Tuesday, April 01, 2014

More Quick-Fix Vegan
Review and Giveaway

Ever since the publication of my first book, So, Now What Do I Eat? The Complete Guide to Vegetarian Convenience Foods, readers have thought of me as the Queen of Quick and Easy. And that's just fine by me, because when it comes to cooking, I'm all about quick and easy.

However, my diet has evolved over the years. I no longer rely heavily on transition foods: meat, butter, and cheese analogs, processed and prepackaged foods that are the ultimate in convenience. My preferences now lean towards more nourishing, healthful, whole foods. I love every second I spend in the kitchen preparing delicious, healthy meals. But the reality of life is that I spend the bulk of my working time outside the kitchen, and sometimes it's almost dinner time before I realize that it's time to make dinner! So on those all-too-frequent days, I look to tasty whole-food recipes that can be put together in a snap. In this regard, Robin Robertson has been a lifesaver. Her earlier book, Quick-Fix Vegan, which I reviewed back in 2011, has become an invaluable friend.

Robin's latest book, More Quick-Fix Vegan, delivers 150 flavorful new recipes that take no more than thirty minutes of hands-on time to prepare. I could not wait to dive in!


Although many of my friends often rave about Vietnamese banh-mi sandwiches, I have never tasted one. Flipping through the pages of More Quick-Fix Vegan, I noticed that Robin included a couple of intriguing variations, and the recipe for Banh-mi Bowls called out to me. Made with crunchy toasted croutons, homemade marinated tofu, crisp, fresh vegetables, and a rich sweet and spicy sauce, it sounded intriguing. The dish came together very quickly, and was so scrumptious, even my finicky husband approved. We loved this meal so much, I think you will, too, so make sure you scroll down to the end of this post, and grab the recipe!


The recipe for Red Kidney Bean Loaf with Barbecue Glaze piqued my curiosity. Red kidney beans are not at the top of my list of favorite beans, so I had to step outside my culinary comfort zone a bit to try this recipe. I'm so glad I did, because I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this dish. While the loaf was baking, our home was filled with such a delicious aroma that we could hardly wait to dig in. I think that if the end result had been anything less than spectacular, we would have been disappointed. But our taste buds were very happy, because this dish is sensational. The red kidney beans gave this plant-based "meat" loaf a very unique and unexpected flavor.


At the supermarket the other day, I noticed the selection of Passover foods that had taken up residence on an endcap display. I looked longingly at the containers of coconut macaroons I adored as a child and looked forward to with great enthusiasm every year at this time. If not for the egg whites, Manischewitz Coconut Macaroons would actually be vegan. I did leave the store with quite a hankering for something coconutty like a macaroon. And then I discovered Robin's recipe for Piña Colada Balls in More Quick-Fix Vegan. I love the tropical taste of piña colada, and this recipe even has a dash of rum! It was so quick and easy to put together, and so sweetly delicious, I really had to restrain myself from overindulging. I have lovingly renamed this delectable recipe Passover Sex on the Beach.


Thoughtfully included within the pages of More Quick-Fix Vegan are recipes for making your own homemade "convenience" foods like vegan sour cream and baked marinated tofu. (Perfect for a convenience-and-whole-food-loving girl like me!) And there are four pages of metric conversions and equivalents, which, because of all the crazy package downsizing, I'm finding more and more useful all the time. Like all of Robin's books, More Quick-Fix Vegan is jam-packed with a bounty of delicious recipes that you will want to make over and over again. From scrumptious Mediterranean Tofu Scram-Bowls to elegant Cavatappi and Broccoli with Creamy Artichoke-Walnut Sauce to the adorably named My Thai Sundaes with Green Tea Syrup and Berry Fool-ish, the recipes in More Quick-Fix Vegan will be a wonderful addition to any foodie's cookbook collection.

And now's your chance to win your very own copy of More Quick-Fix Vegan ! I'm giving one away  to one lucky reader. To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below, and follow the Rafflecopter prompts.* Your comment is the only mandatory entry requirement. To earn additional entries, you can also follow any of the other steps. May lady luck be shining down upon you, because I know you're going to love this book!

Reprinted with the kind permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing LLC, here is the recipe for Banh-Mi Bowls from More Quick-Fix Vegan by Robin Robertson ©2014:

4 (½-inch thick)slices Italian bread or 8 slices French baguette
1 large carrot, finely shredded
½ English cucumber
2 cups finely shredded cabbage (I used Napa)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (I omitted)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup minced scallions
1½ tsp grated fresh ginger
1 (8-oz) package baked tofu, cut into thin strips
3 Tbsp tamari soy sauce
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 to 2 tsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp natural sugar
2 Tbsp rice vinegar

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler on both sides, turning once. Remove from the oven and cut the toasted bread into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the carrot, cucumber, cabbage, and cilantro. Drizzle on the sesame oil and toss gently to combine. Divide the vegetable mixture among serving bowls and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, scallions, and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the tofu and 1 tablespoon of the tamari and mix well to coat the tofu. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons tamari with the hoisin, sriracha, sugar, and vinegar, stirring well to blend. Arrange the reserved toasted bread on top of the vegetables in the bowls. Top with the tofu mixture and drizzle each bowl with the sauce.

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*Sorry international friends, this giveaway is open only to U.S. residents.  

52 comments:

Kate Montana said...

My mom has this book and loves it! Now I want one, too!!! :) :)

Vegan Wheekers said...

I wish I could make pasta faster but cooking the noodles always take me longer than I expect. (Or maybe it just feels longer when I'm hungry?) Thanks for the giveaway!

