Robin Robertson

When people ask me “What’s new?” or “What are you working on?” my answer is usually, “How much time do you have?”  That’s because I’m involved in so many exciting projects, it can’t be explained in a few words — or a brief blog post, for that matter.

To that end, I’m going to tell you about one new thing at a time, and today it’s all about announcing that there is a new and improved, completely updated and revised edition of VEGAN PLANET in the works!

I’m very excited about this project because Vegan Planet was the original ultimate vegan cookbook.  At 400 recipes, it’s a thick book filled with all the basics of going vegan, including lots of easy basic recipes along with some more involved ones.  Over the years, it’s been called the “vegan bible” and “the vegan joy of cooking.”   Many people have told me it was their first vegan cookbook.   I love hearing about how this book has helped people go vegan because that’s why I do what I do.

The original Vegan Planet was published in 2003, making it ten years old this year.  It’s definitely in need of a makeover.  In the new edition, you’ll find lots of familiar favorites along with dozens of all new recipes as well as several recipes from the original book that have been revised and renamed.  It’s been a pleasure to work hard these past several months to make the new revised Vegan Planet the best book it can be.  I hope you love it!  It’s scheduled for release in January of 2014.  Here’s what the book description on Amazon has to say about it:

When it first appeared in 2003, Vegan Planet revolutionized animal-free cooking. Robin Robertson’s pioneering book played a leading role in the passage of veganism from subculture to mainstream culinary lifestyle. Its breadth and variety of fantastically flavorful food not only gave vegans what they craved, it gave them food they could serve up happily to their non-vegan family members and friends.
 
One decade and more than 100,000 copies later, this important classic is back in a thoroughly revised edition. Vegan cookbooks are big sellers today, but in a thicket of topical and niche titles there’s a need for an everyday cooking bible on which vegan cooks can rely. The new Vegan Planet meets that need handsomely. Robertson’s extensive updates cover such things as: the newly expanded range of whole grains that are available; super greens, such as kale and chard, that are rising in popularity; new facts concerning which cooking oils are healthiest and most earth-friendly; and new saucing and flavoring ideas from the global pantry. Throughout, there’s the spirit of adventure and of culinary creativity that has cemented Robertson’s reputation at the top of the vegan pantheon.

Finally, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite recipe tester photos that were taken during the testing phase for the revised edition of Vegan Planet.  At the top of the post are the Vegetable Pakoras. Here is another favorite, Scallion Pancakes:

And here is the Mahogany Eggplant:

And finally the crisp and delicious Shredded Vegetable Fritters:

That’s it for now.  I hope you’re as excited as I am about the new Revised Edition of Vegan Planet!

At first glance, this Shepherd’s Pie might look like any other.  It’s not.  And that’s not just because it’s vegan.  What makes it even more special is that it’s made with roasted vegetables.  The flavor is like a million times more intense than if it had been made with steamed veggies.  Instead of the usual corn, carrots, and green peas, among the vegetables featured in this pan of goodness are red onion, a variety of sweet peppers, green beans, mushrooms, and zucchini.

While the vegetables were roasting I made some quick mushroom gravy and added some reconstituted soy curls, which I then added to the roasted vegetables.

I then topped it with a batch of mashers and sprinkled it with a little smoked paprika and nutritional yeast and a very light mist of olive oil.  As it was baking, the fragrance was driving us mad, so I served it soon after it came out of the oven (as shown at the top of this post).  I had wanted to take a photo of a portion on a plate, but once we started eating, I totally forgot about taking pictures.  It was THAT good!

Because you asked for it…. I wrote up a recipe for this Shepherd’s Pie, even though when I made it, I didn’t use a recipe.  Feel free to mix and match the vegetables (I would have added corn kernels and peas, for example, if I had them on hand, so I included them in the recipe).  The bell peppers were a spur of the moment addition — if you don’t like them, don’t use them.  Same goes for soy curls:  use cooked lentils or chopped seitan instead, if you prefer.  This is a very versatile recipe, so have fun with it!

Roasted Shepherd’s Pie

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 or 2 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1 1/2 cups chopped white mushrooms or zucchini (or both)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

1 cup thawed frozen peas

3 to 4 large Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon vegan butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried

2 cups reconstituted chopped soy curls, chopped seitan, or cooked lentils

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a 9- x 13-baking dish.

Spread the onion, carrot, bell peppers (if using), and mushrooms in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast until the vegetables are just tender, stirring to cook evenly, about 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes or so of roasting, add the cooked green beans, corn, and peas. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

While the vegetables are roasting, cook the potatoes in a pot of  boiling salted water until tender.  Drain well, then return to the pot.  Add the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mash well, then set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of  oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.  Stir in the broth, soy sauce, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the soy curls and set aside.

When the roasted vegetables are cooked, remove the pan from the oven and add the soy curls and gravy, mixing gently to combine. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling. Bake until hot and bubbly,  about 30 minutes.
Serves 8

I got an early Mother’s Day gift this year: Jon took this beautiful photo of our newly adopted daughter, Margaret.  Doesn’t she look pretty posing with a vase of lilacs from my favorite lilac bush?

Mother’s Day is always doubly special for me because that’s when we celebrate Gary’s birthday!  He’ll be 11 years old this year.  Such a handsome boy!

