Getting started

The cookbook starts with three chapters with health advice, basic dietary tips, and some gentle do’s and don’ts of a healthy life. I’m a skeptic when it comes to food combining and focusing on alkalinity, but I think it’s great that she mentions eating consciously and locally whenever possible. Encouraging a healthy curiosity about what people eat is always a good idea.

Take with a pinch of salt

The non-recipe part of her book is an easy to follow guide for a beginner. It is written in friendly and mindful language and feels a lot like talking with a friend over tea. In the introduction, Caroline mentions a list of changes in the new edition of her book, some were for the better, such as replacing agave with maple syrup, but she has also reduced the salt content of all her recipes and it was a noticeable omission. I found myself reaching for the saltshaker quite often once I got to the dinner table, and generally, I’d prefer to add salt while cooking so it permeates the meal better.

I did not like the organization of the table of contents, since it didn’t actually have a list of recipes under each category/chapter (though each category page does list the recipes available within the chapter.) The index became my go to for ingredients and dishes, and luckily it’s very detailed and easy to use. I also appreciated the Appendices, since they were full of great advice on how to cook beans and grains, explanations of ingredients, kitchen planning and equipment, and meal plans (both for special occasions and weekly dinner ideas.)

The recipes

My partner and I looked through the book for recipes, and over the course of a month we tried the following:

Scrambled Tofu (pg 46)
Chunky Guacamole (pg 67)
Asian Miso Soup (pg 79)
Cashew Corn Chowder (pg 82)
Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli (pg 138)
Bean Enchiladas with Red Sauce (pg 142)
Rosemary Portobello Mushrooms (pg 159)
Root Fries (pg 160)
Classic Dahl (pg 164)
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies (pg 178)

I thought the Rosemary Portobello Mushrooms were especially creative and tasty, along with the Cashew Corn Chowder, which was perfect for a cool grey fall day. It was also an easy to follow recipe, though I would halve the amount of parsley in future attempts (I don’t like parsley, but even so, it was very pleasant.)

Two of the best lazy meals we made were the Asian Miso Soup and the Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli. Miso soup is something we make around once a week, so it was interesting to follow someone else’s style for a meal. The addition of carrots, cabbage, and celery wasn’t something we would normally do, but it definitely made for a heartier soup.

The Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli was so simple, and Caroline’s Cheesy Sauce (pg 115) was great, despite using unsoaked cashews as recommended for the sauce, it still turned out smooth and creamy and flavourful (though I did add more salt after cooking.)

I baked up one dessert, though we had our eyes on several. The Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies ended up being delicious, but it took some time. My cookies spent an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven before they were fully baked, so it’s worth paying attention to appearance when making these (and of course, all ovens vary.) Oddly enough, these cookies weren’t delicious fresh out of the oven. Normally I can’t stop eating hot and chewy chocolate chip cookies, but in these the hempseed flavour and smell was initially overpowering. Several hours later the hempy taste was gone, and the seeds just provided a pleasant texture along with the oats. Now I can easily say they are some of my favourite chocolate containing cookies. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside wins every time.

Obtaining enlightenment

Ultimately this book had several recipes that I liked, and would make again. The recipes I tried were easy to follow, with simple and easy to find ingredients, and contained friendly helpful tips on every page. I’d recommend this book for someone just starting out and looking for healthy and straight-forward meals. It has good advice on transitioning to a healthier household, and acts as a great introduction to products that are available at a regular grocery, but not always part of a standard diet.

Reviewed and recommended by MeShell Gudz (@mdgee or Meshell.ca)
Photo: Oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies in progress

The Recipes

The first one I made was the Fiesta Quinoa Salad with Lime Dressing. I had a BBQ to go to and wanted to bring a side that everyone could enjoy. This salad was very easy to make; tasty, light, and just downright summery. I’m a big fan of quinoa. Its gluten free, light, healthy, and packs a good protein punch. This awesome pseudo-grain paired with the lime dressing and veggies was SUPER yummy. I LOVE sesame oil, so this dish had no hope of escape. My only complaint is the measurement style, but this could just be a personal preference. It was “½ cup cucumber”, “¼ cup red pepper”, etc… I don’t know what that is, and I don’t like to waste food. I like measurements such as “½ a medium sized cucumber”, “½ a red pepper”, “two garlic cloves”, you get the idea.