Patience said...

I'd love a copy of this book -- thanks for the opportunity!

Terri Cole said...

I would like a make a fast lasagna.

gaia (at) cinci (dot) rr (dot) com

Tina said...

Stir fry is my quick go to meal.

Tina said...

Oops.. sorry. You can remove my entries.. I'm in Canada. :(

T.M. said...

I'd love to make a fast mac'n "cheese".Thanks for the chance!

MonsterAteMy said...

I'd like to quickly prepare stews and soups that are a change-up from my usual fare.

sara said...

I have Robin's first Quick-Fix Vegan volume and I've made just about everything in it! I'd love to have this new one as well!

Unknown said...

Would love to win this giveaway.

Unknown said...

Would love to win this giveaway.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could make vegan meatloaf quicker. My email address is troutail@yahoo.com

Bill said...

Fast lasagna would be awesome!

Jordan said...

I wish I could make a really flavorful thick chili without leaving it in a crockpot for 6-8 hours lol

Anonymous said...

Risotto. It's not so much the time that bothers me, but standing by the hot stove and stirring constantly. It tires me out lol.

Anonymous said...

Definitely lasagna. I love them but so time consuming :/

~ Cee ~ said...

Polenta. I seem to mess this up constantly, and then just make nutritional yeast grits :) ~Cee~

Jen T. said...

Veggie burgers. Enjoy the ones I make but it takes some time to make and assemble the various components. This cookbook looks great!

jac said...

I'd love to do lasagna in a hurry!

KCrowe said...

Definitely Lasagna!!

sarahhhhhh said...

cheesecake!

kelly g. said...

Lasagna!

Anonymous said...

I'll probably start at the beginning of the book and make everything! Yum

Lizzie said...

Pot pie always seems to take me so darn long...I make it less often than I would like because of this!

wickedliz at hotmail dot com

JMyers666 said...

Seitan anything

Anonymous said...

Kristin Troska: I wish I could make bean soup in a hurry.

Shannon said...

Definitely echoing others on here and saying I wish lasagna was faster:)

Magda said...

I would so love this book. I have old quick fix vegetarian and it is great. I can't afford buying all the books and my library doesn't carry this one.

Corrine said...

Pretty much anything that is vegan and healthy!

Lydia Claire said...

I think it's more about the prep for me. All of the chopping of veggies takes me forever. So if I was better with my knife skills then the dishes I wish were quicker to prepare probably wouldn't take so long. The clean up isn't my favorite either. =)

K.A.M. Boham said...

I wish I could make the Three-green tian from Robin's 1,000 Vegan Recipes book faster. It was so good but I spent over 45 minutes chopping and pureeing...

Rebecca said...

Anything involving brown rice pasta. It takes forever to cook!

Unknown said...

Everything written by Robin is amazing!

Jessica Eagle said...

Thanks for this wonderful giveaway :)

Ahhhh...I love when I can have comfort food such as soup, stew or vegan "gratin" full of veggies in a hurry !!!

Linda @ForkandForage said...

I'd love to be able to make a really good baked potato in a hurry (and microwaving it doesn't count - it's just not the same). Crispy skin on the outside and soft fluffy potato inside without having to wait. Mmm.

I already have Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet cookbook and love it. Since the Quick Fix cookbook is on my wish list, winning a copy would make my day!

Unknown said...

Burgers! I'd love to find some good vegan burgers to make in advance and freeze!

Thanks!

Darb said...

I'd love to learn any shortcuts- I make almost everything from scratch, and though I enjoy it, I can sure take a long time on simple foods!

Darb said...

I'd love to learn any shortcuts- I make almost everything from scratch, and though I enjoy it, I can sure take a long time on simple foods!

Sam said...

That's a tough question! I don't mind spending a lot of time in the kitchen. It's a great way for me to de-stress at the end of the day. The first thing that comes to mind is pizza--I love a good homemade pizza but it takes quite a long time from start to finish!

LadyAshley said...

Pad thai!

Jess said...

Making pizza always ends up taking longer than I expect. Thank you for the opportunity to win this book--it looks great!

SA Collins said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I wish lasagne could be made much faster.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could make seitan faster!

jennybunny_ at hotmail dot com

VeganLoveUnlimited said...

I wish I could make a totally coordinated 7 course romantic healthy organic whole food dinner for my beloved wife faster & all ready at the same time for special days (her birthday, our wedding anniversary & valentine's day for a start)

VeganMarr said...

I wish lentils and quinoa from scratch took less time. I did buy an Instant Pot but haven't played with it yet! The brussel sprouts were good choice for cover. The red bean loaf sounds very interesting! Was it moist? Some veggie loafs aren't & they need to be! Thanks for the review & thanks Robin for filling a need! Oh. And Gail, I cherish my first editon signed copy of your book, as well as the 2nd edition that added a great chapter on healthy pets!

Heather T said...

Hope I win! Working mom and would love some new quick-fix recipes!

Unknown said...

I'd love to win this book. Robin's cookbooks are always terrific.

jacqui said...

I'd love to win Robin's newest book!

Chelsea said...

Thai curries!

Catherine said...

I always want my food to be ready in a hurry, but any breakfast items that are quick-fix would be especially welcome. I'm a fan of Robin Robertson for ages and would love to get my mitts on that book. Thanks.

jacqui said...

It seems like everything takes too long when you are hungry! Soups are always great to try and make in a hurry.

Patent Attorney said...

What I love about this review is that you actually put the recipes into practice, and they all look so good!