Book Review

Vegan Planet
by Robin Robertson
Review by Cathe Olson

Another winner from Robertson! This hefty book contains 400 recipes from home and around the world – and they’re all vegan.

“Vegan Planet” includes appetizers like Ginger-Scented Vegetable Pot Stickers, Baked Sweet Potato and Green Pea Samosas, and Chili-Avocado Dip. There are soups and stews like Roasted Corn Chowder, Italian Wedding Soup, Thai-Style Coconut Soup, and many types of chili. Lentil Soup with Chard and Orzo was a hit with my kids. The book also has a big selection of salads, including Indonesian-Style Vegetable Salad, Tuscan Bread Salad, Asian Cole Slaw, and Pasta Salad Nicoise.

The book includes international grain dishes like Caribbean Rice with Red Beans and Chiles, Lemon Risotto with Peas and Scallions, and Indian-Spiced Quinoa with Raisins and Pine Nuts. Bean dishes include Red Bean Cakes with Creamy Coconut Sauce, Three-Bean Dal, and Cuban-Style Black Beans. There are also plenty of vegetable dishes such as Shredded-Vegetable Fritters, Cajun-Style Collards, and Broccoli Rabe with Figs, Garlic, and Pine Nuts.

When you’re reading for a main course, try some of the pasta dishes like Penne Puttanesca, Tofu and Vegetable Lo Mein, or Pesto-Tossed Golden Potato Gnocchi. Ravioli Without Borders is an interesting dish where ravioli wrappers are layered with tofu, spinach, pesto, tapenade, and salsa. My family enjoyed the Pad Thai, Tuscan-Style Pasta with Chickpeas, Zucchini, and Rosemary, and Alfredo-Style Fettuccine. I tried the Tomato-Basil Lasagna Spirals in which lasagna noodles and a tofu-pesto filling are rolled into spirals. It was such a delicious and impressive dish that I made it several more times for dinner parties.

Other entrees include Jerk-Spiced Portobello Steaks, Teriyaki-Glazed Tempeh, Parmesan-Style Eggplant, and Winter Vegetable Potpie. The Ultimate Shepherds Pie was delicious, and the Three-Nut Burgers are one of the best I’ve had. They also hold together really well even before they are cooked, so I think they would work well on a grill.

“Vegan Planet” includes recipes for breads – both sweet and savory, breakfasts, smoothies, dressings and sauces. The dessert section includes recipes for several dairy-free “cheesecakes”, pies, cobblers, cookies, and ice creams. I made the Fresh Peach Crisp (heavenly), the Cranberry-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies (yummy), and the Dairy-Free Double-Chocolate Ice Cream (not bad).

I am very pleased with this cookbook. The recipes are tasty and the instructions easy to follow. The dishes are just unusual enough to make them interesting but not so “out there” that my kids won’t try them. There are a few exotic ingredients but Robertson usually suggests more easily found substitutes. Most recipes are family-friendly, although many of them are spicy. Since my kids don’t like hot food I just leave the chili peppers or hot sauce out of the dish and my husband and I season our meals at the table. Many recipes are based on soy products – especially tofu – so if you are avoiding soy you will need to do some substituting. For vegans who love a variety of different types of food, this book is a great investment.

Order Vegan Planet Now!

Cathe is a freelance writer and the author of Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will LoveSimply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook: Whole Foods To Nourish Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women - And Their Families. She has studied vegetarian, macrobiotic, and whole foods nutrition and cookery. Cathe cooked at natural foods restaurants and delis in the San Francisco Bay and Central Coast areas of California before settling down with her husband Gary to raise a family. She works at home while caring for her daughters Aimie and Emily. Read Cathe's blog

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