the rest of the stuffing mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the stuffing mixture on top of the remaining roasted squash halves and transfer back to the oven for 10–12 minutes. Sprinkle with the orange zest and serve immediately.
