For the filling
In a saucepan, cook the buckwheat with twice its volume of water over low heat for about 30 minutes. It should be just tender but not too soft.
In the meantime, continue with the next step. Once the buckwheat is ready, drain and rinse off with cold water.
It is important to have a 1:2 ratio of buckwheat to water. After about 20 minutes, check occasionally to see if there is enough water.
Peel and finely chop the onion, cut the olives in half crosswise, peel the garlic, chop the parsley, and cut the tofu into cubes. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Sauté the tofu with the shallot, olives, parsley, and garlic. Generously season with pepper.
We have deliberately reduced the amount of olive oil. You can add 1–2 tbsp of water to prevent your ingredients from burning. In order to have a better ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, we recommend using canola oil instead of olive oil.
The original recipe calls for Espelette pepper instead of chili flakes. Espelette pepper is a type of chili pepper and not actually pepper.
Sauté, stirring often until the tofu and the olives are lightly browned. Season to taste.
For the filling, combine the tofu and olive mixture with the buckwheat from the first preparation step.
Stuffing and preparing the bell peppers
Wash the peppers, cut in half, and stuff with the mixture. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 240 °C (Gas mark 9).
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Vegan Bible Grub Street, Marie Laforêt Raw recipes 54, Cooked recipes 440 (3) Additional photos (6)
Ordering
Vegan Bible offers an abundance of creative, international dishes. No
matter if you are new to veganism or a veteran, this is the perfect
cookbook for you.
OverviewVegan Bible is strictly a cookbook. The author deliberately (or intentionally) leaves out detailed introductions to chapters or in-depth information about the topic of a vegan diet. But you will discover the diversity of vegan cuisine and find recipes for every occasion.
SummaryMarie Laforêt has assembled such a large number of recipes in Vegan Bible that it will be easy for you to find a recipe to suit any occasion. The international recipes in this book include a variety of ingredients, some of which may be new to the average cook. For example, grains include the familiar couscous, quinoa, millet, and buckwheat as well as lesser-known grains such as amaranth and einkorn wheat. Many recipes use soy products such as tofu or soy milk, or other alternatives like seitan. It is worth noting that the author uses homemade seitan rather than purchasing a commercial variety.
She uses fresh ingredients, while occasionally falling back on canned legumes to save time. Most of the recipes are straight-forward and uncomplicated, with symbols indicating whether a recipe is quick, easy, or economical, but for planning purposes it would be nice if the preparation times were included.
The sheer volume of recipes precludes photos from being included with every dish. Those recipes that have photos also usually include step-by-step illustrations. The nutritional value of the dishes can be increased by reducing the amounts of oil or sweetener used, something that is up to each individual according to their taste.
Vegan Bible is an excellent and comprehensive resource that includes plenty of recipe ideas for both new and experienced vegans. Vegan Bible is published in English by Grub Street and available on Amazon. The book was originally published in French. Marie Laforêt has also published several other cookbooks in French.
About the authorMarie Laforêt is French, loves vegetables and plants, and is a passionate defender of ethical veganism. She shares her experience and love of healthy, delicious cooking on her blog, 100vegetal.com. As a a talented photographer, she uses her own photos to accompany her recipes.
ContentsIn the opening section, she explains some basic concepts such as vegetarians, dietary vegans, and ethical vegans. The reader will learn what to look for when purchasing vegan ingredients and where animal products may be hidden —, and there is also a list of recommended kitchen utensils. Detailed information follows about essentials for the vegan kitchen. The section Nutrition Tips for a Balanced Vegan Diet provides information on selected nutrients. The recipes are divided into five chapters:
Discovering plant-based proteins
Substituting dairy products and eggs
Cooking vegetables
Gourmet recipes
Cooking for every occasion
Each recipe includes symbols indicating whether it is quick, easy, or economical.
Soy, an ancient ally recipes: Includes dishes with tofu, tempeh, and textured soy protein
Seitan: The author uses homemade seitan for recipes that include this ingredient.
Flavours from the sea: A variety of seaweeds are used in this section, including nori leaves, sea fennel (samphire), and kombu (Japanese kelp). Galettes Bretonnes is one of the recipes in this section.
Substituting dairy products and eggs:
Non-dairy milk, yogurt, and pudding: Marie Laforêt uses chestnuts and tiger nuts in addition to the more common almonds, cashews, rice, and hazelnuts. Recipes include Soy and vanilla yogurt and Bergamot puddings.
Non-dairy cheese: Fresh and ceamy cheeses, fermented cheeses, melty and spreadable cheeses, as well as full-bodied and scented cheeses, like Sliceable cheese with cumin, are all included here.
Non-dairy creams and fats: This section starts with a discussion about which fats to use and is followed by recipes for cream, crème fraîche, margarine, butter, and buttermilk.
Doing away with eggs: Orange and pecan pancakes, Leek quiche, Potato and herb scones, and sauces like the light Olive oil béchamel are delicious proof that eggs are not required.
Cooking vegetables:
Light terrines and dips: Apart from vegetables, the author uses also fruits as for exmaple in Summerfruit and orange juice terrine.