On Mother’s Day I also like to think about our mother Earth (or  “Mother Nature”) — and all of its beauty, specially the wonderful animals.  This year, its great to have beautiful music to listen to as I reflect.  I’m talking about Daniel Redwood’s new album, Songs for Animals, People, and the Earth.  It’s a truly lovely and powerful collection of songs — an inspiring and compassionate soundtrack for the animals and people who love them.  To hear a sample of Daniel’s beautiful album, visit his website.

If you’re planning to cook something special on Mother’s Day, consider cooking from Nut Butter Universe to make a special brunch or dinner (or maybe a batch of Chocolate Macadamia Truffles with Coconut???).  BTW…there’s a giveaway going on right now on the Vegan Heritage Press blog to win a copy of Nut Butter Universe — so if you don’t have a copy yet (or even if you do!) enter now to win!

Here’s another fun dish I made recently (along with a nice picatta and roasted baby potatoes).  This whole Roasted Cauliflower topped with Cheesy Sunflower Sauce, is a tasty way to “say it with flowers” on Mother’s Day!

Here’s the recipe:

 Roasted Cauliflower with Cheesy Sunflower Sauce

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cored

2 teaspoons olive oil

Pinch of salt, black pepper, and paprika

Cheesy Sunflower Sauce:

1 roasted yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours and drained

1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

 

Garnish:

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or dill

Cauliflower:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the head of cauliflower, cut-side down, in a large baking dish with about 1 inch of water. Rub the cauliflower with the oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Cover tightly and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to 425 degrees and roast for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until tender when pierced with a knife or fork.

Sauce:

While the cauliflower is roasting, combine bell pepper, soaked and drained seeds, almond milk, lemon juice, mustard, and salt in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add the nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, and paprika, and blend again until completely smooth.

To serve:

Arrange the cauliflower on a platter, spoon the sauce over top, and sprinkle with parsley or dill.  Serve hot.

 

One of the best parts of being a food writer is having the opportunity to try out new products as they become available.  It’s even more fun when I’m impressed enough with the product to write a blog post about it.  I had the recent good fortune of sampling two such products: Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips and Nasoya Vegan Nayonaise (now creamier and with a new look).

In my ongoing quest to make banh mi in as many different ways as I can dream up, I had been wanting to make Banh Mi Fajitas featuring a creamy sriracha-cilantro slaw.  When I received the Beyond Meat strips and the Nayonaise within days of each other, I knew what I had to do!

First, I’ve got to tell you that the Beyond Meat strips are by far the BEST, tastiest, most wonderfully textured and flavored protein-delivery food (I don’t like using the phrase “meat alternative”) I’ve ever had.  They are seriously better than any other commercial product and better than the best homemade seitan, hands down.  What’s most amazing to me is that somehow the brilliant people at Beyond Meat were able to develop such a superior product that also happens to be gluten-free.  That, in itself, is an amazing gift to gluten-sensitive people everywhere.  The strips also happen to be very high in protein and easy to use in countless recipes.  All I can say is, “Wow.”

The strips browned up nicely and, for my purposes, I doused them with a hoisin-tamari mixture while cooking and then set them aside (after sampling a few pieces, of course).

For the slaw, I made a sauce by combining the new creamy Nayonaise (extremely flavorful and with a great texture) with cilantro, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Tossed with shredded cabbage and carrot, the crunchy slaw tasted fabulous on its own, but I knew it would be even better in the Banh Mi Fajitas — because, well, things go better with banh mi!  And these fajitas are so simply to make: just spread a little Nayonaise and (extra sriracha!) on a tortilla or wrap, line up a few of the Beyond Meat strips, top with the slaw, and roll up!

 

In honor of  Earth Day, I’m sharing a recipe for Earth Day Vegetable Soup.  The multitude of vegetables in the soup are meant to signify earth’s bounty and the soup is made in a slow cooker to save energy. 

The recipe is an adaptation of Summer Vegetable Soup from Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker.  As that recipe states, you can vary the vegetables according to personal preference and what’s on hand or in season – so that’s what I did.  So that all the vegetables are done cooking at the same time, I start the soup with the harder vegetables so they cook longer and then I add the more delicate vegetables later.  I also added some carrot juice and a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil just before serving to enrich the broth. When you add fresh tomatoes and herbs just before serving, the soup tastes like it came right from the garden. So fresh and delicious!  

Here’s a photo of Petey “helping” with the photography, and below is the recipe.  Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day Vegetable Soup

Fresh asparagus or zucchini also make good additions.  If you have some fresh dill or tarragon on hand, add a tablespoon or two when you’re ready to serve the soup. For a heartier soup, add more beans and some cooked brown rice or quinoa close to serving time.

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

3 small red potatoes, diced

1/2 cup chopped red, yellow, or orange bell pepper

6 cups vegetable broth

1 or 2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh or dried marjoram

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups cooked or one 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 small yellow summer squash, diced

4 cups chopped fresh spinach or chard

6 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup fresh carrot juice (optional)

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, bell pepper, and broth. Add the bay leaves and marjoram and season with salt and pepper to taste.  The amount of salt needed will depend on the saltiness of your broth.  Cover and cook on High for 3 hours.

Add the green beans, white beans, and yellow squash. Cook for 1 hour longer, or until the green beans are just tender.   

About 10 minutes before serving time, remove the bay leaves and stir in the spinach, tomatoes, and carrot juice and olive oil, if using.  Just before serving, stir in the fresh herbs. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot.

Serves 4 to 6