Sunday 13 February 2011

Cook Book Junkie : Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - Color Me Vegan - Part One

It is a very happy day in this house when Amazon deliver a new cookbook to me.  Especially the new one, recently released by one of my all time favourite cooks. And very recently I had one of those days. I feel excitement from the moment I place the order, during the long wait for delivery and then the opening of the packaging. And there I sit at my desk simply looking at it for a few moments until impatience gets the better of me and I have to touch and look at the pages. And yes, I have been known to sit there Ooohing and Arrrring. lol. I always hope I'm in a place, where I can sit down with a cup of tea and read the book cover to cover, just once when it arrives. This time I wasn't so lucky because I had a very busy week cooking for friends. But finally on Monday I sat down with my new copy of Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. I have to say that I am a Colleen groupie. She is one of my very favourite vegan cookbook authors along with Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Romero, Linda Majzlik and Dreena Burton. 

The first cookbook of  Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's that I owned was the wonderful The Joy of Vegan Baking. Which is looking rather sorry for itself now due to overuse. Lol. When she released The Vegan Tablethere was a delay in shipment from the US and so I patiently...ahem..lol..waited, it arrived the day before we were due to go on hoilday, so in amongst my clothes, was my new cookbook. And when My Love was off swimming and kite flying, I was snuggled up on the sofa reading The Vegan Table. We were both content. lol. I have made many of the dishes out of The Vegan Table and so far haven't been disappointed. So I was very excited when I heard that the Colour (sorry but I am English!) Me Vegan was due to be published. And I have now read it cover to cover and I have learnt alot from it.  I've always known I should eat all the colours of the rainbow...but now I know why! And the recipes look tasty and so for the next few days I shall be testing some of them. 
  
9/2/11  Tonight I am making the Linguine with Purple Cabbage for three reasons. Firstly Purple/Red cabbage is one of my most loved vegetables. I can eat it anyway it comes...except with meat! Yuck. Lol. Secondly I love red onions and this recipe certainly has them. Thirdly I love garlic and that is the basis of this very simple recipe. Red cabbage, red onions and garlic sauted in a little oil finished with some freshly ground black pepper. I use only Wholemeal pasta for everyday cooking so I shall use the Linguine variety and then once cooked it gets drained and tossed with the Red Cabbage mix. C.PG finishes her recipe with toasted pine nuts but I won't be doing that tonight as I don't I have any. 


The Result: 


I really enjoyed this meal. But I already knew that I would as its list of ingredients were practically a list of my favourite foods! However, if you want a meal that is simple, filling and nutritious with earthy flavours and a garlic taste that doesn't knock you in the head, this is a meal for you to try. If you want a meal that has strong flavours and is complicated in its depth then skip the page and try a different recipe. lol. I loved the simplicity of this meal.

10/2/11 - I am currently sat at my desk whilst the aroma of Summer Squash with Cherry Tomatoes topped with Cheesy Toasted Pinenuts baking in my oven drives me crazy. That is the dish I have made tonight from Color me Vegan for My Love and I to test. We are both convinced that it will taste as good as it smells. But what is there in this recipe to smell or taste bad? Courgettes, Cherry Toms, Garlic, Olive oil, Parsley, Thyme and Basil with a Nooch and Pinenut topping  thrown together in a baking dish and left to do their thing. 




The Result:


Wow! The smell to this did not even begin to do it justice. The courgettes were just soft and the tomatoes were reduced down to a sauce consistency along with the garlic and herbs. I served it over a spoonful of plain Bulgar Wheat and it soaked up the juices and made a perfect accompaniment. My Love sat quietly and ate. When asked for an opinion, said simply, "Scrumptious!". I think that says it all.

 Part Two on its way!!