Beskow - 15-Minute Vegan: Fast, modern vegan cooking

To Tamzin and Tara contents When I started the vegan recipe blog Little Miss Meat-Free I never dreamed that within a year I would be teaching cooking classes, demonstrating at food festivals, working with a handful of well-known brands and writing for a national magazine. In between these projects, I continued to work full-time at a day job, hustling to ensure the bills were paid so I could carry on with my real passion. As you can imagine, this left me with very little time to cook and enjoy a meal for myself, even though my days were filled with producing elegant dishes, using the best ingredients, for other people to enjoy. I knew that when I got home, I wouldnt want to spend the evening in the kitchen, and that I really didnt have the time (or the inclination) to go shopping for lots of specialist ingredients. I found that the meals I was cooking at home took fifteen minutes or less to prepare and cook and, as Ive never been one to compromise when it comes to flavour, my meals needed to be quick, simple, balanced and delicious. Id raid the fridge and cupboards, often taking inspiration from the dishes I had cooked earlier that day, but using quicker cooking techniques and ingredients that I had to hand.

The fifteen-minute meals I had created were so delicious I decided to post them on the blog and, to my surprise, these remain my most popular recipes, with lots of readers posting photos of their quick creations across social media. I also challenged friends and family to make my fifteen-minute recipes, rather than ordering takeaways, which led to my title 'Fast Food Queen', as I always had a recipe that was quicker, tastier and a lot cheaper than ordering a takeaway! I love being in the kitchen and would encourage anyone to develop a passion for good food, however busy their lives. The idyllic dream of wanting to prepare a hearty family meal every evening compared with the reality of the time you actually have is often a struggle that is all too real. I believe that great food can be created in even short amounts of time, using fresh ingredients to create something delicious and balanced. I hope you enjoy the time you spend making these recipes as much as you enjoy eating them. Im so excited to share my collection of fifteen-minute recipes with you in this book.

Katy Beskow why vegan? As a life-long animal lover, I have been a vegetarian from childhood. I became vegan when I moved to London and stumbled across a colourful fruit-and-vegetable market, which left me intoxicated with new sights, fragrances, and tastes. Every Saturday morning, I rushed to the market as early as I could to get the freshest produce and be back in time to be inspired by a day of food TV programmes. I didnt have Nigel Slaters kitchen garden and I couldnt afford to shop in Nigellas delicatessens, but I had a brown paper bag full of colourful fruits and vegetables waiting to be cooked into something delicious (even if it was in the tiniest of kitchens, with just two pans and a cracked jug). I had a limited budget and discovered that by not using any expensive animal ingredients I could experiment even more with flavours and textures. People choose to become vegan for many reasons, including ethical values, environmental issues, sustainability, reduction of food costs, and health improvement.

For me, any health benefit of a vegan diet is a happy side effect of choices that are primarily ethical. More questions are raised about where food is from, the ethics, production, and environmental and humanitarian impact created by what a consumer chooses to purchase and eat. Due to this, there are more people than ever reducing their meat and dairy intake, whether its to live a vegan lifestyle or simply to try something a bit different in their diet. This book isnt designed as a resource for discussing the politics of veganism, but as a celebration of great, fast food that can be enjoyed by everyone. Vegan food is no longer considered bland and minimalist. If we see past the meat-and-two-veg style of eating and look at better ways to prepare, eat, and enjoy our food, a world of new flavours, textures, and dishes awaits.

So many people eat the same old meals, perhaps due to habit or lack of confidence in the kitchen, but not truly enjoying their food, which is a good indication that it is time to shake things up and try new ingredients and methods of cooking. Reducing dairy and eggs isnt as difficult as it may initially seem. Many of us have a learnt dependence on dairy products, rather than trying something plant-based that can be equally as delicious. Think you cant enjoy a bowl of chilli without a cooling swirl of soured cream? Slice over a creamy avocado. Wonder how you will ever get that soup so thick and rich? Use coconut milk. Theres an alternative for everything, which just involves stepping outside the box.

Vegan food lends itself particularly well to fast cooking, as the basic ingredients are easy to prepare and cook. There are fewer food-safety concerns compared with the storage, preparation, and use of meat, fish, dairy, and eggs; just be sure to wash your fresh vegetables thoroughly, store non-dairy milk and yoghurt products in the refrigerator, and ensure any beans and pulses are cooked thoroughly before consuming. Great vegan food doesnt have to be complicated and I promise it wont be bland. Every recipe in this book has been tested to ensure it is packed with flavour, using the simplest and fastest methods. After all, we want to be eating the food, not waiting for it to cook! how to cook in 15 minutes Being short of time doesnt mean you have to sacrifice cooking great food or be a culinary genius to achieve it. With a few simple tips, time-saving advice, and tried-and-tested recipes, youll be eating the best food in no time.

Many people think that fast cooking must involve preparing all your ingredients ahead of time, but this is not the case. Simply using your time effectively before and during the process is all that is needed. If youre using the oven, set it to preheat as soon as you decide what to cook. If you need to add hot water or stock to a recipe, get the kettle on before you start, so you have less time to wait once you start the cooking process. When a recipe calls for the use of a pan or wok, add the oil in and get it over the recommended heat level before you do anything else. You can then prepare the first vegetable required with no time waiting for the pan to reach temperature.

Theres no need to prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking. Start with the items that have the longest cooking time, then while these are cooking, you can prepare and then add the other ingredients. Dont worry if youre unsure of what should come first Ive listed the preparation step-by-step in each recipes method. If you have more time and plan on fast cooking later, you can prepare many ingredients in advance, if you wish. Keep prepared fruits and vegetables refrigerated and in sealed glass jars, then bring to room temperature before cooking. Have a selection of useful kitchen equipment to reach: a couple of good-quality knives, a wooden spoon, garlic press, measuring spoons, and a timer.