Liz Franklin - Vegetarian Sheet Pan Cooking

VEGETARIAN
SHEET PAN COOKING

VEGETARIAN
SHEET PAN COOKING

recipes for simple and nutritious meat-free meals straight from the oven

LIZ FRANKLIN

Photography by Steve Painter

Senior designer Toni Kay

Editor Miriam Catley

Production controller Mai-Ling Collyer

Art director Leslie Harrington

Editorial director Julia Charles

Publisher Cindy Richards

Photography & prop styling Steve Painter

Food stylist Lucy McKelvie

Indexer Vanessa Bird

First published in 2018 by

Ryland Peters & Small

2021 Jockeys Fields, London

WC1R 4BW

and 341 E 116th St, New York NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text copyright Liz Franklin 2018

Design and photographs copyright

Ryland Peters & Small 2018

ISBN: 978-1-78879-029-1

eISBN: 978-1-78879-135-9

Printed in China

The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library. US Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

Notes:

Both British (Metric) and American (Imperial plus US cups) measurements are included in these recipes for your convenience, however it is important to work with one set of measurements only and not alternate between the two within a recipe.

All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified. A teaspoon is 5 ml, a tablespoon is 15 ml.

All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless specified as large, in which case US extra-large should be used. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. We recommend using an oven thermometer. If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturers instructions.

For Matilda Joyce the newest, most gorgeous and giggliest member of the family with all the love in the universe xxx

CONTENTS

For many years, I tested and reviewed equipment and gadgets for a very well known high street retailer of kitchenware. Some of the implements and appliances I tested were really useful, some not so much, but at the end of the day, I found very few truly indispensable items. Most ended up at the back of a cupboard, packed off to the charity shop, or given away to friends (who probably now have them at the back of their cupboards). Conversely, a handful of simple essentials have stood the test of time and Ive come to appreciate them more and more as the years have gone by a good set of knives, some sturdy stainless steel saucepans and a set of really robust roasting/sheet pans.

Once upon a time, the roasting pan might have been considered second fiddle to the all-important saucepan. The oven was reserved largely for cooking bread and other baked edibles, and for roasting meat, poultry and roast potatoes. Delicious and appreciated though these favourites were and still are, all manner of the truly scrumptious can be created when oven and sheet pan conspire. What makes the collaboration even more tempting, is that this magic can be achieved using just one sheet pan, and so the stack of dirty dishes heading for the sink is kept to an encouraging minimum. This fact in itself can help the whole business of making a meal much quicker to prepare and therefore less stressful but the bottom line is that the results are utterly incredible! In short, whats absolutely not to love about a way of cooking that is superconvenient, really relaxing, easy on the washing up and big on flavour?

When the lovely Julia Charles asked me to write this book, I couldnt have been more thrilled; it combines so many of the food related things that Im crazy about. As a once very strict vegetarian, I have long been a fan of loading up a pan with vegetables, pulses, grains and other goodies, throwing them in the oven and leaving them to look after themselves, and so the idea of a book concentrating on vegetarian and vegan recipes oven-cooked on a single sheet pan was something I couldnt wait to get to work on.

Plant-based diets have never been more popular. Once considered a simple support act to a meat or fish dish, the vegetable is now the rising star a fact now acknowledged by many of the worlds top restaurants. French chef Alain Passard has declared this the golden age of vegetables and centres the whole menu at his Michelin 3 Star restaurant Arpege around the vegetables grown in the eaterys gardens. At the height of my journey through serious vegetarianism, I was very much in the minority eating out at even the best restaurants often resulted in the same old boring offer a dry and dreary nut cutlet that had all the appeal of eating a chunk of old carpet. Now, as global issues highlight food related scares and scandals, we are all becoming far more aware of the animal cruelty involved in intensive farming methods, antibiotic resistance, the growing occurrence of lice infestation in farmed fish, and the huge implications of greenhouse gas emissions arising from the methane production that supports many of these systems. We hear regular reports from health experts on the probable link between over consumption of some animal products and disease, so there is little wonder that more and more of us are cutting out animal protein and products from our diets, or at very least reducing them.

The great thing is that we now have access to such a superabundance of wonderful, versatile and healthy vegetables and fresh herbs, and increasing numbers of us are growing our own as the popularity of allotments rises. We can easily shop for amazing spices and ingredients from around the world, and there are so many good things to provide the protein element of our meal without having to cook meat or fish.

Some of the recipes that follow are built on a bedrock of roasted vegetables and fruit. Heat from the oven helps to release the natural sugars in them and gives a glorious depth of flavour. Depending on whats being cooked theres often a bonus of crispy edges. But there are recipes for things you might not associate with oven cooking too glorious soups, fabulous fritters, and the best ever baked porridge. There are savouries to tempt, sugary treats to try all bound up with inspiration from around the world. From Ethiopian Lentil Casserole, to Tex-Mex Vegetable Tacos with Chipotle Mayonnaise. From Salt Baked Celeriac with Blue Cheese and Honey-glazed Treviso to Cauliflower, Mango and Sultana Salad. Sweet Treats include Bay-scented Hasselback Orchard Fruits and Coconut Macaroon Queen of Puddings, with its billowing meringue crown. There are recipes to start the day, and even some to snack on.