Quick-Fix Vegan: Healthy, Homestyle Meals in 30 Minutes or Less (Quick-Fix Cooking)

I'm deducting only half a star so this is actually a four and a half star review.I have this as an ebook and I really love it because I'm a slow cook (always have to double the prep time on recipes because I can never get them made in the amount of time they supposedly take) and this cookbook makes getting dinner on the table in a reasonable amount of time doable.My two caveats is that I would love for there to be less fat in the recipes (I don't need them to be fat free, but healthier would be nice) and also, for them to use fewer expensive ingredients (like puff pastry or sun dried tomatoes in oil). I have Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap as well and it is a good cookbook but far more time consuming.At this point, I would give my left arm (well, almost) for a book of quick, tasty, healthy and cheap vegan recipes. But until one comes along, I will continue endangering my Kindle by bringing it into the kitchen so I can use this book. The recipes are quick, tasty and vegan, which is the best I've been able to find.So far I've made the following:Ginger Sesame Seitan with Spicy Basil Snow Peas -- I made a variation of this this substituting super firm tofu for the seitan and broccoli for the snow peas as she suggests could be done. It was very good.Coconut-Curry Cauliflower and Chickpeas -- just so so. I thought this recipe relied too much on the curry powder for flavor which is fine if you have superb curry powder but mine was not enough by itself. It tasted curry like but didn't pop.Tofu Skillet Scramble -- Also good and to save time I just threw in fresh red pepper without roasting it first.Spicy Smoked Portobello Tacos -- Very good. I made it with chopped crimini mushrooms.Moroccan Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Spinach -- Very good especially considering how speedy it is to make. A little heavy on the tomato flavor, but I've already made it twice.Southwestern Pasta Toss -- Pretty good but I thought it needed something to make it a little more saucy.Sweet Potato Spinach Soup -- Excellent. Maybe not the healthiest thing I've ever had, with 1/3 cup of Peanut Butter but really worth making once in a while.Chard and Red Lentil Soup -- Also excellent, and healthy. I think this might be my favorite recipe from this cookbook so far. And if you make it with red chard, it also has a lovely color.Burrito Scramble -- Good.Farmer's Market Pasta Salad -- Good. I substituted stir-fired broccoli for the fennel, since I'm not a fan of fennel.Tempeh Normandy -- Very good even with substituting cider for the apple brandy.I also recommend Robertson's companion book, Quick Fix Vegetarian - also a vegan cookbook regardless of its title.4/26/12 UpdateSince I posted this review, I've made the following:Rotini with 10-Minute Tomato-Olive -- terrific, just excellent. I used San Marzano crushed tomatoes and I'm sure that didn't hurt. This sauce was oily, but so good that I've made it four or five times now.Roasted Ratatouille -- pretty good but a little dry. I had to bake it about ten minutes more than the recipe called for.Linguine with Artichokes and White Bean Alfredo -- good but I think the sauce would make a truly awesome party dip without the pasta.Jerk Vegetable Skillet -- very good but not that quick for me.Seitan Donburi -- good and fast but needs more veggies. I think next time I make it I'll throw in a frozen Asian vegetable mix.Portobellas Stuffed with Chickpeas and Chard -- very good but took me a long time to make. Not a "quick fix" for someone as slow in the kitchen as I am.Sicilian Stuffed Shells -- excellent. The tofu filling with the parsley and raisins was very good.Chickpea and Spinach-Artichoke Crostini -- good and surprisingly filling.Lemony Couscous and White Bean Pilaf -- good but very lemony.Shortcut Mushoom Risotto -- okay, but not wow. Texture somewhat similar to risotto but I can make an equally fast and better risotto in the pressure cooker.Lebanese "Sleek" -- Very good (I used the Za'atar spice mix option). Loved the combination of kale and black eyed peas.Green Chile Tofu Migas -- okay.White Beans with Mushrooms and Sauerkraut -- okay, esp. considering that I dislike sauerkraut and vegan sour cream, both of which this dish contains.Tofu "Scampi" with Spinach (made with dulse granules) -- Excellent, even though I must've done something wrong and the coating came off the tofu in the pan. We didn't care, it was just so delicious.One Pot Pasta Primavera -- Good and very quick to make. It reminded me of the Aglio Olio pasta I've had in Italian restaurants.Update 1/12/2013 I've added more recipes to this review (everything starting from Sicilian Stuffed Shells on down to the end) and want to say that at this point, I'm thinking of cooking my way through this book, I like it so much.

