Evergreen Kitchen: Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone

by Bri Beaudoin

Overview

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 IACP AWARDS*

The ultimate cookbook filled with over 110 wildly delicious vegetable-packed recipes for weeknight meals that will satisfy everyone from the creator of the popular blog Evergreen Kitchen.

Bri Beaudoin, creator of the popular blog Evergreen Kitchen, has been captivating her fans with delicious and healthy vegetarian recipes for years. While we all know that a home-cooked meal is the best for our budgets and our health, the idea of cooking dinner on weeknights can feel like a chore. With many of us eating more veggie­forward meals, it's no wonder busy home cooks are craving tasty vegetarian recipes that everyone at the dinner table will love.

Evergreen Kitchen is bursting with beautiful, flavourful recipes-that just so happen to be vegetarian. The recipes provide much-needed inspiration for delicious weeknight mains that are sure to make your taste buds sing, and a sprinkling of simple, yet scrumptious, desserts for those who like to end their meal with something sweet. Whether you want to cook a vegetarian meal one night a week-or every night-Evergreen Kitchen is packed with over 110 recipes to make it happen with dishes that satisfy the heartiest of appetites like Veggie Skillet Pot Pie and Cheesy Chipotle Quinoa Bake to Spicy Miso Ramen and Sheet-Pan Veggie Fajitas.

Throughout the book, there is something for everyone: salads that eat like a meal, easy one pot and sheet-pan recipes, crowd-pleasing noodles, nostalgic comfort foods, healthy bowls, hearty soups, delicious desserts, and so much more. Many of the recipes feature make-ahead options, easy substitutions, and modifications to make them vegan and/or gluten-free (if they aren't already). In addition, learn how to stock your pantry with the essentials, the small handful of kitchen tools that are actually worth having, and tips and tricks to make vegetarian meals craveable. Filled with gorgeous photography and plenty of step-by-step images throughout the book to illustrate exactly how to get things done, Evergreen Kitchen brings weeknight vegetarian dinners to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735241923
Publisher:	Penguin Canada
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	8.28(w) x 10.29(h) x 1.25(d)

About the Author

BRI BEAUDOIN is a recipe developer, food stylist, and certified holistic nutritionist. She is the voice behind the popular vegetarian food blog Evergreen Kitchen, a brand she runs with her husband and professional food and product photographer, Anguel Dimov. Their work has been featured in numerous print and digital publications including Food52, Epicurious, Clean Eating, SHAPE, Martha Stewart, and BuzzFeed, among many others. Bri and Anguel live in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Read an Excerpt

INTRODUCTION

Let’s get this out of the way now: I will not try to convince you to become a vegetarian. You don’t need to be a vegetarian to enjoy vegetables, and you certainly don’t need to be a vegetarian to eat a meatless meal once in a while. No matter what you usually eat, as long as you love to eat, I think we’ll get along great.
 
We probably all ask ourselves the same question every day: What’s for dinner? I’ll confess, I’ve already asked this question twice today. First to Anguel, my husband, over breakfast. It was followed by a blank stare, a long pause, and an obnoxiously long sip of coffee. So I turned this question back to myself.
 
Not to be dramatic, but I think the idea of “dinner” stresses out a lot of people, myself included. What will I make? What do I need to buy from the store after work? Did Anguel polish off that last piece of bread in the cupboard? And as if the idea of dinner isn’t stressful enough, throw a dietary preference into the mix. What the heck can I cook if I want to make a meatless main that isn’t a salad?
 
My hope for this book is that it will help make your dinnertime a bit easier, and even more exciting. I want you to feel confident cooking a meatless meal that everyone at the table will love. Whether you’re just looking for veggie-forward meal ideas, trying out Meatless Mondays, or feeding a vegetarian friend or family member, this book is for you. It’s stuffed full of 100+ delicious vegetarian dinner recipes. The focus is entirely on main dishes (and a sprinkling of desserts) so there’s no need to make a bunch of side dishes, unless you want to.
 
