Even with the vast number of recipes available on the internet these days, there’s nothing quite like leafing through a beautiful book full of recipes. It’s a medium that’s stronger than ever before, with cookbooks topping bestseller charts throughout the year. If you’re anything like us then you’ll have shelves upon shelves of them in your home – some kept in pristine condition, others earmarked, stained and scrawled over after years of use.
It’s this national love for cookbooks that has prompted us to start our very own cookbook club. Each month we’ll select a cookbook that we think stands out from the rest and ask you, the Great British Chefs community, to cook a recipe from it. We’ll publish a small selection of recipes on our site so, even if you don’t already have the book, you can still get involved and see how your cooking compares to everyone else’s. Apply to join the Facebook group here and take a look at this month's book (and recipes) below. We've also included the winning post from last month's book, as well as some of our other favourite entries.
Veganism is making waves like never before, with more and more people in the UK following a plant-based diet for health, ethical and moral reasons. But what's become clear is that eating plant-based or free-from food is no longer the restrictive thing it used to be perceived as; chefs and food writers are now proving that a dish of quality vegetables is just as delicious as any piece of meat or dairy product.
Bettina Campolucci-Bordi's new book Happy Food (Hardie Grant, £20) is out to do just that. With all the recipes focusing on plant-based, gluten-free cooking that minimises waste and makes the most of everyday ingredients, this isn't just a book for those already following a particular diet – it's for everyone.
The three recipes below are all from Happy Food (which you can buy here) so if you don't have the book you can still take part. However, if healthy, colourful, flavourful food is your thing, it's certainly worth getting a copy.
This is a hearty bowl of satisfying goodness that proves vegan, gluten-free cooking can be just as filling and tasty as its meaty, dairy-filled counterparts. The 'nonmeatballz' are made of brown rice, oats and tamari, while the carrot mash is enriched by coconut milk.
These classic Greek dishes are actually easy to make vegan, by simply swapping out a few key ingredients. The tzatziki still has that wonderful fresh flavour, which contrasts with the richness of the moussaka.
Indulgent breakfasts are often reliant on butter, cream, and other rich dairy products, but this take on French toast proves you can have all that flavour and luxury by using ingredients like almond butter. Perfect for a lazy weekend, this is a very tasty way to get the morning off to a good start.
Last month we explored Peter Gordon's incredible fusion cooking in his book Eating Well Everyday, which saw the group tackling everything from salmon skewers to raspberry parfaits. Everyone got stuck into the recipes and created some truly fantastic food. Huge congratulations to Caitlin Bank whose winning dish came top – she will win a signed copy of a cookbook club book of the month of her choice! Take a look at all the honourable mentions from last month below.
Make sure you post photos along with commentary of the dishes you cook from Bettina Campolucci-Bordi's Happy Food in our Facebook group to be in with the chance of winning a signed copy of one of our featured cookbooks of the month.
