So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

When I saw this cookbook on Net Galley I couldn't resisting.  I love cookbooks and I love to cook.  The description said that a number of the recipes are vegan, so of course I was intrigued.

This cookbook is packed with useful tips such as preheating the roasting pan in the oven before you put the vegetables in, to cut down on cooking time.  It also has over 150 recipes.  I have tried 4 recipes so far.

The first recipe I tried was the Roasted Tomato Soup with Avocado.   It was a very simple soup that Bill and I have with my home made baguette and mixed green salad.  The avocado added texture and color to the soup but it could be left out easily.  I served it hot but it can also be served cold.  We both gave this recipe and 4/5.

Next I made the Tofu "Steaks" With Spicy Almond Butter Sauce and Baby Bok Choy.  I used organic peanut butter because that is what I had on hand.  This recipe is so delicious that I have already made it twice.  The second time I served it over rice noodles and it was awesome. Bill and I gave this a 5/5

Then I made Winter Vegetable Stew With Moroccan Flavors.  I served it with my home made focaccia bread and a mixed green salad.  It was probably my least favorite dish but it was still good.  Bill gave it a 4/5 and I gave it a 3/5.

I also made the Tomato White Bean Soup with Pesto.  It was said to leave the Parmesan cheese out to make it vegan but I used Soyco Parmesan as a vegan substitute.  This soup was divine!  It's the pesto that really makes it special.   We both gave it a 5/5.

The last recipe I made before writing this review was the Double Corn and Jalapeno Polenta Agratin.  This recipe was not vegan at all and there were no vegan options but I was able to make it vegan, easily.  Instead of cream, I used Silk Non-Dairy Creamer and for the cheddar cheese, I used Dayia cheddar shreds.   One of the serving suggestions was to top in with Black Bean Chilli and that's what I did.  It was delicious.  Bill and I gave it a 4.5/5.

The only thing missing from Fresh and Fast Vegetarian was the dessert.  Bill and I have a real sweet tooth.  I had to use my own recipes for that.  Over all I think this book delivers.  The description claims that most recipes can be made in a half hour or less.  The only one that I made that took longer was the Polenta A gratin, but that was because it had to bake for 30 minutes.  Prep time took about 30 minutes as well because you have to cook the polenta on the stove-top first.  All of the recipes were easy to follow.

4/5

Thanks to Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this galley.