5 NEW Vegan Cookbooks for the Holidays +  The year is almost over, but there have been some GREAT cookbooks out this year! I've reviewed a bunch on FV - you can find them by searching 'cookbooks' in the search bar - and love adding new books to my collection. There are so many amazing chefs and food artists out there creating really great work, and we're so happy to support them. Plus, my very OWN cookbook will be out about this time next year! (WOOT WOOT!) We recently received these 5 cookbooks, and rounded them up into one place so you could get a glimpse of some of the latest cookbooks out and check out whats inside before you buy. Any of these books would make fantastic Holiday gifts for friends or family, and because each of these books caters to a slightly different audience, we've got something for everyone on your list! AND if you scroll all the way to the bottom, we're sharing a SUPER yummy recipe from Crossroads - their Warm Kale + Artichoke Dip! Its cheezy, its rich, and you'd never believe it was vegan. Let's dive right in! 
And here is the DELICIOUS recipe shared generously with us from the NEW Crossroads cookbook for Warm Kale + Artichoke Dip! It's so melty and cheezy, it would make a great app at a party with friends or a perfect night-in dip to munch while watching movies. We're huge fans of visiting the Crossroads restaurant so being able to make some of their world-class dishes at home is more than satisfying. You can get your copy of the Crossroads cookbook HERE.  Warm Kale and Artichoke Dip Makes 4 cups That retro classic, spinach and artichoke dip laden with cream cheese and sour cream, is transformed into a contemporary version that is still rich and creamy but allows the vegetables to shine. Kale’s chewy texture and peppery kick make it a bold stand-in for spinach. When sautéing the artichokes, take care not to let them brown; you want the dip to keep its beautiful pale color. The cashew cream needs to be prepared a day in advance, so plan accordingly. Serve with Harissa Potato Chips, Lentil Crackers, or raw vegetables, or try putting it on baked potatoes or using it as a filling for stuffed pasta, such as cappellacci (page 197). 8 large artichoke hearts or two 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts in water 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter stick 2 shallots, minced ½ cup dry white wine ½ cup dry sherry 1 cup Cashew Cream (see note) 1 cup Vegetable Stock or store-bought stock ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 6 cups baby kale, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Smoked paprika, for garnish 1. If using fresh artichoke hearts, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the artichoke hearts and blanch for 10 minutes, or until slightly tender; a paring knife should slide in easily. Drain the hearts and plunge into an ice bath to “shock” them—i.e., stop the cooking and cool them quickly. Drain and coarsely chop. If using canned artichokes, simply drain and chop. 2. Put a large deep sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter substitute. When it has melted, add the shallots, garlic, and artichoke hearts and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 6 to 8 minutes. 3. Add the wine and sherry and cook for 1 minute to evaporate some of the alcohol. Add the cashew cream, stock, nutritional yeast flakes, and thyme, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until thick, 35 to 40 minutes; stir occasionally to make sure the cream mixture doesn’t stick and burn on the bottom of the pan. 4. Fold in the kale a few handfuls at a time and continue to simmer until the kale is soft and the artichokes have broken down slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. (The dip will keep for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. To serve, reheat over medium-low heat, stirring often.) 5. If the dip appears too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of stock or water. 6. Spoon the dip into a serving bowl, dust with smoked paprika, and serve with the potato chips, crackers, or sliced raw vegetables. Cashew Cream Makes 3 cups 2 cups whole raw cashews, rinsed Filtered water 1. Put the cashews in a bowl and pour in enough cold filtered water to cover. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to 1 day. 2. Drain the cashews in a colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer the cashews to a blender, preferably a Vitamix, and pour in enough cold filtered water to cover them by 1 inch, about 3 cups. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until very smooth and creamy without any trace of graininess. The cashew cream should be smooth on the palate; add more water if necessary. If you’re not using a heavy-duty blender, you may need to strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of any grittiness. 3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. It will thicken as it sits, so blend with ½ cup or so filtered water if needed to reach the desired consistency. [Excerpted from Crossroads by Tal Ronnen with Scot Jones (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2015. Photographs by Lisa Romerein.]  *This post contains affiliate links*
2 Comments
Rosanna
12/23/2015 11:07:07 am
I bought Tal Ronnen's Crossroads and will say this book is major culinary beauty!.. For those skeptical ones that think vegans eat lettuce, this will show them how much better food we eat!.. BTW, I made this recipe and it was just fantastic! Leave a Reply. |
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