„Die vegane Jeden-Tag-Küche“

By:
Nicole Just

8.7 / 10

Who wrote it?

Nicole Just has been a constant in the vegan cookbook scene for over 10 years. As “La Veganista” she published her first cookbook “La Veganista – Lust auf Vegane Küche” in 2013 and has since followed this up with various titles, also as a co-author. In 2021, a new book was published by her alone „Die vegane Jeden-Tag-Küche“ (“The Vegan Every-Day-Kitchen”). On Nicole-Just.de she blogs about her passion – vegan cuisine – and for several years also about gardening and DIY projects. Unfortunately to date the books as well as the blog are only available in German.

And what is it about?

Vegan recipes for every day and every season and without substitute products. Vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes and nuts are the main ingredients instead. Cooking is based on the seasonal calendar, with creative combinations of local vegetables.

In addition, the recipes should be quick and often on the table in less than 40 minutes.

What does it look like?

The large-format hardcover (almost A4) with Nicole and a lavishly filled basket with vegetables, as if fresh from the market, on the title, puts you in the right mood for the topic. The inside part continues colorfully with the simply beautiful food photos by Vivi D’Angelo and Antje de Vries (food styling) for each recipe, but also many insights into Nicole’s garden and home.

What can I expect?

I counted a total of 82 recipes, which are assigned to the seasons according to the book concept. This results in the following chapters:

“Basics – of sauces, dips and toppings”
“Spring – of kohlrabi, peas and radishes”
“Summer – of eggplant, tomatoes and spinach”
“Autumn – of pumpkin, lentils and carrots”
“Winter – of roots, cabbage and cinnamon”

Preceding the recipe section is the “service” part of the book, where topics such as nutrient supply, the vegan food pyramid and stockpiling are touched on. There is also a seasonal calendar as a practical double page with all local vegetables and when we can find them fresh or in stock in stores.

Can I do that?

For each recipe there is information on the preparation time and calories or macronutrients, but no information on the level of difficulty. However, you will find a small note above the recipe heading, such as .“Schneller Teller“ (“quick plate”), „One-Pot-Wunder“ (“one-pot miracle”), „Einpacken und Mitnehmen“ (“pack and take away”), , „Süßes“ (“sweets”) or „Weekend-Küche“ (“weekend kitchen”). The latter category suggests more elaborate dishes. Overall, however, I rarely had any problems during the test cooking or even when I thought “Oops, something is going wrong here”, the end result was absolutely convincing (curry potatoes, I’m looking at you!).

What do I need?

Of course it would be best to have access to fresh, local fruit and vegetables, but the recipes will certainly also work with discounter goods. In addition to the fresh regional products, “La Veganista” often cooks with ingredients that can be found in many vegan pantries, but may be rather exotic for the average Joe, such as linseed meal, tahini, or nori flakes. When it comes to kitchen equipment, things are getting down-to-earth again: you require, for example, a blender, a grater for fresh lemon zest, etc., boxes or screw-top jars for take-away meals, as for the more special stuff like cutting ravioli, you could just use a glass for example.

Substitute products?

…are really consistently left out! (Plant drink and plant-based yoghurt are excluded here)

Who needs it?

Everyone who:

wants to cook vegan without using substitute products.
would like to buy and use vegetables seasonally (and possibly regionally).
…and has the patience to prepare certain recipes only when the season is right.
wants to get to know new creative combinations of vegetables, legumes, kernels and seeds.
wants to eat vegan, healthy AND tasty (every day, or just more often)
…and wants to reduce their vegan junk food consumption ?

Oh yes, and does it taste good?

My test phase with this book logically lasted for almost a whole year and I was happy to pick up the book again with each new season. Starting with the summer recipes, I finally got to the spring chapter. For me, who doesn’t have a great love for dill, this “last” chapter was a little less appealing because the shaggy green herb really gets a lot of use here. Overall, I was impressed by the recipes and everything tasted good to very good. I think the book will stay with me for a few more season cycles (aka years).

You can find all the recipes tested and my recipe reviews on Instagram under the hashtag #VCRdieveganejedentagküche.

Recipe tips to get cooking:

Curry potatoes with chickpea mash
Eggplant salad with curry seeds (find the recipe here)
Savoy cabbage and potato casserole with bean sauce

Conclusion

I would recommend the book to anyone who recognized themselves in “Who needs it?”. Assuming a certain love for fresh vegetables, herbs and healthy food in general, you will have a lot of fun with this. I found the books’ exterior to be down-to-earth but appealing. At a price of €25, there aren’t hundreds of recipes on offer, but a really respectable body of work, which in my opinion would also make a great gift.