I’m so excited to talk bit about Heather Crosby’s new cookbook Pantry to Plate today. When I received my copy and took a scan from cover to cover, I was immediately blown away by the way this book kindly invites the reader to be both spontaneous and practical in the kitchen by working with the ingredients that are already on hand. With thirty clever recipe templates, Heather demonstrates how to improvise your way to delicious, plant-based meals. For example, Dense Veggies + Protein + Herbs + Binder + Spices = Vegan Meatballs (or Veggie Burgers)! The templates specify the required amount for each component, as well as which components are a must and which ones can be skipped altogether. In addition to the templates, the book is full of other useful tools that help make intuitive cooking a breeze: besides a regular recipe index, there is a cook by ingredient index, as well as mini-templates for creating flavor with aromatics, a whole bit on pairing spices, and a dressing and sauce section that has pretty much every staple sauce recipe you’ll ever need. If you don’t have a particular ingredient for a recipe, chances are you have something on hand that could act as a substitute, and there is a whole chart of interchangeable mix-and-match ingredients in the book to help you work through that.
I’m quite terrible at sticking to recipes myself, since I always want to play, add, subtract and find alternative ingredients, so it’s as if this book was made for me. How Heather managed to define freestyle cooking in such clear, comprehensive terms, will remain a mystery to me :) Some more sections/recipes I’m most excited about: Coconut Yogurt, Dairy-Free Milks, Probiotic Cream Cheese, Veggie Fries, Cheesy Comfort Food, Hand Pies, Sneaky Brownies, Nice Cream. YUM! Onto the (not) meatballs.
These Italian-style veggie meatballs come from the Veggie Burger section of the book and can be easily shaped into burgers or sliders, as Heather points out. They get their substance and ‘meatiness’ from lentils and portobello mushrooms, and a bit of sweetness from carrots and onions, while herbs like oregano, parsley and thyme, and spices like fennel and pepper give them that characteristic Italian flare. We enjoyed them two ways, the first day with zucchini noodles and pesto (pictured here), and the second day, a bit more traditionally, with real pasta and tomato sauce. Both were equally delicious. Heather also suggests to serve the meatballs in a sub roll, or even as an appetizer, along with some tasty sauce.
Whether you live and breathe freestyle cooking, or you want to learn a bit more about being intuitive in the kitchen, check out Pantry to Plate, I have a feeling it will earn an important place on your bookshelf :)
- 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil
- 2 cups (260 g) diced carrots
- 1 cup (70 g) chopped portobello mushrooms
- 1 cup (160 g) diced yellow onion
- 2 cups (400 g) cooked green, brown, or French green lentils (roughly ¾ cup/140 g dry)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground psyllium husk
- 2 teaspoons rough-chopped fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- In a skillet heated to medium, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and sauté the carrots for 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork but firm, not mushy.
- Add the mushrooms and onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened and browning a bit. Transfer to a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Pulse together 30 to 35 times, until just broken up and sticky with texture and bits of color intact. Taste—if needed, season with more salt or seasonings. Pulse or stir to incorporate.
- Form 1½-inch (4 cm) meatballs with your hands. Heat a skillet to medium and add the remaining oil. Slow-cook the meatballs, rotating often, for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on all sides. Serve warm.
Deliverr says
Thank you for the post. I so appreciate your creativity and innovation in your recipes.
Raquel says
Awesome feedback on Heather’s book,which I own, but about the the pasta you paired with? May i dare you to share a description? Huge supporter. Much Love and Peace from Upstate NY.
rosa says
Looks so delicious! i also would like to know about the pasta.
Thank
you
Anya says
Hi Rosa,
Please see my reply to Raquel :)
Anne says
My meatballs fell apart, what can I do to keep them together?
Anya says
Hi Raquel,
Of course! Those are just raw zucchini noodles with pistachio pesto. The pesto is made with pistachios, basil, olive oil, and salt, all to taste. I mixed the noodles with the pesto and then quickly warmed them up in a pan to serve with the warm meatballs <3
Anya says
I left garlic out of the pesto ingredients! Very important :)
Punit Kumar says
Wow Mouth mesmerizing.
Sophia says
Yummy !
Anya says
:)
medtravels says
Its my favorite dish. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Sarah says
I lov that recipe so much! It’s my favorite plant based patty!!
Anya says
So glad to hear Sarah! Heather is a recipe genius.
Laura says
Can this be made baked in the oven to avoid the use if oil frying?
Thanks!
Anya says
Hi Laura,
We haven’t tried it but it should work!