To cook the recipes in this book, you won’t need to hunt down any specialty meat substitutes. All the necessary ingredients should be available at a well-stocked grocery store. Perhaps somewhat selfishly, these recipes reflect how I like to eat and what I like to cook for others. Mostly healthy. Occasionally indulgent. Always full of flavour. And, if you haven’t figured it out by now, each recipe just so happens to be vegetarian.
 
This book is also about helping you become more confident as a home cook. Since we may never get a chance to cook together in your kitchen, I’ve also included some tricks I use in my own—like a speedy hands-free way to grate a chunk of Parmesan cheese, the method for “peeling” carrots that you never knew you needed, and a better way to “pick over” lentils (plus why you should even bother in the first place). Because photos are often more helpful than words, there are plenty of step-by-step images throughout the book, to illustrate exactly how to get it done. We’ve got you covered.
 
 
The Evergreen Kitchen
 
After a couple years of dating, Anguel and I (kind of) quit our very intense corporate jobs in Toronto, packed our bags and our kittens, and moved to the Pacific Northwest. When the plane touched down in Vancouver, British Columbia, I was home. This was also the same year that Anguel asked if I wanted to try eating vegetarian with him. Surprisingly, it felt like a much bigger question than when he asked me to marry him a couple years later.
 
Eating is my favourite thing to do. I live to eat. My biggest concern was what would change if we became “those” people. Would friends ever want to come over for dinner again? Would we be signing up for a life of bland food that gets a pass just because it’s vegetarian? Despite my fears of commitment, the enthusiasm beaming from this very meat-and-potatoes man was hard to deny—we jumped in, taste buds first.
 
We learned a few things very quickly. Yes, there’s a lot of bland food out there (vegetarian and otherwise). Yes, the best way to eat the food you love is to make it yourself. And no, it’s not as hard as you might think. Over time, we realized our very-not-vegetarian friends and family kept coming over for dinner and what’s more, they were asking for the recipes! Our blog Evergreen Kitchen was born.
 
Over the years, Evergreen Kitchen (evergreenkitchen.ca) has grown into something bigger than we expected. Now our recipes aren’t just for friends and family. Readers are cooking and sharing our recipes around the world! Many of our readers aren’t full-fledged vegetarians, and we think that’s pretty cool. We’re all about cooking food that anyone can enjoy. To make sure of it, most of the amazing recipe testers for this book would consider themselves very-not-vegetarian. Good food is good food, right?
 
I hope you find inspiration in these pages and dis-cover some reliably tasty vegetarian dinner recipes to turn to. The opportunity to share recipes with you is not something I take lightly. So thank you so much for being here. I hope you love eating what’s inside.
 
Now, let’s get cooking!
 
Bri
 
 
HOW TO MAKE VEGETARIAN FOOD TASTE BETTER
 
People often ask me: “How do I make vegetarian food that actually tastes good?” The good news is, making vegetarian food taste better is the same as making any kind of food taste better.
 
Perhaps you were a bit too “free” when you free-styled dinner, or that delicious meal from last night tastes a bit flat today, or maybe your taste buds are just asking for a little something-something. If you’re faced with some bland food—vegetarian or otherwise—let’s fix it! Here are some tips for boosting flavour, including pantry ingredients that can help.
 
 
Sprinkle That Salt

Don’t skip the salt: Home cooks often under-season. So if your food is tasting a bit bland, ask yourself: Is it seasoned enough? Even an extra pinch can go a long way.
 
Salt as you cook: Salting while cooking, rather than all at the end, gives the salt time to penetrate the food. The result is a well-seasoned and more delicious finished dish.
 
Salt to suit your tastes: Everyone has different tolerance levels for salt. Taste often as you cook and add more as needed. A small dish of extra salt on the table will let others season to their taste if they like things a bit saltier.
 

Add Some Acid

Vinegar isn’t just for salads: I often add a splash of vinegar to soups and sauces after cooking. It’s a subtle difference, but it brightens and balances the dish.
 
