Meet Robin Robertson, Vegan Chef and Author of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker Plus A Sneak-Peek Recipe and A Chance to Win!

I am a huge fan of vegan chef Robin Robertson. With 19 books under her belt and her latest work Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker soon to be released (on September 25th), Robin is quite likely the most prolific vegan author out there. I own no fewer than six of her books—Vegan on the Cheap, Quick-fix Vegan, and Vegan Unplugged (cowritten with husband, Jon Robertson), are among my most dog-eared and page-worn favorites.

So it is with the greatest honor, that I am among the first to kick off Robin's virtual book tour, with a guest post and sneak-peek recipe from her forthcoming new book, Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker: 200 Ultra-Convenient, Super-Tasty, Completely Animal-Free One-Dish Dinners.

Robin: Everyone knows how great a slow cooker can be for cooking beans, soups, and stews. But did you know it can also be used to make jams, chutneys, and applesauce? How about breads, cakes, and casseroles? It’s true. Once you begin thinking outside the crock, you may find that a slow cooker can do a lot more than just cook great beans.

Take this recipe for Seitan Ropa Vieja. There are many variations of this flavorful Latin American dish. This vegan version, made with a combination of seitan, black beans, and mushrooms is my favorite. Served over rice, it makes a delicious dinner when accompanied by a green vegetable. It's also terrific spooned into warm tortillas and topped with diced avocado or vegan sour cream. This recipe is easily doubled for a crowd, and you can cook and serve in the same crock, then set it on the table to keep warm while everyone serves themselves.

Seitan Ropa Vieja

Photo ©2012 by Sabra Krock

Serves 4

Slow Cooker Size: 4- to 6-quart

Cook Time: 4 to 6 hours on Low

{soy-free}

2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)

1 small yellow onion, sliced paper-thin

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced paper-thin

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon natural sugar

1 pound seitan, shredded or very thinly sliced

2 portobello mushrooms caps, gills scraped and discarded, shredded or thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or one 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Flour tortillas or hot cooked rice, for serving

1. For the best flavor, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, and bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cumin and cook for 1 minute longer. Alternatively, omit the oil and sauté these ingredients in a few tablespoons of water or combine them in a microwave-safe bowl with a little water, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes.

2. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, seitan, mushrooms, beans, broth, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well combined. Cover and cook on Low until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 6 hours.

3. Just before serving, add the lime juice, then taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot, spooned into tortillas or over rice.

Recipe ©2012 by Robin Robertson and used with the permission of The Harvard Common Press

Update: Congratulations Rachel at My Naturally Frugal Family! You won! Please shoot me an email with your postal address, and your copy of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker will soon be on its way! I just received my own copy, and I can tell you that you're going to LOVE this book!  Thanks everyone for making this another great giveaway! More yumminess to come ...

I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker! To reserve your very own copy, head on over to amazon.com, or enter to win one right here and now! Simply leave me a comment below telling me why you love your slow cooker.*

To earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following, and please leave a comment for each item you complete:

1. Follow Robin Robertson on Pinterest.
2. Follow @GlobalVegan on Twitter.
3. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through Networked Blogs.
4. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
5. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of @GlobalVegan's new book Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker & fall in love w/your crockpot! http://bit.ly/VSCWin #vegan #giveaway

Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the lucky winner, (leave me your Twitter handle or email address or make sure it's linked to your blogger account.) Good luck!!!

*Sorry international friends. The giveaway is open to US residents only.

Quick-Fix Vegan Book Review and Giveaway

When it comes to getting dinner on the table, I'm all about quick! Since I work at home, I'm sometimes still tapping away at my computer keyboard until well past the time I should have been figuring out what we're having for dinner. Vegan chef Robin Robertson has written more than twenty books, including a few of my favorites—Vegan Planet, Vegan Fire and Spice, Vegan on the Cheap, and along with husband, Jon Robertson, Vegan Unplugged. (You can read my reviews of Vegan on the Cheap here and Vegan Unplugged here!) In Robin's latest book, Quick-Fix Vegan, she helps readers prepare fabulous vegan meals inexpensively and deliciously in 30 minutes or less! Drawing on culinary influences from around the world, the book is jam-packed with great-tasting recipes for the most sensational snacks, salads, soups, sandwiches, stove-top suppers, and sweets you'll ever eat!