Next up I made the Dhal-icious. I really love Dhal. It’s an amazing spiced Indian dish that will nourish and warm your soul. I made a couple adjustments to the recipe though because I forgot to pick up some garam masala. So I added a few extra spices to it that garam masala contains like cardamom, cinnamon, and pepper. Then I threw in an extra ½ tsp of curry powder. The other adjustment was that I added an extra cup of water. I believe that Dhal shouldn’t be too thick. This dish was flavourful and fragrant. It tasted so vibrant and yummy. I used green lentils, but any lentils can be used. Red or yellow produces the most visually appealing dish, but they will all taste good. Lentils also provide a huge amount of protein, which I think makes them super filling. So although I ate mine without, they would go great with some brown or basmati rice.

The next two dishes I made together, and they were by far my favorite. I made the Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Chickpea Topping and Baked Yams with Lemon and Green Chili. I freaking LOVE Portobello mushrooms. They are nice and meaty, so they fill you up and they are super flavourful and versatile. This recipe was pretty awesome in fact. They tell you how to make the mushroom marinade, chickpea topping, and then give you some ideas on garnishes. You by no means HAVE to eat it inside a bun like a burger, which I did not. I just ate them stuffed, with some sautéed spinach and the baked yams. For the sautéed spinach, I used some garlic powder, lemon juice, cayenne, and a pinch of sea salt. The baked yams were super spicy and delish!!! Perfection in fact. I love it HOT!

Over all I liked the cookbook. The recipes are good, easy to make/follow, use well known ingredients, and are tasty. I will get a lot of use out of this book for sure!

Reviewed and recommended by Krystle Charlton
Photo: Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Chickpea Topping and Baked Yams with Lemon and Green Chili

Reader discretion is advised

This book is bejeweled with countless awesome references to poop, balls, Star Trek, Canada (where he says most of his fans are from); and includes cuss words, sexual innuendos, and several recipes featuring Sailor Jerry (the best) rum. In many ways, I’m pretty dude-like, despite being what some refer to as a “lady”, so I love this style. He also offers li’l WTF bits, which are what other cookbook authors might call “quick tips” or ”what’s this?” And to be cutting edge as hell, SV has provided us with QR codes that bring up bonus youtube videos. He also includes old-fashioned web links for those of you who don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.

Many of Sexy Vegan’s recipes call for components that are already full-on recipes– which is pretty sweet when it comes to being creative with leftovers ,and for the cook that likes to be challenged. I try to keep things pretty quick and simple when I cook– but I must say the effort pays off. I attempted the ‘Quote Unquote Tuna Melt’ even though I just wanted to eat a bag of corn chips one night, and the process– however lengthy for a sandwich– was soothing (or perhaps that was the rum?) Just last night, I finally tried the Bourbon Tempeh Sliders (an excellent excuse to treat myself to a pricey bottle of my favourite drink). We served this with a side of Caesar Salad, whose Creamy Dressing will be the new condiment of choice around this house. IT WAS RIDICULOUS! I’ve been putting it on everything I’ve eaten for the last 24 hours and now have to make another batch. This morning’s “Pretend Canadian Bacon”– a tribute to his Canadian fans– even smelled like bacon (in all the good ways) when cooking. I kinda drank some of the marinade too. Oops.

Extra points for “goblin” usage

The Sexy Vegan calls himself an ordinary dude, but I think he’s understating what’s true: he’s fucking extraordinary! Any cookbook that uses the word “goblin” three times– once even employing the term “hobgobin”– will certainly win in my heart, and has. Brian Patton, thank you for paving the way for men to create awesome macho vegan cookbooks, just like Uhura and Captain Kirk did for the television inter-racial kiss. There, I’ve referenced Star Trek right backatcha!

Reviewed and recommended by Beany von Doom
photo: Bourbon Tempeh Sliders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKAKc8GfDp8

A welcome addition to the cookbook shelf

Every time I scan the cookbook section of my local (kick-ass) bookshop these days, I’m delighted to discover yet another collection of vegan or vegetarian recipes. It seems there’s a new book added to the pile on a weekly basis, which is great for my kitchen (and terrible for my wallet). And though I’d never complain about having too many vegan-related books to choose from, it’s kinda tough to decide where to plunk your hard-earned Queen Liz (that’s $20 for you non-Canadians); I definitely have a few impulse buys whose pages have yet to be glued together with spilled flour and sauces. So, I was delighted when presented with Beth A. Barnett’s Rabbit Food Cookbook, a compact, spiral bound gem featuring vegan tips, food history and a solid portion of yummy recipes. The format is sensible and easy to digest, with hand-written text and whimsical sketches throughout, which (almost) makes up for the lack of colour pictures.