Good-mood soups and purées: Cream of grilled tomato soup is just one example of the recipes in this section.
Gratins and oven-baked dishes: Includes Hasselback sweet potatoes and the more adventurous Butternut pumpkin, and chestnut gratin.
Salads with zing: Recipes you will want to try include the Thai mango salad and the Strawberry and green tomato carpaccio. Dressings are also included in this section.
Pizzas, tarts, and vegetable galettes: With the exception of soy products, all ingredients are homemade — including the doughs and vegan cheese. This section includes the creative recipe Green pizza.
Gourmet vegetables: Includes stuffed, roasted, and baked vegetables
Raw recipes: Carrot and sesame tagliatelle is one of the recipes included here.
Vegetable dishes for children: The author offers recipes for dishes that look appetizing to the younger crowd and are fun and easy to eat, like Mini vegetable patties to eat with your hands.
Fruits are also welcome: Fruity chutneys, salads, and sweet dishes like Mango and coconut dessert makis.
Gourmet recipes:
Cream desserts and puddings: Crème Brûlée is one of the recipes featured here.
Snacks for sharing: Includes baked goods like Lemon, almond and vanilla cake.
Gourmet desserts for every day: This section includes both fruity and light recipes like Watermelon and coconut salad with mint, as well as more substantial desserts like Coconut milk tapioca pudding.
Fruit tarts and cakes: The Quick peach crumble is an example of the recipes here.
Chocolate!: The author includes recipes here like the Bergamot and grapefruit chocolate bar.
Light, gourmet ideas: This is a small selection of fruity and light desserts like the Frozen berry yogurt.
Cooking for every occasion:
Dinner with friends: This section includes everything from salads and main dishes to desserts.
Buffet meals: Finger food and bite-size servings of dishes like Grilled courgette spirals.
Having family over: The recipes in this section are traditional meals.
Having a bunch of children over: These dishes are designed to appeal to children, for example, Tofu stars with peanut butter.
Holiday desserts: An assortment of cakes and tortes
Celebrations vegan style: These are a little more involved, like the Roast seitan stuffed with chestnuts.
Barbecues and picnics: Everything you’ll need for a barbecue
Vegan brunch: Sweet and savory baked goods, like the Chrystallised orange peel and chocolate chip brioche.
An alphabetically sorted recipe index is included in the back of the book.
Red Peppers Stuffed with Buckwheat, Tofu and Olives is an easy-to-prepare recipe that works well as either a side or main dish.
Serving size information: This dish makes four servings. However, if you are planning it for the main dish, you might want to make an extra serving.
Buckwheat: Buckwheat is a pseudograin that is not in the family of grasses, but that can be used like other grains and is gluten-free. It originates from Central and East Asia, where it is still a popular ingredient today, for example, in the form of soba noodles in Japan. You can prepare buckwheat raw in a seed mix to add to muesli (e.g., Erb Muesli), cooked in soups and burgers or as a rice substitute, and cold as an ingredient in salads. Thanks to the high amounts of essential acids it contains, buckwheat has a high degree of bioavailabilty (extent to which nutrients are available for absorption and utilization in the body).
Making tofu: Also known as soybean curd, this Asian food is especially popular with vegans and vegetarians because it contains high amounts of protein. It is also lactose-, cholesterol-, and gluten-free. The first step in making tofu is to prepare the soy milk. You do this by soaking soybeans and water, puréeing them, and finishing with a cooking process. The cooking step serves to remove toxins and improve the digestibility of the finished product. The next step is to coagulate the soy milk using coagulants such as calcium sulfate or nigari (in Okinawa, sea water is used here, and the final product is called Shima-dofu, or island tofu). The resulting soybean curds separate from the rest of the mixture and are then pressed into tofu blocks that are cooled and cut into the desired shape. The process of pressing tofu blocks differs depending upon the type of tofu being produced.
Green and black olives: If you have ever wondered why black olives can be up to three times more expensive than green olives, read on to find out. Olives are naturally quite bitter and as a result they are cured in liquids for a flexible amount of time (usually several weeks) before they are eaten. The liquid of choice is usually one of the following: oil, citric acid, salt brine, or an herb stock. Green olives are harvested early and the process is uncomplicated because visual differences in quality are hard to identify. However, black olives have to be carefully harvested and prepared with the pits. Since they are fully mature, the time period before harvest is also much longer.
Tips
Tofu, uses: The process for making tofu described in the notes makes clear that tofu consists of tofu protein particles. Since these have a neutral flavor, unseasoned tofu has no distinctive flavor of its own. However, this makes it ideal as a carrier of seasoning and flavors, which explains why it can be used in so many different types of dishes. Tofu can be used in savory main dishes as well as in sweet recipes. In East Asian cooking, tofu is often used plain or just lightly seasoned.
Alternate preparation
Fillings: Bell peppers work well as a container for a wide range of different fillings. Instead of the buckwheat used in this recipe, you can also try out rice, quinoa, or couscous in combination with vegetables and mushrooms.