Use citrus, usually at the end: Use citrus zest and juice for the biggest impact. The flavour of citrus can fade as it sits, so I like to zest and juice just before adding it to the dish. If you’re looking to retain the brightest flavour, add the citrus after cooking.
 
Quick pickles on everything (well, almost everything): I usually have a jar of quick pickled something in the fridge. Pickled vegetables add a delicious tangy element to a dish. You can use the quick-pickling technique on a variety of vegetables, such as red onions (page 289), carrots (page 171), and shallots (page 51).
 
 
Amp It Up with Umami

Umami isn’t just from meat: Umami, or savouriness, is a rich and meaty element in food. Umami boosters like fish sauce, anchovies, and Worcestershire sauce get a lot of the attention, but there are plenty of vegetarian umami-rich foods too.
 
Enhance it by cooking or roasting: Our perceptions of umami are heightened in warm foods. Roasting vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and asparagus brings out their savoury characteristics more than when they’re eaten raw.
 
Use fermented foods: Fermented foods such as tamari, miso, kimchi, and Parmesan cheese are rich in umami. Try incorporating one (or many) of these ingredients in your cooking.
 

Don’t Forget the Fat

Fat is essential: We are programmed to want fat! Fat not only helps prevent foods from sticking to the pan, but it also facilitates browning, adds flavour, and improves mouthfeel. It’s hard to make a dish feel satisfying without a little fat.
 
Add it yourself: Animal proteins contain fat—and they’re usually cooked in it too. With vegetarian foods, you’re going to need to add fat. Don’t be nervous if it seems like a bit more than you’re used to.
 
Look beyond oil: Some of the most obvious sources of fat are oils, like grapeseed, olive, and sesame oil. But other foods like nuts and seeds, dairy, and avocados are also sources of tasty fat.
 

Go On, Make It Spicy

A little heat goes a long way: The sensation of heat can elevate a dish. It doesn’t need to be blow-your-head-off spicy, or even register as a “spicy dish.” Start small and go from there.
 
Not just pepper: Black pepper and red pepper flakes are easy ways to add a bit of heat. But there’s a whole world of spice out there! Freshly grated ginger, Dijon mustard, and sambal oelek all bring heat in their own ways.
 
Spicy to you, not to me: We can all handle different amounts of heat. Make it how you like it. If you’re serving a crowd, you can always go lighter on the heat—and give people the option to add more with hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or sliced fresh chilies on the side.
 
 
Layer on That Texture

Crunch factor: Searing, grilling, and roasting create a crispy, caramelized exterior. You can also add crunch through ingredients. Raw veggies such as radishes, carrots, celery, and snap peas add crunch. Or sprinkle on a crunchy topping such as chopped nuts, panko breadcrumbs, or croutons.
 
Soft and creamy: Creaminess can come from garnishes like a dollop of yogurt or gooey melted cheese. Condiments, sauces, and spreads are often creamy as well—think mayonnaise, tzatziki, or mashed avocado. The jammy yolk in a 6½-minute egg is creamy, as is a vegetable soup that’s been blended until silky smooth.
 
Don’t forget chewy: Chewy isn’t always bad. Chewy elements, like al dente pasta, squeaky halloumi cheese, and sourdough bread or pizza crust, add varied texture to a dish.
 
 
Dress It Up

First, we eat with our eyes: We see a dish before we taste it. Sure, a bit of garnish isn’t going to redeem a bad dish, but if your food is looking a bit meh, take a second to accessorize.
 
Throw on some greens: Fresh greens can really liven things up. I often reach for flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, or thyme, depending what suits the dish. Microgreens and sprouts are another pretty (and healthy) way to incorporate some edible greenery.
 
