The Vegan Divas Cookbook

Silent for far too long, the cookbook review department is revving up with a slew of upcoming reviews. The first is The Vegan Divas Cookbook by Fernanda Capobianco. Being on the West Coast, I haven’t ever heard of the New York City bakery which the cookbook is based on.

Fortunately for the hapless baker that I am, the cookbook isn’t limited to just baked goodies. There’s savory plates and treats. And soups too, like the above Spiced Red Lentil and Coconut Milk Soup (page 156). First time using dried lentils, it was easy and much quicker to cook than I had imagined (and I have a wild imagination).

Hapless or not, I had to try at least one baked dessert, Sugar-Free Carrot Cake (page 102). Still, I was sweating bullets over the batter. It looked very thick. Was it too thick? I have no idea. Crossing my fingers, the pan went into the oven. I was on pins and needles the entire half hour it was in the oven, I’m just not meant to bake. It actually came out fine, maybe a little on the dense side.

A very tasty savory treat was the Roasted Kabocha Squash with Peanut Sauce (page 164). If only it wasn’t so hard to cut into, I was afraid for my fingers. It was well worth it though, I pretty much love anything roasted. But there’s gotta be an easier way to cut up the squash.

Tofu Yogurt My Way (page 30) on the other hand was super easy to make. And you can flavor it any way you like. I went with oranges for an orangesicle kind of a flavor. I didn’t have any granola so it’s topped with walnuts.

While I liked the taste and knowing exactly what’s in it. I didn’t feel like it’s really a yogurt as it doesn’t have any probiotics. One of the reasons why I eat yogurt in the first place is to get the beneficial bacteria. Perhaps it should be “yogurt” in quotation marks.

Having never tried avocado in a dessert before, I made the Raw Chocolate Avocado Tart (page 96). I really like raw desserts. They seem easier to make, there’s no baking involved. They usually have healthier ingredients and use other sweeteners besides sugar.

While making the filling, I taste tested it and it’s so good, sorta like chocolate pudding. I could have eaten the filling as is, before it even went into the crust. You just know it’s going to be awesome when the individual components are good on their own.

Instead of one 9-inch tart, I made mini ones and froze them for about a week while I was away on holiday. After letting it thaw in the fridge, it’s totally fine. So smooth and rich tasting – no weird avocado taste at all, just chocolatey goodness.

I may never get to New York City to visit The Vegan Divas in person but the cookbook’s easy recipes and gorgeous photos more than makes up for it.

Raw Chocolate Avocado Tart
Makes one 9-inch tart, serves 10 to 12

Chocolate Crust:
2 cups (200 g/7 oz) pecan halves
1/4 cup (28 g/1 oz) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2 tablespoons (28 g/1 oz) liquid coconut oil
1/4 cup (74 g/2.6 oz) maple syrup
1 teaspoon (4 g/0.14 oz) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g/0.05 oz) kosher salt

Chocolate Avocado Mousse:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (191 g/6.7 oz) vegan semisweet chocolate morsels
3 small, ripe avocados, pitted and flesh scooped out
1 tablespoon (7 g/0.25 oz) arrowroot powder
1/4 teaspoon (0.75 g/0.026 oz) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (4 g/0.14 oz) vanilla extract
1/4 cup (28 g/1 oz) unsweetened natural cocoa powder, sifted
1/3 cup (80 g/2.8 oz) almond milk
2/3 cup (198 g/7 oz) maple syrup
1 tablespoon (15 g/0.5 oz) smooth peanut butter

Make the crust:
Brush the bottom and sides of a 91/2-inch springform pan with vegetable oil and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse the pecans until crumbly (you should have some finely ground pecans and some pieces no larger than 1/4 inch). Add the remaining crust ingredients and pulse until just mixed. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and press it onto the bottom of the pan with slightly wet fingers or a spatula. Place the crust in the freezer to set while you make the mousse.

Make the mousse:
Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium (50%) power for about 3 minutes, stopping to stir it every 45 seconds. Set the melted chocolate aside to cool slightly.

Combine all the remaining mousse ingredients except the melted chocolate in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and process until smooth.

Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the mousse into it. Smooth it into an even layer and freeze, uncovered, for about 2 hours until firm.

Serve the tart:
Remove the tart from the freezer and unclasp and remove the side of the pan. Place the tart on a serving plate and allow it to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

From The Vegan Divas Cookbook by Fernanda Capobianco. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

Disclosure: I received the book free of charge from the publisher to review. The opinions and experience with the book expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

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