Between the pages

The first half of the book is full of advice and food for thought. The author offers tips on nutrition without being preachy, and suggests several respectable resources for further nutrition information. Her tidy section on the Industrialisation of Food in America (pp. 32-56) is necessarily oversimplified, but a good overview for readers who have little exposure to food history – and again, there are great resources listed for further self-education. Beth offers helpful ingredient tips, and crafts for making your own grocery & produce bags. She also touches upon the practical work of growing your own food, something more of us should be doing! One of the best things about this book is how helpful yet un-assuming it is. Beth doesn’t present her work as being the sole authority on vegan lifestyles, but merely one in a plethora of awesome books to have on hand.

The latter half of the book features 111 pages of recipes divided into breakfast, soups, mains, sweets and drinks. Many of the recipes are standards found in most vegan cookbooks – but they work! I’ve made the Fancy Brownies (p. 202) so often that the page is more cocoa-coloured than white anymore. Beth’s recipes vary from quick meals that amateurs can whip together with ease, to slightly more complex dishes that require a bit of planning. With regard to the compact page size, some recipes are written too concisely, leaving the reader to fill in a few gaps that might be obvious to a seasoned cook but will result in mistakes from people new to the kitchen. For instance, the Tofu Pot Pie (p. 139) is written over three pages and broken down into four main steps, but is missing important directions – like whether pots, pans, or bowls are best for any given step. Aside from such issues, the resulting food is generally amazing (my roommates devoured the pot pie in a flash!). There’s a nice variety of meals, too – sushi, tempeh, pastas, hearty salads, and a few seitan dishes to boot. And the peanut butter cookies are to die for…

The little things

For all the cookbooks I’ve perused and purchased lately, this one takes the cake for most helpful and easily accessible. I’m particularly fond of the coil spine (why is this not a regulation for all cookbooks?!) and the cute illustrations, though its useful information puts this book at the top of my gifting list for others. If a few recipes were written with more clarity, I’d dare say this is a perfect little book – especially for newer vegan cooks.

Topics include spring cleaning, growing veggies and greens in small spaces, how to promote veganism, making your own baby food, and a spotlight on the work and life of Jo-Anne McArthur of We Animals. Did we mention the cashew cookies, harvest soup and smoothie and shake recipes? What about the hot noodz? Or the full colour, vegan-friendly photos?

How to get it

On top of the content, the new issue is now available in two different ways: by signing up for the newsletter or through the pay-what-you-want model.

However you end up with the magazine in front of you, we hope you enjoy it! Just be careful to pace yourself, the next issue is not due out until right before Vida Vegan Con in August, which may seem like far too long if you finish this one in a single sitting.

play nice this summer,

Team T.O.F.U.

“Over the holidays I found myself indulging in something dirty, dirty, dirty: Mr. Noodles. When I read what super-foodie Meghan Telphner had to say about MSG, it reignited my fire: no more MSG for me! I vowed to find a way to make hot, spicy, brothy noodles at home!”

- Submitted by Teresa Fisher

Intrigued? This is one of the almost a dozen recipes to be released in the upcoming issue of the magazine. Just a few more days…

The vegan stoner

Sadly, it seems the lovely design team of Sarah Conrique and Graham I. Haynes from Simple Gestures beat me to it.

I think from this day forward I’m going to be disappointed whenever I fail to come home to my mushrooms being couch potatoes or an onion taking a bath.

AAAmazing. I adapted this recipe from my cousin Nick from Seattle. Heʼs been vegan for years and years and years and thanks to him I finally discovered the miracle of fluffy vegan pancakes. Never doubt that baking powder can change the world!

1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups soymilk
1/4 cup canola oil
blueberries, chocolate chips, etc

Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add soymilk and oil and mix gently until all the big lumps are gone (I use a whisk for this). Add extras like blueberries now, if you really think you need them. Let the batter sit for several minutes so the gluten can absorb the liquid and your pancakes will be fluffier. While it’s sitting, preheat your NON-STICK pan or griddle to medium heat (don’t go too low or you’ll have pale pancakes). When pan is hot, use one ladle-full of batter per cake, and you’ll get about eight out of a batch. Flip cakes when bubbles start popping towards the middle, and the edges are cooked. Cook for 3-4 minutes more on the second side, and you’re good to go! Smother with vegan margarine and pure maple syrup for breakfast paradise.

By Claire Gallant

“This isn’t a gourmet meal, but it’s quick and healthy. Its glamourous name around the house is “Thai Thing” and I hereby bestow it onto you. Summer’s vegetables seemed more authentic in this recipe, but autumn and winter aren’t too far behind.”

- Submitted by Breighan Hunsley

Feel like making this tonight? Ingredients and directions can be found in the newest issue, which is available for any price in our store.

Download Issue #4