The Kind Kitchen is subtitled, vegan now what? and includes resources and tips for people who have just changed their dietary plan.
The Kind Kitchen is not just the title of a cookbook, or the name of a restaurant, it embodies a way of living for Jay Mac. As he says: “We don’t have a Planet B to call home! This one is all we have, andwe have the power to change the way we treat mother earth through the foods we choose to eat.”Being vegan doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of lentils and lettuce leaves. Jay’s innovative and imaginative recipes reimagine all your favourite dishes, from mac ‘n cheese, chicken wings, burritos, bao buns and maki rolls, to burgers and bunny chow. When it comes to sweet treats, he has adapted family favourites, such as milk tart, pumpkin fritters and cheesecake to be dairy free, while his smoothies and plant-based milks mean less reliance on store-bought products. Jay Mac has mastered the art of turning mushrooms into chicken, carrots into lox, celeriac into fish and beetroot into burgers, as well as the even darker art of making meat from wheat.Join him in the The Kind Kitchen and learn his secrets on how to make tasty, tempting and affordable vegan food at home.
Chapters are divided into:
- Break the Fast
- Soups & Salads
- Sarmies, Breads & Wraps
- Snacks & Nibbles
- Main Meals
- The Sweet Stuff
- Making Juices & Plant-based Milks
- Making Meat from Wheat
- Fermented Foods
- Basics
- Sauces
- Stocks
- Dressings
- Dips
Recipes that caught my eye:
- Mom’s Quinoa Granola (p8)
- Chilled Emerald Soup (p20)
- Magic ‘Shroom Soup (p24)
- Ramen Soup (p28)
- Gluten-Free Spinach Wraps (p40)
- Black Bean Burrito (p47)
- Soft-Shell Corn Tacos (p51)
- Boa Buns (p53)
- Chilli-Lime Nachos Chips (p63)
- ‘Shroom Biltong (p64)
- Easy Tiger Bowl (p83)
- Mac ‘N Cheese (p85)
- Gluten-Free Choc Chip Cookies (p101)
- White Miso Fudge (p112)
- Black Lemonade (p126)
- Pimped OJ (p127)
- Herb Dressing (p146)
- Sunflower Seed Miso Dressing (p147)
- Avo Chimichurri Dressing (p149)
- Roasted Hummus Dip (p150)
What I made:
As I was firing up the oven to make granola for Dave I decided to make the quinoa granola for myself. Dave would not like it because of the coconut, but that is exactly what I liked about it. I am not too keen on the quinoa part but will include aspects of this recipe in future bakes of my own granola. The soft-shell corn tacos did not work. I am not sure if the failure was to do with the age of the corn flour, or the actual recipe. However, as I have never made a successful batch I decided to toss the flour out. I made the fudge using peanut butter and it was so good. The result was large enough for me to share with several friends. The sunflower seed dressing made for the perfect topping for a vegan bowl.
My impressions:
I thought it was great that warnings are included about vitamin and essential nutrient deficiencies. This is a big issue for people who do not consume animal protein and who are vegan. I am personally not a fan of faux meats and so found the book not very inspirational to me from that aspect.
Publishing information:
Penguin Random House South Africa sent me The Kind Kitchen to review.
View the previous posts on January 5:
-
- 2022: The Flexitarian Foodie
- 2018: Pink Sangria
- 2015: Toasted Muesli
- 2014: Save Yourself
- 2011: Chinese Five Spice Powder
I actually loved the idea of the granola recipe the best and most definitely with the coconut! Now Tandy, I must tell you, I have spent countless hours polling men trying to find one, just one man on planet earth who claims he likes (doesn’t have to love it) just likes coconut. Do you know in the 20 years I’ve been polling men, I haven’t found one! LOL! I think I would like the quinoa too? I wonder now!
Let me know if you will try the granola when I post the recipe!
An interesting read about a book totally new to me. We are all different and I must admit I have lowered my meat consumption during the past decade more for personal health benefits than the welfare of the planet ! Have LOWERED, not CUT ! I totally agree with you about faux meats . . . I’ll simply be a carnivore on fewer occasions in smaller portions and prefer wild meats ‘already there’ to that cruelly produced on a factory farm, but . . .
We only eat free range (or happy meat) and having been a vegetarian and been very ill from it, I will never go back to not eating meat 🙂
What a beautiful term ‘happy meat’ – must remember that !!!
I agree. I too am not a fan of fake meat (I like them but don’t feel that they are healthy food). I prefer ethnic vegan dishes that have been staples throughout the world for centuries. My husband is from Egypt and they only ate chicken once a week .The rest of the week they relied on vegetables, legumes, rice, vegetable soups, nuts,, seeds, etc.
I like that you eat ‘traditional’ vegan dishes. Makes such more sense health wise 🙂
oh I can’t take fake meat at all. i just think why bother? either eat meat or don’t! I lived with vegans years ago – they were always hungry! :=)
I have been reading up that fake meats might not be as nutritious as they claim!