Get creative: Try a scattering of red pepper flakes, coarsely ground black pepper, nuts and seeds, citrus zest, flaky salt, a spoonful of yogurt, breadcrumbs, a drizzle of olive oil, hot scallion oil, or whatever else looks good to you.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

How to Make Vegetarian Food Taste Better 4

Techniques for Cooking Smart 10

Kitchen Pantry 22

Kitchen Tools 28

Recipe Ideas for Occasions 33

Recipe Ideas for Meal Planning 34

Sheet Pans, Skillets & One-Pot Bakes

Baked Rice Pilaf with Feta and Roasted Tomatoes 39

Hot Honey Roasted Carrots and Lentils 40

Asparagus, Pea, and Whipped Feta Tart 43

Cheesy Chipotle Quinoa Bake 44

Firecracker Tofu with Broccolini and Chili Garlic Oil 47

Flatbread with Orange Arugula Salad 48

Lemongrass Coconut Rice with Roasted Eggplant 51

Miso Ginger Glazed Squash 54

Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze 57

Crispy Eggplant Roll-Ups 58

Sheet-Pan Veggie Fajitas 61

Harissa-Roasted Vegetables with Couscous 62

Pesto and Greens Frittata 65

Braised Vegetables with Parmesan Croutons 66

Noodles

Pesto Pantry Pasta 71

Mushroom Stroganoff 72

Spinach, Pea, and Pesto Pasta 75

Spicy Sesame Almond Noodles 76

Seared Mushroom and Creamy Garlic Pasta 79

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta 80

Lemon and Dill Orzo Salad 83

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta 87

Veggie Pad Thai 88

Roasted Cauliflower, Smashed Olive, and Lemon Pasta 91

Miso Brown Butter Pasta 92

Ginger Soy Soba Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce 95

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Toasted Hazelnuts 96

Coconut Green Curry Pasta 99

Classic-ish Comfort Foods

Meatless Meatballs with Garlic Bread 103

Veggie Skillet Pot Pie 106

Barbecue Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches 109

Healthier Macaroni and Cheese 113

Vegetable Ragu 114

Mediterranean Pesto Pizza 117

Shepherd's Pie 118

Actually Good Fried Rice 121

Vegetable Bourguignon 122

Pea Fritters and Fries with Tartar Sauce 125

Smoky Gouda Mushroom Melts 126

Crispy Veggie Potstickers 129

Buffalo-Sauced Cauliflower with Ranch Celery Salad 133

Savoury Cheddar Apple Hand Pies 137

Bowl Food

Pesto Grain Bowls with Jammy Eggs 143

Bibimbap with Crispy Rice 144

Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil Oil 147

Charred Sweet Potatoes with Tomato Chili Jam 148

Shortcut Brothy Beans 151

Falafel Bowls 154

Peanut-Glazed Tofu Rice Bowls 157

Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Cauliflower Bowls 158

Burrito Bowls with Smoky Sofritas 161

Orange Ginger and Sesame Meatballs 162

Handhelds

Shawarma-Spiced Mushroom Pita 167

Grilled Halloumi Skewers with Thai Basil and Lime Vinaigrette 168

Crispy Tofu Banh Mi 171

Chipotle Mushroom Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa 174

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo 177

Curry Vegetable Fritters 178

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Toasts 181

Caprese Pesto Panini 182

Veggie Sushi with Sriracha Mayo 185

Seared Halloumi Sandwiches with Roasted Red Pepper Spread 189

Cheesy Mushroom Calzones 190

Blistered Tomatoes and Whipped Ricotta Toasts 193

Frico-Style Quesadillas 194

Balsamic Vegetable and Goat Cheese Sandwiches 197

Soups

Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheesy Bread 201

Silky Cauliflower Soup with Cheese and Pepper Crisps 202

Thai Yellow Coconut Curry with Lentils 205

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stew 206

Smoky Jalapeño Corn Chowder 209

Minestrone Soup with Pesto 210

Spicy Miso Ramen 213

Easy Veggie Chili 216

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Buttery Sage Croutons 219

Sesame and Smoked Tofu Noodle Soup 220

Potato and Lentil Stew with Crispy Shallots 223

No Cream of Broccoli Soup with Garlicky Breadcrumbs 224

Smoky Red Lentil Soup 226

Veggie Wonton Soup 229

Salads

