I’m a little bit of a cookbook junkie, so I have a difficult time saying no when I’m asked to review a new book. This year I’m trying not to take on too many reviews, so that I can do my own thing. So when I was asked if I’d like a review copy of Peace & Parsnips by Lee Watson, I almost said no. I hadn’t heard of Lee Watson, and I was working on creating some recipes of my own. The book sounded intriguing though, so I let my inner junkie take over, and I said yes. After receiving the book, I was very glad that I did!
Peace & Parsnips: Adventurous Vegan Cooking for Everyone: 200 Plant-Based Recipes Bursting with Vitality & Flavor, Inspired by Love & Travel is a gorgeous hard cover book that’s packed with mouthwatering photos and 200 delicious recipes. The dishes are inspired by Lee’s travels, so there’s an ethnic flare to them. Lee’s enthusiasm for cooking vegan food shines through, and he shows you just how easy and fun it is to make plant-based meals. I love his casual approach to cooking, with recipes calling for a handful of this, a generous pinch of that, or a glug of something. That’s how I tend to cook when I’m cooking a casual meal – I rarely reach for measuring cups and spoons.
If you’re new to vegan cooking, you’ll find everything you need to know in the book’s first chapter. Lee explains the benefits of eating vegan, and he busts many of the food myths around veganism. There’s a comprehensive guide to stocking your pantry and run-down on spices that are helpful to have on hand. There are also tips for cooking vegetables as well as simple recipes for homemade dairy-free milks.
The recipes in Peace & Parsnips cover just about every type of food you could have a hankering for. The twelve chapters cover everything from breakfast and lunch to dinner and dessert, and everything else in between. There’s an entire chapter devoted to burgers and sandwiches, and another that’s dedicated to sauces, dressings, and other toppings. With so much variety, you could cook from Peace & Parsnips for months and never get tired of the food.
I’ve tried three recipes from Peace & Parsnips and I know I’ll be making more soon. The Asparagus Club Sandwiches with Rainbow Chard and Pine Nut Cream were absolutely delicious, and there were large enough to be a meal on their own. I was glad to have leftovers of the fillings to make more sandwiches for lunch the next day. The Pappardelle with Artichoke & Almond Sauce, Purple Kale & White Asparagus (I could only find green asparagus) was a nice change of pace from our usual pasta meals, and I loved the creamy green sauce made from almonds, artichokes, and watercress. My favorite recipe so far has been the Leek & Wild Mushroom–Stuffed Potato Skins with Lemon & Chive Yogurt. These flavorful spuds are stuffed with veggies and are a perfect light meal or side dish.
It’s only mid-year, but Peace & Parsnips may be my favorite cookbook of 2016. Packed with creatively flavorful vegan recipes, this book will renew your love of food and revive your enthusiasm for cooking.
Asparagus Club Sandwiches with Rainbow Chard & Pine Nut Cream
The Trump Tower of sandwich construction, the Empire State Building of munch, the Shard of…you get the idea. This one is quite tall. Incredibly green and healthy, with a touch of chard technicolor among the layers, it’s a light and quick sandwich to whip up and stack. Three tiers of tofu and panfried asparagus goodness here, with a smooth pine nut cream. Delicious served with homemade vegetable chips. And try it with tomato, ginger and orange chutney. The trick here is to try to slice your bread as thinly as possible.
Makes 2 sandwiches (enough for 4 to share)
The Bits
- 11½ ounces (325g) firm tofu, pressed, or tempeh, cut widthwise into 3 x ¾-inch (8 x 2cm) slices
- 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 scallions, trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 6 asparagus spears, halved lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 6 large leaves of rainbow chard, cut into ¾-inch (2cm) ribbons
- ¼ cup (50ml) dry vermouth or dry sherry
- a handful of basil leaves
For the pine nut cream
- ¾ cup (100g) toasted pine nuts (hazelnuts would also be delicious)
- 4½ ounces (125g) silken tofu
- 1 small clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- a large pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- 6 thin slices of sourdough bread
- olive oil, for brushing
- 1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
Do It
To make the pine nut cream, put the pine nuts into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blitz until smooth and creamy. Check the seasoning and set aside.
Pat the pressed tofu dry. Season the flour with sea salt and cracked pepper and place on a plate. Dust the tofu slices with the seasoned flour – they have to be very dry to crisp up nicely.
Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan on medium heat. Add the scallions and sear for 5 minutes, until tender. Remove and keep warm, then add the tofu slices in the center of the pan, arranging the asparagus around the edges. Fry the tofu and asparagus until nicely golden – this will only take 2 minutes on each side for both. The asparagus may need turning more than the tofu, but see how they get on. Remove everything from the pan and keep warm.
Add ½ tablespoon of oil to the same pan on medium heat and add the fennel seeds and garlic. Heat through for a minute, then drop in the chard. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes. Drizzle in the vermouth and let it steam for a moment, then add the basil leaves, season, and cover tightly with a lid. Turn the heat down to low and allow to steam for 5 minutes.
Brush your sourdough bread with olive oil and lightly toast on both sides. Time to build your triple-decker! Grab two pieces of toasted bread, spread them with a thick layer of the pine nut cream, then top each one with a couple of slices of tomato and two pieces each of tofu, asparagus and scallion. Top with a second slice of bread and repeat for the next layer, but this time spoon some of the chard and basil on top instead of the asparagus and onion. Press down firmly, then cut the sandwiches in half.
Recipe from Peace & Parsnips: Adventurous Vegan Cooking For Everyone © Lee Watson, 2016. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com
Review reposted with permission from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen.
