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Glad To Be Vegan Further info: www.GladToBe.co.uk |
Glad to be Vegan is a collection of over 80 easy dishes that make use of supermarket-available ingredients. The introduction includes vegan-friendly alternatives to everyday foods and adds a note of caution to always read the label to check for animal-free ingredients.
The booklet is divided into 4 sections: i) Starters, snacks and soups; ii) Vegetables; iii) Main Course and, iv) Desserts. Most of the recipes take little time to prepare and any of the main dishes would make quick and filling suppers. To speed up the "time-to-table" factor, some recipes include the use of a microwave oven, or tinned ingredients such as pasta or curry sauces, or tomato soup. The vegetable section provides information on calorific, carbohydrate, vitamin, protein and calcium values. It also suggests various methods of using vegetables, i.e. boil, puree, steam, braise, etc. Examples of vegetable and main dishes include: chilli lentil loaf, parsnip steaks, nutty asparagus and courgette stir-fry, pasta and bean salad, and spicy vegetable casserole. Dessert options include fruity puddings like passion fruit sorbet or blackcurrant ice, an assortment of cakes, and even a recipe for a Christmas cake. A point to note: some recipes contain honey, a product avoided by vegans. Try maple syrup as an alternative sweetener.
Glad to be Vegan recipes are not necessarily always the "healthy option". If you prefer your food uncooked, or cooked as little as possible, and without added ingredients like olive oil or processed foods such as margarine and ready-made sauces, then this book may not be for you. Glad to be Vegan would probably not add much to your culinary repertoire.
In summary, this 60-page, ring-bound paperback is a handy little book for quick and easy meals. As Tricia Frances comments in her introduction, Glad to be Vegan can also be used to rescue a carnivore-cooking host stuck for ideas when expecting vegan guests. Whether you are entertaining veggie friends for the first time, or just looking for an easy, after-work supper, you will find a variety of suggestions in this book. I think a novice vegetarian cook, however, might appreciate a few "sample menus". Such menus could perhaps concentrate on seasonal availability of fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as giving some hints as to balancing foodstuffs.
I know that Glad to be Vegan II is in preparation. Max and I, along with a number of other Vegfolk, have been busy testing and tasting Tricia's recipes. Watch this space!