15-Minute Vegan: Fast, Modern Vegan Cooking

From vegan food blogger Beskow (Little Miss Meat-Free) comes a simple and straightforward collection of easy vegan recipes. Beskow makes good on her promise of fast cooking, even if the recipes at first don’t appear to fit the bill, such as a sweet-corn chowder made with scallions and coconut milk; pea and garden-mint fritters; and a red-wine reduction made with pear, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. There are some adventurous creations, such as banana-split ice cream with pretzel pieces, as well as some old vegan favorites, such as her coconut and lemongrass rice and a caramelized-red-onion hummus. Beskow offers time-saving recipes for one-pot dishes, such as chili with cinnamon, kidney beans, and avocado. Readers will find that the majority of Beskow’s recipes are healthy, even if they take the form of comfort food, such as her macaroni with sage and butternut squash. Because of their short preparation times and the author’s choice of fresh, basic ingredients, this is a safe and solid introduction that proves vegan cooking doesn’t have to be all about substitutes. (July)