Rachel Ama - One Pot: Three Ways: Save Time with Vibrant, Versatile Vegan Recipes

One Pot:
Three Ways

Save time with vibrant, versatile vegan recipes

Rachel Ama

www.yellowkitebooks.co.uk

First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Yellow Kite

An Imprint of Hodder & Stoughton

An Hachette UK company

Copyright Rachel Ama 2021

Photography Haarala Hamilton 2021

*except for pages 2, 6, 36, 56, 100, 124, 223

Henry Jay Kamara 2021 and page 14 Rachel Ama 2021

The right of Rachel Ama to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Cover image: Designed by Studio Nic & Lou

Cover photograph Henry Jay Kamara

Executive Publisher: Liz Gough

Project Editor: Isabel Gonzalez-Prendergast

Editorial Assistant: Olivia Nightingall

Copyeditor: Tara OSullivan

Art Direction: Nikki Dupin, Studio Nic & Lou

Design & Art Direction: Emma Wells, Studio Nic & Lou

Food Photography: Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton

Portrait Photography: Henry Jay Kamara

Food Stylist: Eleanor Mulligan

Props Stylist: Louie Waller

Senior Production Controller: Diana Talyanina

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 without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Hardback ISBN 978 1 529 36994 6

eBook ISBN 978 1 529 36995 3

Yellow Kite

Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y 0DZ

www.yellowkitebooks.co.uk

Your hip thrust to music, Your first crawl, Your infectious giggle, Your screeches of excitement, Your love of pears and oranges, Your cheeky smile.

So many milestones throughout the journey of this book and so many to come, I am so deeply honoured to be your mum.

CONTENTS

About six years ago, I made the decision to switch to a vegan diet, and since then Ive found an entirely new excitement, love and enjoyment in the food I create, eat and share. As someone who absolutely loves delicious food, I can honestly say that Ive never enjoyed food as much as I have on this plant-based journey. Wholesome, flavourful food that makes you feel good is worth celebrating. Nothing beats sitting down with a delicious meal and taking the time to enjoy it its one of lifes many gifts. Imagine a summers day, a kitchen full of simple, seasonal fruits and vegetables, with the windows and backdoor open, the smell of aromatics cooking in the pan, and, of course, one of my playlists in the background that is my happy place. And this book lets me share my happy place with you.

Becoming vegan

Its strange to think that this vegan way of eating was once completely new to me, but it took me a while to get here.

It started with dairy. Dairy especially cheese seems to be a big factor for people when theyre considering going vegan, with many wondering how they could live without it. The truth is that dairy and I have always had a pretty turbulent relationship. Id had unresolved health problems for years, but at the time none of the health professionals I spoke to had made any kind of link between my health issues and my diet. My mum has always been a firm believer that what we eat affects our bodies, so she encouraged me to practise a process of elimination', cutting out different foods and keeping a record of how it affected my health. I quickly identified dairy as the culprit it was causing inflammation throughout my body, resulting in various knock-on effects. Those problems faded within months, and disappeared after a year, so I always big up my mum for her guidance. I think one of the last times I ate dairy was from a famous pizzeria in Boston. I will never forget that oh-so-cheesy pizza but nor will I forget how it left me feeling! (Awful... for weeks.) Cheese is a vice for many people, but its an enemy to my progress and my system something I believe is true for almost everyone in varying degrees. Back then, it was hard to find non-dairy alternatives, but today theres an AMAZING range!

While Id removed dairy from my diet, I was still eating meat or fish most days. Growing up in a city, I had never really been exposed to farming practices and the journey food takes on its way to our kitchens I just saw the packaged product. But after learning more about how food ended up on my plate, I knew, ethically, that I could no longer be a part of that process. So almost overnight, I decided to stop eating animal products. That was it.

In addition to my ethical reasons for going vegan, I also wanted a change for myself. As Id already experienced health benefits from removing dairy from my diet, cutting out all animal products felt instinctive to me. I wanted to centre my love for food in fruits, vegetables and nutritious whole foods. I wanted my body to thrive. And thats exactly what happened. Through many happy hours experimenting in my kitchen and with the help and support of the amazing and enthusiastic following Ive engaged with online Ive developed a way of cooking and eating plant-based foods that indulges my love of flavour and makes me feel great. My food is a reflection of the different influences and experiences Ive had, the people Ive met and the tables Ive sat at. I love finding new flavours, rediscovering old favourites and exploring ways to create plant-based versions of dishes Ive always loved.

Ive been lucky enough to do a fair amount of travelling. Some of my adventures have taken me road tripping across the States, travelling across different countries in South America, Ive spent British winters in the Caribbean, as well as taken trips to Europe and Indonesia. Ive enjoyed incredible food that keeps me so inspired when cooking at home. As well as growing up in London, full of different cultures and cuisines, my heritage plays a huge role in the food I make: my immediate family are Welsh, St Lucian and Sierra Leonean, so its fair to say I grew up visiting family members with very different-smelling kitchens across London, and each smells like home to me. In saying that, its no secret that Caribbean food is my favourite; the flavours and aromas are very close to my heart and always put a big smile on my face.

Finding a new star of the show

I love sharing my recipes, whether thats online, in books or in person. Ive been lucky enough to cook and give food demonstrations at festivals and other large food events, which give me the chance to share my big, plant-based flavours with as many people as possible. Seeing other people enjoy my food gives me so much energy. To my continuing joy, people really engage with these demos and always want to learn more. At the end of each show, demonstration or interview, I am always hit with the same question: How do you eat vegan every day? Its a great question, and its one of the reasons Im so excited to be sharing this book. Because there is a secret to it and it can unlock a whole new way of cooking and eating.

Whether you go completely vegan or just decide to start eating more plant-based meals, a lot of people including me have to kind of re-learn how to cook. Most of us, especially in the UK, grow up with the understanding that our meals should centre around meat or fish, served with a carb and a vegetable on the side. Most of our daily meals are put together using this basic formula, and often that fish or meat centrepiece will be rolled out in various guises over the next few days as the leftovers are used up. In my house, for example, wed typically have a big roast chicken on a Sunday, then the leftover meat would form the basis of our meals for the next couple of days.