Cookbook Review & Giveaway: Extraordinary Vegan (plus Chocolate-Banana-Mint Smoothie)

Chocolate Banana Mint Smoothie An Unrefined Vegan

There are lots of vegan cookbooks out there to help you get a meal on the table quickly and easily – those are the kind that I turn to most often.  And there are lots of vegan cookbooks with lengthy and detailed recipes for when you have the time and want to create really special meals (like when you want to impress those doubting non-vegan friends of yours…).  In theory, I love to make gorgeous, complex, slow food, but in practice, most of the time I need simple, easy, delicious.  Extraordinary Vegan by Alan Roettinger exists in the middle between those simple/fast cookbooks and fancy/slow cookbooks.

Extraordinary Vegan Cover

You’ve heard the expression “food made with love,” right?  Well, I was thinking about this and wondering what it might really mean.  What difference would love make?  If there was love in the food, how on earth would it have gotten there?  Then I had an epiphany: Attention is the currency of love. – Alan Roettinger

By using a few unusual ingredients and preparing meals with care and attention, Mr. Roettinger believes that the home cook can serve up simple, beautiful meals that go beyond the ordinary.  He begins with a glossary of ingredients followed by a chapter on fundamentals – recipes like garlic oil, preserved lemons (you’ve got to make these!), and chocolate ganache.  These basic recipes are often the “extraordinary” ingredient in Mr. Roettinger’s creations.  Recipes for both savory and sweet breakfasts are up; then it’s on to sauces, dips and condiments followed by snacks; soups; salads; beans and lentils; pasta and grains; vegetables; and finally, simple yet stunning desserts that prominently feature fresh fruits (and a bit of chocolate, of course!).

I appreciate the book’s emphasis on whole foods, fresh ingredients, and complex flavors.  The instructions are straightforward and easy to follow and the full-page color photos elegantly showcase the food.  For those of us living in rural areas, getting our hands on some of the more unusual ingredients (baharat, maca powder, ahi panca) might prove to be difficult (my local grocery doesn’t even carry tofu, let alone ras el hanout), but there’s not much one can’t get online.

To get your mouth watering, I’m pleased to be able to share Mr. Roettinger’s recipe for Chocolate-Banana-Mint Smoothie – a yummy and healthy way to start your day.  And thanks to Book Publishing Company, I have a copy of Extraordinary Vegan to give away to one of my readers.  You can enter the giveaway below.  Entrants are limited to those in the U.S. and is open until midnight (CT) February 25.

Chocolate-Banana-Mint Smoothie
Serves 2
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
647 calories
110 g
0 g
24 g
14 g
3 g
393 g
207 g
77 g
0 g
19 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
393g
Servings
2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 647
Calories from Fat 197
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24g
36%
Saturated Fat 3g
14%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 15g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 207mg
9%
Total Carbohydrates 110g
37%
Dietary Fiber 26g
104%
Sugars 77g
Protein 14g
Vitamin A
4%
Vitamin C
16%
Calcium
25%
Iron
29%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups coconut water or water
  2. 1 banana
  3. 1/2 cup hemp seeds
  4. 1/4 cup raw cacao powder, or 2 tbsp. Dutch-processed cocoa
  5. 8 pitted medjool dates
  6. 2 Tbsp. flax oil
  7. 1 tsp. maca powder, optional
  8. 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve at once.
Notes
  1. Reprinted with permission from Alan Roettinger and Book Publishing Company.
beta
calories
647
fat
24g
protein
14g
carbs
110g
more
an unrefined vegan http://www.anunrefinedvegan.com/
Butternut Squash Soup An Unrefined Vegan

Green Juice An Unrefined Vegan

tomatillo guacamole An Unrefined Vegan

Muesli An Unrefined Vegan

Enter the giveaway!

Follow on Bloglovin'

48 thoughts on “Cookbook Review & Giveaway: Extraordinary Vegan (plus Chocolate-Banana-Mint Smoothie)

  1. Heather @Gluten-Free Cat

    Great review! I’d love to win! I make a simple meal extraordinary with visual appeal. A little garnish, zest, and color.

    Reply
  2. Poppy

    Your photo of the choc mint smoothie is so stunning Annie! Chocolate and mint is one of my favourite chocolate flavour combos!

    Reply
  3. Elena Vassilieva

    Thank you for this giveaway! Iā€™d love to win! I make a simple meal extraordinary by presenting it with a smile.

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan Post author

      That’s food made with love! We also never eat out – – but mostly because we live out in the boonie! Honestly, I prefer home cooked anyway.

      Reply
  4. Purnima Barve (@purnimabarve)

    It’s all about presentation. Serving the simplest meal in an elegant way can make it extraordinary.

    Reply
  5. Courtney

    I make meals from scratch with fresh whole ingredients…even simple things are good with the freshest of foods!

    Courtney

    Reply
  6. Choc Chip Uru

    What a creamy smoothie, it looks so delicious šŸ˜€
    I love mint and chocolate together!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  7. Nicole Selah Destrampe

    I’m not that experienced so I could really sure this book our meals are fine and good but certainly njot extraordinary!

    Reply
  8. Katie M

    I have never tried maca powder before, although I’ve heard about its nutritional benefits. Does it have a very strong flavour?

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan Post author

      Hi Katie! Thanks for commenting :-). Maca has a slightly nutty flavor and is full of nutritional benefits. For a comprehensive post on maca, you might be interested in this site: http://www.healthysmoothiehq.com/what-is-maca-why-put-in-smoothie

      Reply
  9. Katie M

    A handful of fresh herbs or adding flax, chia, or hemp seeds (especially in a salad) always makes a simple meal flavourful and healthy for me šŸ™‚

    Reply
  10. thepeacepatch

    Extraordinary meals to me means trying something new and creative like pairing unusual ingredients together or making dessert from veggies or putting anything on a stick. Yesterday extraordinary was cutting potato slices with a star-shaped cookie cutter for my nephew, then roasting them up…he loved them! šŸ™‚
    I subscribe via email. Thanks for the smoothie recipe…perfect timing for National Chocolate Mint Day! šŸ™‚

    Reply
  11. coconutandberries

    I’m not eligible to enter but wow does that smoothie look good. I really love the creaminess hemp seeds bring to smoothies- and the nutrition of course too šŸ™‚

    Reply
  12. Suzanne

    The cover photo looks so good and I love following your page on Facebook! My husband and I just recently became vegans, going a month and a half strong now. It is difficult to know where to start with healthy, tasty vegan recipes, so this book would be a huge bonus! Plus following you on Facebook makes us feel a little less isolated as there is a whole huge community of happy vegans out there for support! Keeping my fingers crossed for the book. šŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan Post author

      Yay for you and your husband, Suzanne!! I’m glad you find my FB page encouraging. And you’re right – there are TONS of us out here who are happy to share and show support. Thanks for commenting :-).

      Reply
  13. Alisa

    I love to spice up simple food, try adding flavor combinations you wouldn’t normally think of. Would love to try that recipes in this book, the cover photos look so yummy! Can’t wait to try the chocolate mint smoothie…

    Reply
  14. Pingback: Three Sisters Soup (Black Bean, Corn and Squash Soup) | the taste space

Leave a Reply to SusanS Cancel reply