Weighing in at more than three pounds, and with a generous 350 vegan recipes, Big Vegan lives up to its name. Author Robin Asbell is a seasoned chef and widely-published food writer and cooking teacher, and her cookbook offers plenty of new ideas for vegan meals.
The recipes draw widely from global cuisine, but with Robin’s own inspired touch, which produces unique and intriguing combinations like Almond Gazpacho with Grapes, Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Basil, Cauliflower-Coconut Puffs with Apple Chutney, and Avocado Cupcakes with Avocado-Lime Frosting. As an experienced culinary artist, Robin has practical tips for adding texture, depth and complexity to dishes with or without a recipe. Her discussion of how to add umami (that hard-to-describe overall experience of savory and satisfying flavor) through ingredients like fermented foods, mushrooms, sea vegetables, nutritional yeast, wine, beer and tea, makes it easy for even novice vegan cooks to create exceptional meals.
And with 350 recipes, this is a book that will meet the needs of all different types of cooks. The dishes range from the super simple Lemony White Beans, Wine-Roasted Mushrooms, and Japanese Asparagus with Walnut Dressing to those—like Creamy Cremini-Madeira Turnovers or Roasted Potato and Rosemary Pizza—which may take a little more time, but aren’t especially difficult.
There is an entire chapter of grilled recipes as well as one devoted to recipes for “pantry staples,” including Mock Duck, Smoky Red Lentil “Sausages,” Pine Nut “Cheese,” and Tempeh “Chorizo.”
Several recipes are beautifully portrayed by photographer Kate Sears, and a short nutrition section includes a food guide to help vegans stay on track with planning healthy diets. (Disclaimer: the food guide in Big Vegan is based on one that I developed, but I have no financial interest in this book.)
This is a fun cookbook that will be very satisfying to experienced cooks and at the same time reassuring to those who are less confident in the kitchen. It’s a perfect holiday gift for any foodie on your list—vegan or not—and is an essential addition to every vegan’s cookbook shelf.
Here are Robin’s recipes for Roasted Vegetable Phyllo Purses and Squash Quesadillas with Cranberry-Jicama Sauce reprinted with permission.
Roasted Vegetable Phyllo Purses
This recipe gets rave reviews in Robin’s cooking classes.
8 ounces pearl onions
1 pound fennel, diced
2 medium yellow potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup raw cashews
1 cup plain rice milk or other plant milk
2 tablespoons red miso
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
6 tablespoons coconut oil
6 sheets (about 12 by 17 inches) phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then drop in the onions for 5 minutes. Drain them, rinse with cold water, and use a paring knife to remove the ends and peel. Reserve.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a 9 x 13-inch pan, toss the fennel, potatoes, and onions with the olive oil. Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Uncover, stir, and roast 10 minutes more. Let cool. Set aside ½ cup of the vegetable mixture for the sauce. Mix the parsley into the remaining vegetable mixture.
In a blender or food processor, grind the cashews to a paste. Add the reserved vegetables, the milk, miso, and yeast. Process until smooth and thick. Measure ½ cup of the sauce and mix it into the vegetables in the pan. Transfer the rest of the sauce to a small saucepan to reheat later.
Melt the coconut oil. Lightly oil a baking sheet or tray. Place the phyllo in the counter, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and place a barely damp towel on top to hold it down. Working with one at a time, brush each phyllo sheet with coconut oil, then fold it in half lengthwise. Place about ½ cup of the vegetable mixture in the center of each phyllo, then pull the dough up around it. Transfer the phyllo to the baking sheet and decoratively bunch the phyllo into a purse on top. Brush the tops and outsides lightly with oil. Bake until the phyllo is crisp and browned, about 20 minutes.
To serve, gently heat the remaining sauce and place each purse on a plate. Drizzle some of the sauce around each purse.
Squash Quesadillas with Cranberry-Jicama Sauce
For the salsa:
2 cups fresh cranberries
½ cup chopped red onion
1 red jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 cup diced jicama
¼ cup cilantro
¼ cup fresh mint
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
For the Quesadillas
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped shallots
3 cups mashed roasted winter squash
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, skinned and chopped
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
Eight 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
To make the salsa:
In a food processor, chop the cranberries coarsely. Add the onion and jalapeno and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scrape out the mixture into a medium bowl, and stir in the jicama, cilantro, mint, sugar, salt, and cumin. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.
To make the quesadillas:
In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the shallots and sauté until they are soft and golden, at least 5 minutes or longer if you have time. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the squash, hazelnuts, chili powder, and salt. Lay out four tortillas and scoop ¾ cup of the squash mixture onto each one. Spread it evenly, then top with the remaining tortillas and press lightly to adhere.
Heat a large cast-iron frying pan over high heat. When it is hot, place a quesadilla in it and cook until the bottom is toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip it and cook the other side just until it is toasted. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and use a chef’s knife to cut it into six wedges. Serve with the salsa.
Virginia Messina is a dietitian specializing in vegan nutrition. Her new book is Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-based Diet. Learn more about vegan nutrition by reading her blog TheVeganRD, or by following her twitter.
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