The Flexitarian Cookbook has adaptable recipes compiled by Julia Charles for part-time vegetarians and vegans.
The Flexitarian Cookbook
Today many of us are looking to eat less dairy, meat and fish, as the host of environmental, ethical and health-related reasons for doing so stack up. The concept of not centring every meal around an animal-based protein is well on its way to settling into mainstream society but out there, is a whole middle-ground of home-cooks, somewhere between carnivore and vegan, who are doing their best to reduce meat and fish consumption, but enjoying it on occasion when the urge strikes. For these so-called flexitarians, choices are less about adopting a rigid regime, and more about an organic attempt to eat a mainly plant-based diet.This timely cookbook is a collection of modern recipes and comfort food classics, all of which feature simple adaptations that can make them suitable for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians and meat-eaters. No longer will you have to juggle between multiple cookbooks or haphazardly hash together a meaty ending to a recipe depending on your appetite or cravings!
Chapters are divided into:
- breakfast & brunch
- snacks & lighter plates
- salads & sides
- soups & stews
- pasta, noodles & rice
- oven bakes & sheet pans
Recipes that caught my eye:
- grain free granola (p15)
- cauliflower-stuffed pacos (p36)
- hazelnut, mushroom & bulgur wheat salad (p51)
- kachumber (p63)
- vegetable minestrone (p66)
- creamy celeriac & white bean soup (p69)
- Syrian aubergine & chickpea ragout (p78)
- mac ‘n’ cheese with mushrooms & ham (p94)
- asparagus risotto (p110)
- aubergine lasagne (p125)
- mushroom toad-in-the-hole (p134)
My impressions of The Flexitarian Cookbook:
If this is the way you want to go, you will find the recipe book very useful. It includes recipes to make your own vegan cheese and cream. The photographs were enticing but not many recipes caught my eye. And not all of the pages are numbered. However, I did like the idea on how to use the recipe in different ways. Some of the recipes contain meat and for others you can add a protein of your choice to the dish. Most noticeable to me as someone with a sweet tooth was the lack of dessert recipes.
What I made:
I made the asparagus risotto and it was amazing. So much so that I made it again the following day to turn into arancini using my spinach pesto.
Publishing information:
Disclosure: I was sent the book to review by Penguin Random House South Africa. I was not required to write a positive review. This post is in line with my blogging policy.
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime January 29:
-
- 2018 – Prawn Linguine
- 2017 – NYPD Red 4
- 2015 – Nasturtium Jelly
- 2014 – Haute Cabrière
- 2013 – Lime Cordial
- 2012 – The Versatile Blogger Award – take five
A good book to have.. I eat meat a d fish but seldom..
This is a great book for you then!
seems like such a book may be a helpful for “mixed couples” one who is a vegan, the other is not. It may also be useful for those who may want to slowly transition to a completely plant-based diet…
Or even those who just want ideas on how to incorporate more vegetables in their diets 🙂
I think I’d really like this cookbook! That’s how we like to eat nowadays too although we do tend to eat meat when we go out for dinner.
We seldom eat meat when we go out, only because we do it better at home 🙂
I’m not sure how flexitarian is different from just eating a balanced diet.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
It is aimed more at people eating less meat than a balanced diet would suggest 🙂