Santa Fe Salad with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette 235

Crispy Rice Salad with Smashed Cucumbers 236

Chickpea Salad with Crispy Pita 239

Broccoli Salad with Sticky Harissa Sauce 242

Seared Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad 245

Green Goddess Salad with Everything Bagel Croutons 246

Vibrant Greens Salad with Sesame Lime Vinaigrette 249

Barley Salad with Mushrooms and Burrata 250

Kale Lentil Salad with Halloumi 253

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Jalapeño Cilantro Slaw 254

Desserts

Jammy Raspberry Streusel Bars 259

Brown Butter Chocolate Walnut Cookies 262

Cardamom Sugar Knots 265

Chocolate Pudding with Pretzel Crumble 268

Whipped Yogurt Cream with Berries 271

Banana Chocolate Muffins 274

Bottomless Apple Caramel Pie 277

Flourless Chocolate Crackle Cookies 280

Butterscotch Banana Dutch Baby Pancake 283

S'mores No-Churn Ice Cream 284

Sauces & Extras

Quick Pickled Red Onions 289

Fresh Basil Pesto 290

Vegan Pesto 290

Tzatziki 293

Vegan Tzatziki 293

Yogurt Caesar Dressing 294

Vegan Caesar Dressing 294

Quick Pizza Dough 297

Everyday Guacamole 298

Garlic Mashed Potatoes 301

Cooking Rice 302

Acknowledgements 307

Index 311

Editorial Reviews

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 IACP AWARDS*

One of The Globe and Mail’s “Seven fall cookbooks to inspire you to get into the kitchen”

Advance praise for Evergreen Kitchen:

“I’ve been a fan of Bri and Anguel’s bold photography and creative recipes for years, and I couldn’t be more excited to cook from this book! Every photo is absolutely mouthwatering, and every recipe is accessible, flavourful, and just plain fun. It doesn’t matter if you’re vegetarian or not—if you want to punch up your weeknight dinner rotation, this book belongs in your kitchen.”
—Jeanine Donofrio, bestselling author of Love & Lemons Every Day and The Love & Lemons Cookbook
 
“Flipping through Evergreen Kitchen, everything looks like the perfect, most delicious thing to eat for dinner tonight. My favourite cookbooks build a roadmap to flavour and nourishment through smart pantry stocking, and Bri does that so well here.”
—Laura Wright, award-winning author of The First Mess Cookbook
 
“Here's a clear and inviting introduction into the vast world of vegetarian cooking. Bri’s Evergreen Kitchen offers brilliant tips and processes to fill your week with quick, highly-craveable, plant-forward dinners, so eating more vegetables becomes such a no-brainer. This book is my new best friend!”
—Jerrelle Guy, founder of the blog Chocolate for Basil and author of Black Girl Baking
 
“Bri's exciting, photo-rich cookbook makes eating vegetarian meals more often easy and fun. You won't find strict dogma or polarizing opinions here-just vibrant meals you'll want to make and eat every day, like Lemongrass Coconut Rice with Roasted Eggplant, Miso Ginger Glazed Squash, Smoky Gouda Mushroom Melts, and a whole chapter on toothsome noodles you won't want to miss. Whether you want to drop meat entirely or just put delicious plant-forward food front and centre, Evergreen Kitchen is your ticket.” —Sarah Copeland, author of Feast, Every Day is Saturday, and Instant Family Meals

“I've been drooling over Bri's plant-forward creations for years and I'm thrilled to see her debut vegetarian cookbook, Evergreen Kitchen, come to life! Bri sums it up perfectly when she promises recipes that are: 'Mostly healthy. Occasionally indulgent. Always full of flavour.' I love the wide array of weeknight-friendly mains that will breathe new inspiration into your kitchen and bust any cooking rut.”
—Angela Liddon, New York Times bestselling author of The Oh She Glows Cookbook, Oh She Glows Every Day, and Oh She Glows for Dinner

“With beautiful photography and inspiring yet approachable dishes, it’s the kind of book home cooks find themselves turning to over and over.”
—The Globe and Mail

From the Publisher