Katy Beskow - Five Ingredient Vegan: 100 Simple, Fast, Modern Recipes

Its often thought that vegan cooking is complicated, with some recipes requiring multiple ingredients, advanced cooking techniques and hours spent in the kitchen. In reality, who has the time (or inclination) for that? I know that after a hard day of work, the last thing anyone wants to do is follow a never-ending list of ingredients and chefs-style recipe method, which is why Ive put together this book of simplified meals that are full of flavour and substance, despite their minimal ingredients lists. Five Ingredient Vegan shows you how to cook a range of tasty meals using just five ingredients, all of which can be purchased from a supermarket; in fact its likely that youll already have most of the ingredients in your store cupboard! To get the best out of these recipes, Ive assumed that you have three basic kitchen ingredients: oil, sea salt and black pepper. At a time when vegan cooking may seem overcomplicated and unachievable, let these recipes help you fall in love with making delicious meals. Whether you are vegan or just want to try a few vegan recipes, this book will show you how to make the most of your time in the kitchen, without having to shop for obscure, unpronounceable ingredients. Ive included plenty of tips along the way, to make the process easy and fuss free, and also tested which recipes can be frozen without compromising their flavour or texture.

The recipes are organized into five chapters: Soups, Lunches, Suppers, Sweets and Basics; youll find recipes for all of the family to enjoy! Feeling confident in the kitchen comes with building up your own repertoire of meals that you enjoy cooking. It is so rewarding to be able to create and present hearty, fresh and nourishing dishes (with a few treats too!). Im a firm believer that a few simple, good-quality ingredients can make the most satisfying of home-cooked meals. Buy the best that you can afford, particularly fresh ingredients such as vegetables, fruit and bread, and aim to buy ingredients in season for maximum flavour. Strip it back, keep it simple and think about versatile ways to use your fresh and store-cupboard ingredients to create something memorable every day of the week. Whether youre a confident cook, or a not-so-confident home cook, keeping it simple in the kitchen will allow you to create something delicious, with minimal effort and maximum enjoyment.

Follow these five tips and let simple cooking change the way you view meal preparation. USE RECIPES WITH JUST A FEW INGREDIENTS

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Choose recipes with up to five ingredients, to keep cooking simple and fuss free. You can then get creative by adding extra ingredients to the basic recipe, depending on what you have available and what flavours you want to add in. Having a collection of simple base recipes will build your confidence to develop dishes to suit your personal tastes. For many of the recipes, Ive made suggestions about additional ingredients to offer variety, but feel free to explore your own ideas! BUY VERSATILE INGREDIENTS

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When buying an ingredient or some fresh produce, think about how you can use it all; not only will you cut down on food waste and keep money in your pocket, but youll have an overall appreciation of food production efforts. For example, baby spinach leaves are wonderful raw in a salad, they make a colourful addition to a dhal and boost the nutritional values of soup. BATCH COOK

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Whether you have some spare time, or have simply made too large a quantity of food for your needs, its worth keeping leftovers or extra portions in the fridge or freezer to save you cooking again after a busy day. BATCH COOK

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Whether you have some spare time, or have simply made too large a quantity of food for your needs, its worth keeping leftovers or extra portions in the fridge or freezer to save you cooking again after a busy day.

Ive added a note to each recipe to state if it is suitable for freezing, or storage suggestions for longevity. I keep a stock of clean jars and plastic containers available for batch cooking, but dont forget to label the container to remind you what it is (it can be hard to tell when its frozen!). As standard, I always have a supply of available to cover all meal and snack bases. KEEP KEY EQUIPMENT TO HAND

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Before you start cooking, read through the recipe and decide what equipment you need to use, then have it accessible to make the process as simple and streamlined as possible. This may mean laying out a pan, wooden spoon, hand whisk and knife along with the ingredients prior to beginning a recipe. The stress of finding that box grater at the back of the cupboard while stirring a sauce is one that is easily avoided with just a couple of minutes of preparation.

HAVE FUN

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Whether youre cooking alone, with a partner or with children, enjoy your time and experiences in the kitchen. Take yourself on a journey with new ingredients, absorb the aromas and sounds and enjoy learning how a dish is brought together. Failing that, put on some music, pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of tea and get cooking! In this book, I have assumed that you have three basic ingredients oil, sea salt and black pepper so these ingredients are not included in the ingredient count for each recipe, allowing the five main ingredients to be the stars of the show! Keep a stock of a few essential store-cupboard ingredients, alongside fresh produce, for delicious and balanced meals. OILS

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Sunflower is my choice of oil for cooking, as it is flavourless and has a high smoke point. This makes it versatile to use for roasting, sauting and frying its also great value for money. Good-quality extra virgin olive oil is perfect for dressing salads, drizzling over pasta and as a dip for bread. Store both of these oils in a cool, dark cupboard to preserve their quality and flavour.

SEA SALT AND BLACK PEPPER

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Opt for good-quality sea salt flakes; when used sparingly they enhance the finished flavour of any dish just lightly crush between your fingers when sprinkling. Occasionally, Ive suggested using smoked sea salt, which is widely available now; it can add another level of flavour to your dishes but can easily be substituted with normal sea salt. Freshly ground black pepper is a great way to finish a dish to add a pop of flavour and that familiar heat. CANS OF BEANS AND PULSES

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Keep a selection of canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lentils, jackfruit and red kidney beans to hand so that you can whip up a meal with very little preparation, soaking or boiling times. These ingredients have a long shelf life, meaning theyre a handy essential to have available. Simply pour away the canned water and rinse thoroughly in cold water to avoid any canned taste.

Edamame and broad beans can be used in cooking from frozen; their texture and flavour is unaffected by the freezing process and it means less waste too use only what you need before returning the rest to the freezer.

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