Vegan Cookbook Review {Quick-Fix Vegan} + GIVEAWAY!

Standard / by / March 8, 2012 / 95 Comments

I have two Robin Robertson cookbooks in my library: 1,000 Vegan Recipes and Party Vegan.  I love them both.  As a new vegan Robin’s recipes have exposed me to how easy and delicious eating vegan really is.  When I was offered the opportunity to review her latest book, Quick-Fix Vegan:  Healthy, Homestyle Meals in 30 Minutes or Less, I jumped at the chance.

You can win a copy of this book!

Robin Robertson has written an impressive number of cookbooks and Quick-Fix Vegan is a continuation of her tradition to offer tantalizing plant-based recipes in context:

to all who extend the circle of compassion through a vegan lifestyle.

She dedicated her book to me! (Well, and every compassionate, plant-based eater out there.)

The intent of Robertson’s latest cookbook falls completely in line with my current situation.  I love to cook but I don’t have the time on a daily basis.  Her solution is to share quick, well-balanced and economical recipes with her readers.  She begins the book with her “quick-fix vegan basics” which include time-saving strategies (keep your kitchen organized; cooking intuitively), pantry basics (beans, grains, tomato products, etc.), ingredient shortcuts, how to plan ahead, and a review of key kitchen equipment to have on hand.

Quick-Fix Vegan offers six basic recipes that allow you to make “convenience” food from scratch: vegetable broth (you know I’m a fan of homemade stock!), seitan (three ways!), pizza dough, pie dough, roasted bell peppers, and toasted nuts.  Each basic recipe is quite simple.  I found this section enlightening simply because it reminded me that when I take the time to make any one of these basics, I have the base for so many recipes.

Here is a sampling of the 150 recipes included in the book: 

  • Starters and Snacks: Moroccan Pumpkin Humus, Red Bean-Chipotle Dip, Curried Puff Pastry Nibbles, and Jerk-Spiced Kale Crisps.
  • Stovetop Suppers:  Lemony Couscous and White Bean Pilaf, Spicy Smoked Portobello Tacos, Korean Hot Pot, and Seitan Forestière.
  • Pasta Express:  One-Pot Pasta Primavera, Rotini with Creamy-Avocado-Herb Sauce, Skillet Lasagne, and Spicy Peanut-Hoisin Noodles with Tofu and Broccoli.
  • Soups in Short Order:  Quick Vegetable and Quinoa Soup, Sweet Potato-Spinach Soup, Coconut Corn Chowder, and Last-Minute Laksa.
  • Speedy Sandwiches:  Chesapeake Chickpea Sandwiches, Seitan and Slaw Wraps, Mediterranean Quesadillas, and Indonesian Satay Sandwiches with Peanut Sauce.
  • Snappy Salads:  Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad, Soba Slaw, Green Papaya and Tofu Salad, and Corn, Red Bean, and Blueberry Salad with Mango Dressing.
  • Easy Make-Ahead Bakes:  Mac and Cheezeburger Bake, Jambalaya Bake, Tuscan Kale Lasagne, Special Spicy Empanadas, and Muffuletta Pizza.
  • Sauces and Condiments:  Sienna Sauce, Three-Nut Cheeze Whiz, Hoisin-Peanut sauce, Golden Pineapple-Raisin Chutney, and Mix-and-Match Pesto.
  • (Almost) Effortless Desserts:  Butterscotch Apple Cookies, Shortcut Baklava, Fresh-Fruit Cake, and Ginger-Cashew Chocolate Truffles.

Quick-Fix Vegan is incredibly comprehensive!  Robertson’s recipes are easy, flavorful and have been adding a great variety to my meals.

I use her Lemon-Cashew Cream Sauce on everything!

Lemon-Cashew Cream Sauce over a brown rice-farro mix + steamed broccoli

When possible I try to share at least one recipe in my cookbook reviews.  Robin, who knows I have a thing for kale, suggested that I share the Lebanese Sleek from the Stovetop Suppers section.  This recipe rocked my kale-loving world and here is the recipe!