Take for example, this spectacular gyro! I made it with Butler Soy Curls, instead of seitan, but Robin's seasonings and refreshingly light tzatziki sauce (which I made with So Delicious Greek-style Coconut Milk Yogurt), made this dish our new favorite sandwich!

We often enjoy tofu scrambles for dinner. (As well as pancakes, waffles, tofu omelets, and other breakfast foods!) Robin's Indonesian Vegetable and Tofu Scramble blends together a medley of Southeast Asian flavors to create a tasty twist on this staple dish.

It's hard to believe that this Moroccan Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Spinach sauté can go from stovetop to table in just fifteen minutes. And the blend of no fewer than eight aromatic spices make every bite so delectable, your family's taste buds will be fooled into thinking you spent hours preparing this dish.

I can't crack open a new cookbook and not hone in on at least one pasta or noodle dish. These Thai-inspired Primavera-style Coconut-Cashew Noodles combine the vibrant taste of fresh green vegetables with chewy pasta noodles and a dreamy-creamy, rich sauce. Want to try this delectable dish for yourself? The recipe is at the end of this post!

Rather than relying on packaged, highly processed faux meats and cheeses, I love that Robin's recipes are made from inexpensive, healthful, and hearty whole foods with modest amounts of minimally processed ingredients like tofu and seitan. More recipes from Quick-Fix Vegan that I can't wait to wrap my lips around are Romaine and Pear Salad with Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette, Sloppy Portobellos, Curried Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Cauliflower "Rice," Catalan-style Crème Brûlée, and Apple Pie Parfaits! (Yes, there is a whole chapter filled with yummy desserts, too!)

With the holidays quickly approaching, it's the perfect time to treat yourself or someone (no—treat yourself and everyone!) you love to a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan! With the bounty of delectable recipes you'll find within its pages, this wonderful book will pay for itself over and over again by saving you time in the kitchen and money at the grocery store. And since I'm getting into the holiday spirit a little early, I'm giving away a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan to one lucky reader!* To enter, simply leave a comment here telling me why you'd like to win this book.

Update: Congratulations to Rebecca (Art You Dream About)! You won the giveaway! Please email me with your postal address, and I'll get your copy of Quick-Fix Vegan right out to you! Thanks to everyone for making this such a great giveaway! Stay tuned for my next post—I'll be sharing something completely different and wonderful, just in time for the holidays!

You can also earn additional entries by doing any or all of the following. Just leave a comment for each item you complete:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan from @Vegiegail & make delicious dinners in under 30 minutes! http://bit.ly/sEhr1n #vegan #giveaway #recipe
3. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!
4. Follow @GlobalVegan on Twitter!

Reprinted with the kind permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing, below is the recipe for Primavera-style Coconut-Cashew Noodles from Quick-Fix Vegan  by Robin Robertson. ©2011

Ingredients:

12 ounces linguine

1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil

5 scallions, minced

1 carrot, shredded

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 cup snow peas

1/3 cup fresh Thai basil, cilantro, or regular basil (I used Thai basil)

2 Tbsp cashew butter

1 Tbsp sriracha sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 13-oz can unsweetened coconut milk

Directions:

Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, carrot, ginger, and snow peas, and cook until the snow peas are softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the basil and cook, stirring gently, until hot.

In a small bowl, combine the cashew butter, sriracha, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir in the coconut milk until well blended. Stir the mixture into the vegetables and keep warm. Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Add the sauce and vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

*Sorry, international friends. You must have a valid US postal address to enter to win.