This is the kind of cookery book to persuade meat eaters to eat more vegetarian food! I am a confirmed omnivore but love vegetables and meals without meat. Yotam Ottolenghi is a particular favourite of mine, with his Middle- Eastern slant on food. He was born in Israel, and is Israeli-British. I probably identify with Yotam as he is not a vegetarian either, but was asked to write this book by The Guardian.
This book is beautiful in itself, and, like all of Yotam’s books, is a high-quality hardback with a substantial cover rather than the traditional boards with a dust-jacket. Inside there are beautful line drawings of vegetables as well as really enticing photos of every dish.
As a non-vegetarian I make no judgements on the views of others, but personally am not a fan of tofu, quorn and other specific vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes. Maybe ‘meat substitute’ is the wrong expression to use, but I am not sure how else to explain what I mean. Yotam includes very little of these ingredients in his recipes, which for me is a definite plus point. Two of the recipes which include tofu are Gado Gado and Mee Goreng. My answer is to substitute halloumi or paneer, which I love (vegans may not approve!)
Before I go on to list some of my favourite recipes from this book, it is probably worth assessing which recipes are suitable for vegans. I was discussing this subject with my fellow-blogger Niki di Palma (https://westslidestory.com/) who is indeed a vegan! Apparently lots of vegetarian cookery books are not great for vegans, as the recipes tend to use a lot of cheese and yoghurt.
I can see some recipes which could certainly have the cheese or yoghurt removed to make them vegan-friendly. I have made the Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad on a number of occasions, and I see no harm in leaving out the yoghurt, or maybe using coconut milk instead. There are some other lovely salad recipes in the book, such as Beetroot, Orange and Black Olive, Green Bean with Mustard Seeds and Tarragon and Mango and Coconut Rice. On a warm day I think that a selection of these salads would make a substantial meal. Main course recipes which are vegan without adaptations include: The Ultimate Winter Couscous (ingredients include pumpkin, carrots, parsnips and chickpeas), Gado Gado, Mee Goreng (both already mentioned), Broad Bean Burgers, Black Pepper Tofu (despite my aversion to tofu, this one might even have me converted!), Quinoa and Grilled Sourdough Salad and Soba Noodles with Aubergine and Mango.
I am particularly keen on the recipes for: Lentils with Grilled Aubergine (this satisfies my constant cravings for puy lentils and yoghurt), Chard and Saffron Omelettes (did I mention that I also adore eggs?), Very Full Tart (filled with sweet potatoes, aubergine, peppers and tomatoes), Chickpea, Tomato and Bread Soup and Tamara’s Ratatouille (also vegan!)
This book is very adaptable and would also suit a confirmed meat-eater who would like some more interesting ways of jazzing up meat meals. Many of the dishes would go well on a buffet table or work as accompaniments to roasted and grilled meats.
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