There is an essence of Ottolenghi about this book from Jean-Christian Jury.
The book begins:
“At the root of it, vegan food is just food: vibrant, flavorful, freshmaking you feel good inside and out. The recipes in this book are a celebration of plant vitality and variety. The possibilities are seemingly endless and delicious.”
What a great entrance into the world of JCJ. Vegan food IS still just food. Albeit amazing, vibrant food.. A lot of meat-eaters see veganism as an extreme; when I was younger, it was hard to imagine how vegans survived. I remember turning to a dear friend of mine and asking How do you live? What do you eat? Do you miss this, do you miss that?
This could be a huge barrier for those wishing to transition to a plant-based diet, so it’s important we are conveying the ease of vegan diet as well as it’s incredible vibrancy and benefit.
Ranging from Nuts and Seeds to Vegetables to Spices and Condiments, this part of the book is great. It covers all the necessities for a vegan kitchen!
I wish that I had this book when I first became vegan; these are all ingredients which provide excellent variety to a plant-based diet. My partner Katie and I both spend our free time cooking and love discovering different uses for many of these ingredients. Experimenting with different types of flour is insanely satisfying.
In terms of nutrition, there are many essential items here which you should pay close attention to if you are just starting out OR if you are just looking to improve your nutritional vocabulary. We’re talking flaxseed, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, kamut flour and sweet potatoes. One thing we would have to add is BANANAS. This is a crucial ingredient we feel has been missed.
We’re going to focus on one recipe from each section of this book, picking a favourite for you to preview from this incredible vegan cookbook.
We tried this recipe out and it.. was.. delicious!
It may seem like a daunting task, making your own sushi at home.. but boy oh boy is it simple and so totally worth it.
Chickpeas and coriander!! If there are two things we could not live without here at VLL it is chickpeas and coriander. It has to be organic!
We tend to buy our chickpeas in bulk, just because we use so many ad as I said before, we can’t live without them. Individual laminate film cartons, about 20 at a time.
Perfect for those winter nights and on our list of must-make Christmas recipes! We tested this out yesterday and we really love the turmeric and the lemon peel garnish. Turmeric is one of those incredible roots which you should definitely push into your everyday diet.
Check out our article on Turmeric and it’s benefits here:
Vegan Burgers! Need we say any more..
One of the most popular food items in the world, the burger is a humble yet incredibly satisfying meal everyone can enjoy. This recipe focuses on a 2:1:1 recipe, breadcrumbs, nuts, beans. The result is a beautiful consistency and colouration when grilled.
Paella!! This book is truly a gift that keeps on giving..
A meal for any occasion, paella for us is all about family cooking. This is a recipe you can scale to unimaginable sizes and is great for all types of gatherings. We love the intense flavour you get from the base of a paella pan, when the ingredients have browned at the bottom. The fact that when you make a large paella, each round tastes slightly different as the flavours intensify in the pan.
We couldn’t resist. Lasagna, this is a worldwide favourite for a reason..
When constructing a lasagna, we can’t help but feel 8 years old again. This was a classic family meal, it’s simple, it’s delicious and because this is a vegan recipe it is also nutritious!
We all know you couldn’t wait for the dessert section.. neither could we.
This recipe may take 3-4 hours to chill, but it’s ridiculously delicious. Also, we love finding new ways of getting our matcha intake. We would also recommend adding Maca powder, a delicious root full of vitamin B6, calcium and iron.
Want to know more about Jean-Christian Jury? Check out our interview with him right here on Vegan Life&Living
Vegan Life & Living 