January cookery bookclub: we're going veggie

[glorious]

Come and join the cookery bookclub! Each month we choose a couple of books/blogs/magazines and cook at least two new recipes of our choice from each.

This month we're reprising some favourites from last year with a veggie theme. The two books are Ottolenghi's Plenty and River Cottage Veg Every Day.

People will also be adding their own veggie favourites from other books and blogs.

From Plenty, things we have loved

Spicy Moroccan carrot salad
Sweet potato cakes
Garlic tart
Very full tart
Saffron cauliflower
Burnt aubergine with tahini

I'm going to try - baked eggs with yoghurt and chilli and fried leeks.

Found poached baby veg with caper Mayo a bit ordinary.

eek have to try that one. We had the dhal with crispy sweet potatoes for dinner last night. Absolutely delicious. First time I made it I did the quick coconut chutney as suggested. But last night I used shop bought mango and lime chutneys.

I'm in. HFW's book leaves me cold, but I'll give it another try.
The black pepper tofu is the only thing I've cooked from, 'Plenty' and it is amazing. I use less butter and fewer chillis though.

I now have Anna Jones on order at the library, thank you for the recommendation, never heard of it before.

Am awaiting from Amazon Eat Your Vegetables by Joe Yonan. Another one I hadn't heard of before, but heard about it via David Lebowitz. Looks interesting - veggie food with an Asian theme :)

It's hard for me to fine new things in Plenty, but I have always wanted to make the Green Pancakes and never have, so I shall do them next week.

A couple of questions for people who've already made them - do you think they would reheat ok? Or better even, freeze?

Also, do you think I could make the butter with lemon instead of lime? DH doesn't like lime (weirdo), and I would prefer to make it for both of us rather than just me :)

Hi remus, good to have you back.

huevos you can definitely reheat them but no idea about freezing. I don't see why not since all the ingredients would freeze but I didn't try.

I'm going to try shakshuka from plenty this week, and maybe the squash and fennel lasagne from hfw. I don't like fennel though so any other veg people would recommend to replace it? Leeks?

Happy new year cookbookers!

I have plenty so count me in (I can confirm that the shakshuka and mejadra are in Jerusalem as I know that book very well courtesy of previous threads ). Not keen on HFW so I'll stick to ottolenghi this month.

Are any of the Plenty recipes online?

I think they are Remus but not as Plenty recipes as such, just through the Guardian website

You could search via Eat Your Books?
Sorry, faffy :(

Thank you.

I found a couple of nice ones on the Guardian site, that were mentioned earlier in the thread - the broccoli and cheese pie one looks good.

Was going to say EYB and a Google search should bring up plenty of hits. I think all or most or plenty ;more) are originally published in the guardian isn't it?

I found the same for Nigel Slater's eat too.

I know I went on about this recipe last time we did Plenty, but I really would recommend the Stuffed Onions. I did it as per the recipe, not with the tomato sauce he says you could use.

Really really lovely :)

I'm in! On the fence about HFW as liked some and hated other recipes. Love Ottolenghi as long as I'm prepared to search for ingredients... Which I will...

I've got birthday party today. I've narrowed down my vegetarian menu to hfw swede and potato pasties ( miniature) and ottos broccoli and Gorgonzola pie.

I've found vegan too restrictive so have switched to vegetarian for the month ( mainly as I can barely enjoy the books as vegan and they are two of my favourite cookbooks)

Chestnut and sage soup planned for lunch today from HFW - I have extra chestnuts that need to be used up.....and the recipe looks fairly simple.

Marking place

Chestnut and sage soup was pleasant enough, it's the kind of thing you don't need a recipe for, just pretty standard soup, I guess that's what I find so dull about this book....for the experienced cook its the kind of food you can pull together just by looking in the fridge and making it up.

I agree, Silver. I find it v uninspiring, although I do fancy trying the potato salad tartare thing.

i have to agree with you too silver. The HFW book doesn't inspire me to cook.

The broccoli and blue cheese pie is amazing. Sod the calories. Though it does leave an aftertaste for a while which is quite strong. Of the guests that tried it one loves and one felt it was a tad bitter and needed a pinch of sweetener () but I have 70% of a leftover pie to myself as my guests were largely meat focused. ( and I did offer a huge nigella ham in coke which looked/smelled delicious)

The hfw pasties went down a storm with adults and children- but they are just nice pasties. Not something to show off about. But very nice to offer homemade pasties instead of shop bought

Baked eggs with yogurt and chilli from Plenty was a surprise hit with dd, I'd probably use less rocket for the number of eggs - or more eggs but i think its a great brunch recipe.

Shakshuka (Plenty) went down very well, lovely, very generous portion sizes but that's ok as means we have some left for lunch (with feta rather than egg).

I don't eat a lot of vegetarian food but I have had some success with Cashew Nut Paella.

If you scream at the cost of Saffron Aldi do little blister packs - enough for 1 recipe.

Late to the party but I'm in, Happy New Year to all, nice to see you all here and some new faces.

Plentys Vegetable Paella is a big hit in our house and the Cub hut, my group made it for their banquet last month and it all disappeared amid parents and Cubs, I didn't get a look in, though I did dial down the sherry to be on the safe side.

We liked some of HFW last time so will dig the book out again and give it a whirl.