Jazzy Vegetarian
Lively Vegan Cuisine
By Bobbie Kitto
Tenth anniversaries are special occasions especially if you are an author celebrating the 10th-anniversary of your book. Author Laura Theodore is currently celebrating such an event with an updated version of her book, Jazzy Vegetarian. For this special event she has revised and added 25 new recipes to her original version. This coincides with Laura’s award- winning Jazzy Vegetarian cooking show celebrating its’ 10th season. It seems for Laura, good things come in 10s.
Laura’s philosophy of “Making the world a better place, one recipe at a time” is demonstrated throughout this book. People just starting out on a plant based diet, long-time vegans or omnivores can find new and old intriguing recipes to help them on their chosen path to good nutrition.
Laura gives her reasons for becoming Vegan in her introduction to her book. Don’t skip this section as it gives a good look into the person she has become and how she got there.
In addition, readers will enjoy how Laura goes over some of the basic information needed to become a successful Vegan chef, such as a glossary of ingredients and where to readily find them. Basic ingredients needed to cook as a vegan are also discussed. Substations for cooking oil like bananas and apple sauce in baked goods are found in here. Laura discusses the use of vegetable broth or water being used in your casseroles, stir fries, and sauces to eliminate the fat or oil normally used.
Chapter two goes over basic menu-planning and then gives ideas on how to plan every kind of meal from a brunch buffet to a special company meal. Here Laura draws on her musical career to suggest the music that would help set the mood for each of these meals.
Once the reader has absorbed all the tips and suggestions for a successful meal, the author gives you about 125 recipes to help get you started on serving healthful and good tasting meals.
In this book you can find recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and OOOOH her dessert section! Everything from Peanut Butter Fudge (pg.177), Chocolate Truffle Trio (pgs. 180-181) to Pineapple-Pecan Cake (pgs.186-187). There are 17 desserts that will make your meals memorable.
To get a real feeling for how Laura creates her food take a few minutes to see her presentation on video https://youtu.be/sO29wEHWOhM. This video presentation will cover four recipes: Lentil-Veggie curry Soup (pgs. 74-75), Mashed Carrots and Potatoes with Rosemary (pg. 159), Vegan Eggless Egg Salad (pgs. 102-103), and Vegan Meatloaf Muffins (pgs. 130-131).
I would rate this book as a 5 out of 5. The book is full of useful information and explanations for people who are not really up to speed on what is Vegan and what is not. The chapter listed as The Basics gives you a good foundation of what the Vegetarian lifestyle is and how to accomplish it without upsetting your whole family life if not everyone wants to go vegan. This book might change their minds.
Get a taste of what you will find in this cookbook with this vegan version of an everyday classic.
Vegan Eggless Egg Salad
Recipe by Laura Theodore
Makes 3 to 4 servings
I like to make this salad ahead of time and serve it well chilled, but it’s also tasty at room temperature, right out of the mixing bowl. Turmeric lends this salad a beautiful color and also has impressive health benefits. For a delectable luncheon entrée, serve a scoop of this salad atop mixed baby greens, garnished with cucumber slices and red bell pepper strips, with whole-grain crackers or flatbread on the side.
14 to 16 ounces firm regular tofu, drained
2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise, plus more as needed
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 carrot, diced
1 small stalk celery, diced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley and/or basil (optional)
1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Freshly ground pepper
Put the tofu in a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher or large fork until crumbly. Add the vegan mayonnaise and mustard and mash until well combined and the mixture has the desired consistency. Add the carrot, celery, optional parsley and/or basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and turmeric and stir until thoroughly combined, adding more vegan mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Season with pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Note: This salad makes a super sandwich filling. Use whole-grain bread spread with vegan mayonnaise or mustard or both. Add romaine lettuce or sprouts and sliced tomato. Serve the sandwiches with dill pickle spears and sweet potato chips on the side if you like.
Recipe from JAZZY VEGETARIAN: Lively Vegan Cuisine That’s Easy and Delicious, 10th Anniversary Edition by Laura Theodore, © 2011/2022. Distributed by Book Publishing Company. Reprinted with permission. Photo credits: Laura Theodore.
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by Laura Theodore | Nov 15, 2022
Paperback: $26.95
Article edited by Linda Kissam
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Bobbie Kitto
Note: Roberta (Bobbie) Kitto is a freelance writer based out of Laughlin, NV. Her interests include travel, culinary pursuits and gardening. No fee was paid for this article, but she did receive a copy of the book to review. Her opinions are her own.
To make the best of each recipe, use quality ingredients! Bobbie highly recommends products from Melissa’s Produce, available at many markets.
