Picky kids & spouses have met their match (Review + Giveaway)

One of the best parts of getting a new cookbook is flipping through it to bookmark the recipes you just can't wait to try out. And you know you've found a good book when you lose track of how many recipes end up bookmarked after that initial perusal. 

As it turns out, I went through half a million bookmarks when I received Kristy Turner's latest cookbook, But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan. #NoRegrets

Photo courtesy of the publisher, The Experiment

Turner is one of my absolute favourite cookbook authors, devising inventive recipes that are healthy but comforting. One of her particular strengths is her ability to create fantastic DIY component recipes for basics like sour cream or sausage crumbles, and then incorporate those basics into recipes that are mind-blowingly good. And what's better is that BMFWNEV has gluten-free variations available for every single recipe -- as well as some soy-free suggestions throughout  -- making this book super accessible to picky eaters.

Scouting out some of her newer component recipes in BMFWNEV, Mr. Picky Bitch and I cooked up a storm using Turner's component recipes as inspiration to give you an idea of what to expect with this impressive new book.

Pepita Parmesan

Pumpkin seeds take a trip around the food processor with nooch, spices, and lemon juice to create a versatile parmesan that's tasty, but not particularly true to the dairy-based original. As a topping on the book's Chickpea Pasta Salad, though, it was a knockout, even if the dressing for the salad was a bland and expensive venture. I suggest swapping it out for a more flavourful dressing, and you'll have a surefire crowd pleaser.

Quick Sausage Crumbles

Spiced, spiked with liquid smoke, and sauteed, these were definitely reminiscent of sausage. They also made our house smell amazing while being a fantastic addition to the book's Tempeh Sausage Minestrone (which is probably the best minestrone I've ever had in my life).

Pepperjack Cheese Sauce

This smoky, creamy cashew-based cheese sauce was so good, I had to stop myself from licking the spatula so we could actually have some to top the Smashed Lentil Tacos. The tacos were hearty in a Thanksgiving Day stretchy pants kind of way, and they made a million leftovers for minimal effort.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I'm no Campbell's cream of mushroom soup expert, but I can tell you that this homemade, cruelty-free version is amazeballs. Perfectly creamy and silky smooth, it was the perfect base for the recipe I had my eye on from the moment I first opened this book: the Not-Tuna Casserole. The casserole proved to be fussy and a bit...Mid-west in flavours, but if that's your jam, you'll enjoy this casserole more than I did.

One of the best parts about the cream of mushroom soup recipe is that it can be used in a number of casseroles that are perfect for the holidays; and the second best part about this soup is that, to get you started on your holiday meal planning, Turner's publishers have graciously allowed me to share this recipe and another mouth-watering recipe I've been dying to try: the green bean casserole.

Ready? Here we go!

Cream of Mushroom Soup*

Makes 3 ¼ cups (840 ML) // Prep Time: 8 Minutes // Active Time: 20 Minutes // Inactive Time: 30 Minutes

• ½ large (1½- to 2-pound/680 to 900 g) head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 teaspoons vegan butter (soy-free if necessary)
• 8 ounces (225 g) cremini mushrooms (or button mushrooms), sliced
• 2 teaspoons liquid aminos (or gluten-free tamari; use coconut aminos to be soy-free)
• ½ cup (75 g) raw cashews (if you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes and drain; discard the water)
• 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened nondairy milk (soy-free if necessary)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

1. Place the cauliflower in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and cover. Steam the cauliflower until tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and liquid aminos and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.

3. Combine the steamed cauliflower, cashews, milk, nutritional yeast, arrowroot powder, thyme, garlic powder, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the mushrooms (and if desired, their cooking liquid) and pulse until they’re in small bits incorporated throughout. You can use the soup right away in a recipe.

4. If you are not using it right away, let it cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. The soup will keep for 5 to 7 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. If you freeze it, let it thaw completely before using.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping*

Photo by Chris Miller. Shared with permission from The Experiment Publishing Co.

Serves 6 to 8 // Prep Time: 15 Minutes (not including time to make Cream of Mushroom Soup) // Active Time: 25 Minutes // Inactive Time: 25 Minutes

• Olive oil spray
• 1 pound (455 g) fresh green beans, trimmed
• Cream of Mushroom Soup (see below)
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (soy-free if necessary)
• 1 sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• ¾ cup (60 g) vegan panko bread crumbs (gluten-free if necessary)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish with olive oil.

2. Place the green beans in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and cover. Steam for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Pour the soup into the bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

3. While the green beans are steaming, melt half of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the onions to a medium bowl. (Don’t bother to clean the pan.) Melt the remaining butter in the frying pan and add the bread crumbs. Cook, stirring frequently, until the crumbs are crispy. Stir in the garlic powder and salt and remove from the heat. Add to the onions along with the nutritional yeast (if using). Stir to combine.

4. Pour the green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the onion mixture over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the topping is crispy and the casserole is bubbly. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

►► To prepare this in advance, bake the casserole without the topping for 25 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Prepare the onion topping, spread it on the top, and bake the casserole at 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through.
Tip

If you've made it this far into this review, give yourself a high five because now's your chance to enter to win a copy of But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan. Simply follow the instructions below and I'll announce the winner in two weeks!

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* Recipes from But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan!: 125 Recipes to Win Everyone Over © Kristy Turner, 2016. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com