Lebanese Sleek
Reprinted with the author’s permission
Serves 4

I developed this satisfying recipe for a friend who enjoyed it in a Lebanese restaurant and wanted to make it at home. The name of this pilaf comes from the word silek, which is Arabic for Swiss chard – although I usually use kale because it’s more readily available.  This dish reminds me of a Middle Eastern version of Hoppin’ John. Serve this topped with Tzatziki Sauce (page 118).

  • 1/2 cup medium-grind bulgur
  • 1 1/4 cups hot vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons zataar or baharat spice blend (see note)
  • 9 ounces kale or chard, chopped
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and black pepper
  1. Place the bulgur in a bowl.  Add the vegetable broth and set aside for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and spice blend and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the kale or chard, scallions, black-eyed peas, and the soaked bulgur.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the ingredients are tender and the flavors are well blended, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.  Serve hot.

Note: Zataar or baharat spice blends are available in Middle Eastern markets, gourmet grocers, or spice stores.  They are also available online.  If unavailable, combine the following: 1/2 teaspoon each ground black pepper and paprika; 1/4 teaspoon each ground coriander and ground cumin; 1/8 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.

Truly, truly one of my new, all-time favorite dishes!

If you’re looking for a vegan cookbook that offers creative — dare I say fancy/impressive — dishes that can be prepared quickly and easily, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan:  Healthy, Homestyle Meals in 30 Minutes or Less.

And now, how about a chance to win a copy of this great book?  Enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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95 thoughts on “Vegan Cookbook Review {Quick-Fix Vegan} + GIVEAWAY!”

  1. My favorite kitchen tip is to pre- prepare.  If I’m making a dish for dinner I chop up my veggies in the morning or the night before.  

  3.  What a great give away.
    Im just a beginning vegan and still find it hard to make something quick to eat that is delicious so this book would be great for me.

  4. What is your favorite time-saving trick in the kitchen?  Using a rice maker for cooking any grains.  I can start it cooking, go for a run, and come back to perfectly cooked grains every time.

  6. my favorite time saving trick is to freeze ahead!!  That way on crazy busy days I have no excuse. There is always something healthy to eat!

  8. My favorite  tip is to plan ahead by having the ingredients for “go-to” meals always stocked in your kitchen.

  9. This cookbooks sounds absolutely amazing. I would love to try out all the recipes! 🙂 
    To save time in the kitchen, I usually cook up a couple of large batches of pulses at the start of the week and use them as the basis of lots of different meals during the week or freeze half for the following week. This has saved me so much time, rather than cooking for individual meals.

  10. My favorite time-saving tip is to cook bulk quantities of recipes such as soups, baked goods, etc. and use them throughout the week.  This cookbook looks amazing!

  11. Making extra grains. Whenever I need to make brown rice, quinoa, etc. for a recipe I always double or triple the amount so I have it on hand for another meal or two.

  12. I like to cook a big vat of grains and freeze 1/2 cup portions. This makes packing breakfast and lunches for the week so much easier.

  13. I like to have a few things always on hand.  I cook rice and quinoa in large batches, as well as beans.  I chop veggies on the weekend.  Then I have basic ingredients for almost any dish ready on hand throughout the week.  Huge timesaver.

  14. I actually like to do a big batch of cooking on Sundays so that way I have prepared meals for the week.  I am usually too tired to cook when I get home and I found this solution to work really well for me.

  15. my favorite kitchen tip is to chop up my spaghetti squash and put in a skillet with boiling water while I am doing laundry.. when I come up it’s ready to mash with a fork and eat… I don’t have to wait 40 minutes while it bakes in the oven..

  17. My favorite time saver is to bulk cook beans and grains and have them ready for my week.

  18. I’ve been stalking this cookbook on Amazon – time to enter the giveaway!  Thanks for the review!

  19. I always cook extra brown rice so if I need a quick lunch or dinner I’m half way there.

  21. My time saving tip is to prepare in bulk on weekends, i.e. soak beans, big batches of veggie burgers, chop big heads of broccoli into florets, etc.

  22. This recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it.  Thanks for the giveaway!

  23. My favorite time-saving trick is using my Keurig coffee maker to get hot water in a hurry for broths, oatmeal, and cooking pasta!

  24. I have her book “Vegan on the Cheap”. I use it quite often. I do have a question about the above recipe. About how much kale or chard is 9 oz? I have no clue. Thanks!