Robin Robertson is my new best friend. (Okay, Robin? Cool.) Why? Because she wrote this vegan cookbook that not only makes me feel like eating a plant-based diet is possible, it's also easy and incredibly delicious. I've been vegetarian for nineteen years, since my early teens, but only recently did my husband decide to make the switch to a plant-based diet. And when he did, he wanted to be as vegan as possible. (Right now, veganism is more of a goal for both of us, not something we actually achieve every day.) But when he first told me this, I was frankly quite stressed. I'm used to cheese and eggs being part of what we eat. It's easiest -- or at least that's what I thought till I bought this. I know I'm not alone in my thinking because so many vegetarians I know, when asked if they're vegetarian or vegan, say, "I could never be vegan. It's too hard."Well... Enter Quick-Fix Vegan.First off, the lay-out is easy to follow. The author has a list of the basics needed in your pantry for quick, plant-based cooking. I do need to mention that I ordered some of the items on the list from Amazon rather than try to track them down in local groceries, but now that I know what I'm looking for, it's getting easier to find those products. The book then goes through recipes -- salads, soups, sandwiches, make-ahead bakes, etc. -- and has an index at the back that I've found is much easier to use than those in other cookbooks. For instance, you can look up the ingredients that you have in your kitchen and come up with a plan for your meal. Other cookbooks don't always include the main ingredients unless they're part of the title, which makes for more time-consuming flipping through the book. Robin Robertson is all about making things simple and fast.But the taste is what should really sell this book. I wish there was a way to stick taste samples on my review, they are so incredibly delicious. I haven't made a single dish that wasn't met with rave reviews -- even from the pickier eaters in our family. The Indian Shepherd's Pie is a starred favorite, asked for weekly at least. Same with the Roasted Ratatouille. And the aroma as these are being cooked is... (okay, I'm stuck here because I feel like I've used "incredible" too much here already)... Outstanding! Mouth-watering! The kind that make you happy to stand by the stove even if you didn't consider yourself a "cook" before! The kind that make you count the seconds till you can shout, "Dinner is ready!" and then run to the table to dig in! (and be glad these are "quick-fix" items!)If you can only buy one vegan cookbook right now, buy this one. You will absolutely not regret it.

I think this book rocks! I really love Robin Robertson: she's a bit of a US vegan Delia - her recipes are delicious, well-explained and they work. I also own her 'Vegan on the Cheap' and '1,000 Vegan Recipes' which are genius imho.Firstly,, about 90-95% of the ingredients are easy to source. Re the more unusual items, I realise that might be a problem for newish vegans or those cooking for them. But it's simply because as a US book it doesn't list UK brandsIn fact, most of them are available in big supermarkets, Sainsbury and Waitrose especially: I've bought miso (sweet and dark varieties); vegan mayo (Plamil brand); vegan marg (Pure and Vitalite); vegan puff and shortcrust pastry (Jus-Rol and most s/market own brands, just check no added butter). Tempeh isn't yet in supermarkets but is available in good health food shops - frozen. Holland & Barrett will also stock most things. Vegan sausages? Linda McCartney's are vegan. Other brands (health food shops) include Redwood, Fry's and Vegetarian Choice.Re using vegan stock, if you don't have home-made (I rarely do!), just use a vegan stock cube or bouillon powder. Marigold red and purple tubs are vegan (not the greeny orange one); Kallo do vegan stock cubes and even Green Oxo is vegan. Things like chipotles in adobo - just use dried chipotles, soaked in stock and don't worry about the more obscure extras. (Chipotles are a dried, smoked chilli - yummy!)If anyone has a problem with a US vegan ingredient, Google it - not only do most of the big UK supermarkets have an ingredient search - but there are lots of UK online health food stores such as Goodness Direct, Alternative Stores, Veggie Stuff and tons more that deliver. Similarly, US sometimes has different words for foods, e.g. scallion for spring onion; eggplant for aubergine etc. Again, a quick google will take you to several sites that list these foods and their UK equivalents.If none of the above works, please contact me [email protected] - I'm the food person there and I would be pleased to help.The only downside is that there are no or few photos of the food, which is a shame but all too common in US vegan cookbooks it would seem ('Vegan Yum Yum' one of the exceptions). I guess it's down to tight publishing budgets... but many of these cookery writers have cool websites where you can view some of their creations,Hope this helps!

The recipes are very easy and quick to make and taste fabulous! I only wish there were pictures too as I enjoy looking at the pictures in a cookbook. Highly recommended

Lots of easy menus

Good recipes with very little fuss, highly recommend for those who need a quick meal with store cupboard regulars. Ideal for those starting out vegan.

Great cookbook for vegetarian or vegan. Simple but tasty recipes with things you probably have in your kitchen. Robin Robertson is my favorite vegan chef and I have other cookbooks of hers. Excellent.