Book Description: In this bold collection of more than 100 recipes, the world of comfort food and vegan cooking collide as Lauren Toyota shares her favorite recipes and creative ways to make Philly cheesesteak, fried chicken, and mac 'n' cheese, all with simple vegan ingredients. Never one to hold back, Lauren piles plates high with cheese sauce, ranch, bacon, and barbecue sauce, all while sharing personal stories and tips in her engaging and hilarious voice. The result is indulgent, craveworthy food - like Southern Fried Cauliflower, The Best Vegan Ramen, and Raspberry Funfetti Pop Tarts - made for sharing with friends at weeknight dinners, weekend brunches, and beyond.
My Thoughts: No, I'm not going vegan. Just in case you were worried, er, wondering. 😊
But on occasion I like to eat lighter. So, I ordered this interesting cookbook to see what eating vegan would be like. Of course, we live in an area where beef rules but I'd like to cook slightly healthier and at times I'd like to cook without using any meat. But I still want my family to get protein and a healthy meal. And, of course, I am very interested in making the Raspberry Funfetti Pop Tarts. Because pop tarts should always be healthy. 😬
First of all this cookbook wasn't exactly what I thought it would be...well, it's better. The recipes are fairly easy. I posted one recipe so you can see the easiness.
Wonderful recipe to help us eat rather healthy.
I was quite impressed with this lovely cookbook.
It would make a wonderful gift for the newlywed couple or for the person who wants to eat less meat and somewhat healthy.
Just a side note: This is a better way to eat in any ways but it's not a cheaper way to eat. So our family is eating two of these meals each week for cost efficiency.
*This book was provided for review by Waterbrook/Multnomah*
Crabless Cakes
Prep Ahead:
The Horseradish-Dill Aioli
- 2⁄3 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon vegan horseradish
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
Makes about 2⁄3 cup.
Preparation Time 15 minutes.
- 2 cups drained marinated artichoke hearts, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons liquid
- 1⁄4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 small shallot)
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1⁄2 cup chickpea flour
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 to 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
To make the crabless cakes, place all the ingredients except the oil and aioli in a large bowl. Combine well with a fork. It’s important that the artichokes, shallots, and celery are very small and uniformly chopped so that the cakes will stick together while frying.
You should have a 1⁄2 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottomed pan for frying. Heat it to a temperature of 350°F to 360°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
To make the breading, place the chickpea flour in a wide, shallow dish. Use another shallow dish for the bread crumbs and a bowl for the milk.
Take 1⁄4 cup of the crabless cake mixture and press and form it into a thick patty with your hands. Gently place the cake in the chickpea flour and coat all sides evenly. Quickly submerge it in milk and make sure all the flour looks wet. Remove it from the milk and place in the bread crumbs. Using your hands, coat all sides of the cake well in the bread crumbs, then lightly shake off any excess. Set the coated cakes on a plate or baking sheet. Once they’re all assembled, immediately deep-fry in batches.
Delicately place 2 or 3 cakes in the hot oil. Fry for about 4 minutes until golden brown, flipping halfway through. Gently remove the cakes with a slotted frying spoon and place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Serve immediately with the aioli. Leftovers can be heated over medium heat in a pan lightly coated with vegetable oil.
