Venturesome Vegan Cooking: Bold Flavors for Plant-Based Meals

by Hirsch, Michelle Hirsch, Larry Crowe (Photographer)

Overview

Venturesome Vegan Cooking breaks the vegan mold, focusing on great flavor and innovative recipes from around the globe. The more than 100 recipes have a strong international pedigree, including recipes drawn from the authors' travels in Europe and Africa. The book features manageable, easy-to-make recipes written in a clear, straightforward style. It introduces readers to unusual ingredients slowly, incorporating them into otherwise familiar dishes, resulting in bold, fresh flavors with a comfortable dash of tradition.

Some of the recipes guaranteed to delight the palate are: Fresh Spring Rolls, Spicy Creamy Hummus, Spicy Asian Noodle Salad, Hearty Autumn Squash and Bean Stew, Memere's Shepherd's Pie, Sweet Apricot Potatoes with Pine Nuts, Pasta Spirals with Creamy Potato and Artichoke Sauce, Peppery Pumpkin Risotto, Succulent Strawberry and Vinegar Sauce, Chocolate Fudge Pie, Sticky Cinnamon Nut Rolls, Spare the Pigs Hash, and scores of others.

Venturesome Vegan means bold, fresh flavors; healthful recipes that challenge and excite the palate but are designed for the typical home cook (with typical home cook skills); and great vegan cooking for both vegan beginners and those looking to break out of their usual rut.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781572846760
Publisher:	Agate
Publication date:	10/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	210
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

J.M. Hirsch is the food editor for The Associated Press. He lives in Concord, N.H.

Michelle Hirsch has spent more than 20 years teaching easy ways to boost the nutritional value of favorite foods. She is a graduate of the Kushi Institute and spent years teaching macrobiotic and vegan cooking. She currently works at Whole Foods Market designing training programs and is the food columnist for Spirit of Change magazine. She lives in Hollis, N.H.

Larry Crowe’s photographs have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world, including LIFE, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Concord, N.H.

Read an Excerpt

SPICY CREAMY HUMMUS

Most hummus combines chickpeas with tahini for a creamy texture. But tahini can be bitter. Roasted tahini, rather than the more common raw, if better, but not great. This recipe replaces tahini with cashew nut butter, a creamy nut butter. Because we like our hummus with a bit of zing, we also add vinegar and hot pepper sauce. We find the vinegar highlights the subtle flavors of the chickpeas and olive oil. Traditional hummus recipes also call for garlic. Though wonderful, garlic just doesn't agree with us. If you love garlic, and the people you kiss don't mind, add it. We like to serve this with a stack of fress hot flat bread. It also is great with tortilla chips or crunchy crostini.

Hint: Before pureeing the chickpeas, taste one to tell how dry they are. If the chickpea is moist and crumbles easily, reduce the olive oil to 3 tablespoons. For a tasty twist, lightly saute the chickpeas in olive oil and a teaspoon of curry powder before proceeding with the recipe.

Start to Finish: 5 minutes
Servings: About 2 cups

1 15-ounce can chickpeas (liquid retained)
3 tablespoons cashew butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Chianti or other red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
Paprika, for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Because moisture content of canned chickpeas varies, it may be necessary to add some of the liquid they were packed in to get the consistency you desire. Transfer hummus to a small bowl. Eat immediately, or cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.

Table of Contents

Foreword by John Mackey
Introduction
Authors' Notes
Starters, Pates and Spreads
Breads
Salads
Soups and Stews
Vegetables
Pasta and Noodles
Grains and Legumes
Sauces, Dressings and Marinades
Desserts and Snacks
Breakfast