  25. My favorite kitchen tip is to roast squashes, pumpkins, or eggplant on the weekends and freeze the roasted pulp to be used later in the week in soups, hummus, or stir fries.

  27. Make extra everytime you cook.  Leftovers are a great way to eat healthy when short on time!  I always plan ahead with extra.  Fingers and toes crossed to win this new book.  Robin R’s books are the bomb and I have been coveting this new one now bad!

  28. I keep containers of prepared vegetables in my fridge at all times – enough for about 3 days.  From that step, it’s really quick to get them ready for salads, soups, or snacks.  What’s in there right now: carrot sticks, chopped onions, washed and chopped Romaine, roasted asparagus, roasted cauliflower, sliced red bell pepper.   

  31. A way that I save time in the kitchen is by cooking up big batches of beans (usually in my crockpot, which is even better since I don’t have to watch it as closely), and then freezing them in 1 1/2 cup bags.  Then I always have them ready to throw into a soup, chili, or some quick beans and rice.

  33. I often chop/mince a large portion of fresh ginger and garlic and keep them in small containers in the fridge for use throughout the week. My other time-saving trick is using Robins great quick0-fix recipes!

  34. My best kitchen tip is to prep all your veggies for the week right after returning from the grocery store.  I find I eat better, waste less, and save time.  Thanks for the giveaway offer.  I love Robin Robertson!

  35. I clean up as I cook as much as possible. Sometimes I also wash and prep the veggies and store in the fridge on the weekend so they’re ready for cooking on weeknights when I have less time.

  37. Make a few of the same type of dishes at once with the same cutting board and equipment, that way you only have to clean up once. 

  39. My favorite way to save time in the kitchen is to invest in a good immersion blender! I cant live without mine. Puree hot soup etc. right in the pot- less mess- less cleanup!

  40. OMG, that Lebanese Sleek dish looks awesome and I bet it makes the kitchen smell heavenly. Can’t wait to make it!

  41. Making big batches of staple foods and freezing them is my most used way to have foods ready for busy weeknights. Rice, beans, sauces, etc all freeze well. 

  42. I cook enough brown rice on Monday to use throughout the week and clean my veggies as soon as I bring them home so they are ready to use.  

  44. Sadly, my favorite time-saving kitchen trick is….using frozen food 🙁 I don’t get nearly enough fresh, homemade food because I’m just too darn impatient! Once every few weeks I make broccoli cauliflower soup but that takes an hour or two to make and I just have other things to do!

  45. My favorite time-saving trick is to make enough of freezable meals that I can simply thaw, heat, & eat!

    skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

  46. As long as I plan my menu for the night before I get home (and make sure I have the ingredients), whipping up dinner that evening isn’t too bad. 🙂

  47. My favorite time saver is making big batches of seitan, brown rice, farro, and millet for the week. Seitan and brown rice freeze well. Oh, and beans, too, they freeze well.

  48. Bulk cooking and pepping is my secret. I pre-chop carrots/celery/lettuce so I know I’ll make the right decisions when I’m hungry. 
    I also pre-soak my beans/lentils and freeze them so you can just pop them in the pressure cooker and go!

  50. Two words: Frozen Soup. I make a big batch of potato soup, and freeze a few containers of it. I don’t microwave, because it always has less than desirable results, but a little ice-soup puck dropped into a sauce pan warms up quick enough.

  51. My favorite tip is to prepare all fruits and vegetables when you get home from the store. It save so much time later on in the week. And make easy healthier so much easier!

  52. After finding your blog recently, I have added some appliances to my kitchen.  Since I already had a pressure cooker I simply followed the links to the rice cooker and digital steamer you posted about and voila!  I’ve also found out the hard way that if I don’t take the time to do some bulk cooking on the weekend then I’m lost during the week so that too is now part of my routine

  53. My favorite time saver is to make extras and freeze leftovers. Also love my pressure cooker and slow cooker.

  54. my favorite time-saving trick is to have as many foods prepped and ready to go as I can. I especially love cooking tofu and rice ahead of time to throw together in a bowl when i’m in a hurry

  55. My favorite time saver in the kitchen is cleaning up with I’m waiting for something in the pan/pot/oven. That way I get to enjoy my food instead of speeding through to wash dishes.

