Abundance
100+ Plant-Based Recipes to Savour Year Round
I have just got a copy of your book Abundance from the library - pretty much every turn of the page got a wow! or an oh my god!
It is the best vegetarian recipe book I have ever seen - congratulations!
Elizabeth
ABUNDANCE REVIEW
Anna Valentine’s new recipe book, Abundance, is a celebration of great, down-to-earth 100+ recipes. I found myself browsing Abundance again and again, planning meals for family and friends, and riding a cloud of get-together fantasies. This book has a very happy vibe, with such a pleasant visual experience. The pictures are warm and cheering with a bold Mediterranean flare.
I love the title Abundance – this one word represents a state of mind. Abundance is firstly about perception, creativity, and most of all – freedom. For us, plant-powered people, this state of mind of abundance is so central to our experience of the world and the combinations and possibilities of plant-origin foods we can enjoy are endless!
The recipes are well-designed for all levels of cooks – you can be a person who is very confident in the kitchen or just a beginner with your culinary skills – both ends would find the book informative and welcoming. All the recipes are inclusive and playful and offer various alternatives and replacements in the same recipe – for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free.
I made the Tofu Laksa (p118), the Cornbread (p196), and the Sweet and Savoury Spoon Scones (p58). All three dishes were very good, with no troubleshooting! They have definitely joined my “here-tostay” pool of recipes. The Tofu Laksa is the more advanced recipe, totally worth the wee extra effort for its rich and deep flavours. I look forward to my next trials.
Anna Valentine gives a kiss of affirmation and confidence to the reader. Whether you decide to browse for hours or go into the kitchen straight away, Abundance will put a smile on your face and bring you loads of joy!
SHARON ALMOG NZVS Trademark Manager
Spring & Summer Cookbook Reviews
The Veggie Tree Spring & Summer Cookbook boasts over 100 recipes that cover a range of vegetarian and vegan meals. There are mouth-watering soups, salads and sides, as well as main dishes, breads, and sweet offerings. It is a handsome production as a hardback, spiral-bound book that is easy for use in the kitchen. The photography is stunning too – full-page colour in many cases, and beautifully done.
The recipes provide vegan alternatives, as well as gluten-free or dairy-free options. The recipes are internationally inspired, with themed meals such as the Middle Eastern Mezze, Mexica Fiesta, and Veggie Barbecue.
Author Anna Valentine is a trained chef and has been a vegetarian for many years, so she brings a wealth of experience in creating this impressive cookbook. I was a big fan of the Capsicum and Avocado Lettuce Salad, the Lime Miso Dressing, and the Herb and Garlic Cashew Cheese. From the Savoury section, the Spanish Tortilla, the Lasagna and Veggie Burgers were a hit. From the sweets section, I couldn’t go past The Plum and Almond Cake, and the Peach Crumble Slice.
The Veggie Tree Spring & Summer Cookbook is very inspiring, with delicious food using nutritional, seasonal ingredients, that is very well done and easy to use.
Iain McKenzie - NZ Booklovers
The Veggie Tree Spring & Summer Cookbook is the obvious follow-up to the Autumn & Winter Cookbook by Anna Valentine author and founder of The Veggie Tree Cook School. The Autumn Winter Cookbook took me by surprise at a time when I had unknowingly lapsed into the world’s most dull cook. As vegetarian of thirty years and a vegan of one year, a mother of two somewhat fussy small kids, wife to a meat eater and an inhabitant of a caravan (and user of tiny kitchen) it’s easy to see why I had become a pasta pesto pusher. Thankfully Anna’s cookbook changed all that. The family friendly recipes had me trying all sorts of new tricks that have the whole family filling their tums with new veggie delights.
With this in mind I was so excited to see the Spring Summer edition and ready to soak up the seasons inspiration from Anna. The book is packed full of punchy, flavour filled, bright and zingy recipes, exactly what you want for long hot days. The book makes my mouth water just flicking though looking for inspiration. The layout of the recipes means that you just follow them straight through rather than always referring back to the measures making them super easy to follow when time is short and nearly all of them are vegan or have vegan fixes. This is the stuff that food memories are made of! The rice rolls; bright, fresh and fun. The smoked aubergine lasagna; rich, creamy, inventive, yet fresh. Summer fruits ice cream …mouth…. watering… again!
The book includes so many wonderful little details, hints, tips and extra little recipes that everything you need is under one roof. You can add heat punches with the Sambal, dress salads, bake flat breads to go with feasts and bestow the kids with healthy snacks. I for one can’t wait until the days stretch out and the produce comes into season, Anna’s last book revolutionised the way I cook for and with my family and this book has inspired me once again! And yes, I will be trying the mung bean pesto!
Hannah Hunter - Cook School Attendee
Autumn & Winter Cookbook Review
This is the first cookbook in The Veggie Tree food journey, focusing on vegetarian food for autumn and winter. Anna beleives in the importance of eating with the seasons, making it more affordable for families and supporting the local community by using ingredients that are the most plentiful at that time of the year.
The book is aimed at families catering easily for four to six people, with some recipes having options for leftovers for another meal, without having to start from scratch ever night; a boon for busy families.
The book has a hard cover with spiral binding, which is perfect for laying open on the bench to read the recipes. To make the recipes easier to follow Anna has tweaked the usual format so you don't have to refer back to the list of ingredients once you are in the flow of cooking.
The recipes are all vegetarian, with a good selection of the vegetarian ones having vegan options as well. They cover a full range from soups, salads and sides to breads and sweet offerings. The large full colour photos are mouth-watering and notes at the back of the bookcover the topic of vegetarian protein options. This is a great addition to the relatively small but growing number of New Zealand vegetarian cookbooks and comes recommended.
Jeanette Blackburn - Vegetarian Living NZ magazine