Photo by Luke Albert
I really love cooking for vegan friends, and find the necessity of looking for a different balance of dishes, and finding a new language of cooking a real spur to creativity. And because the pottering about in the kitchen creating a feast is so much of the pleasure of it all for me, I am happy to spend time building up to the meal. But I have often found, in my day to day life, that delicious plant-based food can take rather longer in the planning and preparation than I can always fit in. Of course, this may also be a question of inexperience in the field. And that is why I feel that this book is a particular godsend to those who have only recently adopted the plant-free life, as well as those who are trying to cut down on meat consumption and boost intake of vegetables generally. I’m sure long-standing vegans will be very happy with it too, of course, and indeed any of us who cook daily, often in a rush, have cause to be grateful for new ideas that are accessible, fast, and flavoursome.
Like Gaul, the book is divided into three part: the first tranche of the book covers recipes that take 10 minutes; the second covers 20-minute dishes; and the final section stretches the cooking time to a still-modest half-hour. The 10-minutes or under category offers such delights as a gorgeously coconutty Breakfast Banana Split; Chick Pea, Carrot and Olive Salad; Lunchtime Loaded Nachos; Creamy Pea Soup with Mint and Lemon (anything that promises mint and lemon always holds my interest and, as the Queen of the Frozen Pea, an accolade bestowed on me by the great Nigel Slater, I am predisposed to warm to this!); Butternut Squash, Sage and Caramelized Onion Toastie (using diced and frozen butternut, which cooks quickly); Chinese-Style Hot and Sour Broth with Tofu; Spicy Peanut Stir Fry with Noodles; Golden Pancakes with Sweetcorn Salsa; and a Two-Minute Mug Carrot Cake. And there are many more, but I don’t want to shortchange the other two sections!
Calling to me from the 20-minute part are Baked Bean Breakfast Quesadillas; Muffin Tin Pizza Pies; Creamy Mushroom Soup; Herby Spring Soup with Fregola (a small round, slightly-bigger-than-couscous pasta shape from Sardinia); Spiced Bhaji Naan Wraps; Aubergine, Mushroom and Yogurt Stroganoff; Mango and Coconut Curry; and Grilled Peach Melba with Raspberry Sauce. The final section of the book brings us such delights as Apricot, Lemon and Herb Pilaf; Smoky Chipotle Mac and Cheese; Aubergine Shakshuka with Chilli Yogurt; Hearty Cobbler with Chive Dumplings; and — how could I resist? — School-Days Jam and Coconut Sponge Pudding. I very nearly chose this to share with you today, but in the end I just couldn’t move away from another dessert, the Chocolate Hazelnut Pots from the 10-min section. It is a fabulously useful last minute dessert, and luscious into the bargain! It does require hazelnut extract, which you may have to order online, but it did also occur to me that you could use a dash of Frangelico instead. And don’t worry, I checked, and it is vegan-friendly!
Easy Speedy Vegan by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £22).
Photography by Luke Albert.