  58. My favorite kitchen time-saver may seem like a cop-out, but it’s my crock pot. Just set it and forget it and when I get home, dinner is done. My uncle was obsessed with his, but I didn’t understand why until I became an adult.

  60. What is your favorite time-saving trick in the kitchen? Planning menus ahead is key! Also, the pressure cooker can’t be beat when cooking beans! 😀

  61. My favorite kitchen time saving tip is to always make extras.  So, if I make extra veggies for dinner, I can quickly add them to breakfast or lunch.  

  63. I love Robin’s cooking! I still use her Vegan Unplugged book to this day, over 2 yrs after buying it! This one has been on my Wish List for over a year and I would LOVE to win it! 🙂 

  65. My favorite tip is teaching my niece to cook. She learns so quickly and is so much fun, and now I have a little chopping, stirring, mixing helper! Cheers!

  66. My favorite kitchen tip (nothing original – but it really works!) is to bundle your cooking to do a few recipes in one day.  It majorly cuts down on clean-up time since I’m able to reuse a lot of mixing bowls / pots / knives / cutting boards / food processor for multiple recipes with just a quick rinse.

  67. Pingback: Bean and Barley Vegetable Stew

  68. Mine is simple – plan. I plan my weekly menu, cook up a storm on Sunday, and pack and prep everything for the week so I have lunches and dinners ready to go. Since I only have to leave the house for work three days, this has really worked for me. Also, I freeze a lot of food, do I’m never without healthy options

  69. My time-saving trick is leftovers!! If I make a dish that has rice as a base, I’ll make the dish, then all I have to do when I’m ready is cook the rice. I always make double for school lunch the next day!

  70. I just ordered a pressure cooking and looking forward to experimenting with it and some new recipes 🙂

  71. crockpot and pre prep veggies for my meals….the night before and dinner is quick and easy

  75. And my favorite time-saving trick in the kitchen is preparing everything for a recipe a night in advance. I chop veggies, make sauces, make seitan, marinate tofu etc. the night before so all I have to do when I get home from work and the gym is throw stuff together.

  77. Looks great, just what I need as a vegan student certainly rushed for time and in need of good, fast nourishing and most of all delicious meals. My best time saving tip, although I think you’ve got all them covered, is prep, prep, prep. Even if you don’t prepare complete dishes, cooking up a batch of dried beans and a grain at the weekend can save you heaps of time during the week. 

  78. Ohhh, this cookbook sounds fantastic and so does that recipe.  Would you believe I’ve been looking for Kale for a week and can’t find any anywhere?  I’m not a fan yet, but I’ve been on a mission to try to be.

  80. Opps – didn’t read what I was mean’t to do until after I had commented. I save time in the kitchen by using my leftovers as the base of new dinners. So if I have lots of leftover baked bean casserole I stir it through pasta or use it as a pie filling so that it feels like we are eating a completely new meal instead of boring leftovers 🙂

  81. I will pre wash and chop all my veggies to save time in the kitchen. Great book! I have had my eye on this one for about a week!

  82. I’d love to try all of the great sounding recipes. I’m fairly new to veganism. Please enter me for the drawing! I save time by cooking & freezing beans & grains in portion sizes.

  86. I like to prepare all my salad veggies right away after a shopping trip to save time.

  87. my favourite time-saving trick for the kitchen is using pre-washed baby spinach for my morning smoothies.  it gets them into the blender even faster and my green smoothie into my belly quickly!

  90. I try to think about the next day’s meal the night before.  Soak beans or defrost something already prepared.  I really like the concept of “It’s in the Bag a New Approach to Food Storage” by Michelle Snow.  I make up several favorite meals that can be prepared in under 30 minutes.  Put home canned beans, tomatoes, spices in a small seal a meal bag in a gift bag and put in my pantry to make up chili really fast. I don’t have to check and see if I am out of chili powder.  It is already premeasured, ready to dump in the pan!   It also make a great gift to take an ailing friend.

  94. Pingback: Soba Slaw & “Quick-Fix Vegan” Review

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