The First Mess Cookbook: Vibrant Plant-Based Recipes to Eat Well Through the Seasons

by Laura Wright

Overview

The blogger behind the Saveur award-winning blog The First Mess shares her eagerly anticipated debut cookbook, featuring more than 125 beautifully prepared seasonal whole-food recipes.
 
Home cooks head to The First Mess for Laura Wright’s simple-to-prepare seasonal vegan recipes but stay for her beautiful photographs and enchanting storytelling. In her debut cookbook, Wright presents a visually stunning collection of heirloom-quality recipes highlighting the beauty of the seasons. Her 125 produce-forward recipes showcase the best each season has to offer and, as a whole, demonstrate that plant-based wellness is both accessible and delicious.

Wright grew up working at her family’s local food market and vegetable patch in southern Ontario, where fully stocked root cellars in the winter and armfuls of fresh produce in the spring and summer were the norm. After attending culinary school and working for one of Canada’s original local food chefs, she launched The First Mess at the urging of her friends in order to share the delicious, no-fuss, healthy, seasonal meals she grew up eating, and she quickly attracted a large, international following.

The First Mess Cookbook is filled with more of the exquisitely prepared whole-food recipes and Wright’s signature transporting, magical photography. With recipes for every meal of the day, such as Fluffy Whole Grain Pancakes, Romanesco Confetti Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing, Roasted Eggplant and Olive Bolognese, and desserts such as Earl Grey and Vanilla Bean Tiramisu, The First Mess Cookbook is a must-have for any home cook looking to prepare nourishing plant-based meals with the best the seasons have to offer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781583335901
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/07/2017
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	306,262
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Laura Wright is a recipe developer, food photographer, and the voice behind the award-winning blog The First Mess, which she created after attending culinary school and working in farm-to-table and strictly vegan restaurants. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, the Martha Stewart Living Blog, The Kitchn, and Food52, among many other outlets. The First Mess was Saveur’s 2014 Editor’s Choice winner for Best Special Diets Blog. Wright lives in Southern Ontario.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Stocking Your Pantry for Success 7

Kitchen Equipment for Eating Well 17

Mornings and Breakfasts

Early Morning Earl Grey 25

Mango Ginger Kombucha Mimosas 26

Cookies for Breakfast 29

Vanilla Coconut Coffee Creamer 31

Fresh, Instant Almond Milk 32

Mocha Hemp Fuel 33

Fluffiest Multigrain Pancakes 34

Maple-Spice Buckwheat Crispies Cereal 36

Easy Gluten-Free Waffles 39

Savory Ginger Green Onion Crepes 40

Miso and Turmeric Chickpea Scramble 43

Eggplant Bacon 44

Tempeh Bacon 47

Maple Baked Beans 48

Red Flannel Beet Hash with Dill 51

Toasty French Toast Bake 52

Hemp and Vanilla Bircher Breakfast 54

Lazy Steel-Cut Oatmeal 57

Mega Clump Granola 58

Plant-Powered Protein Pancakes 61

Old Reliable Avocado Toast 62

Soups and Stews

Vegetable Stock 67

Cozy Lentil Soup 68

Weeknight Root Vegetable Dal 70

Leaf and Stem Green Tortilla Soup 73

Creamy Jalapeño Corn Chowder 74

Moroccan Stew 77

Creamy Winter Vegetable Stew with Mustard and Lemon 78

Small-Batch Roasted Soup 81

Bloody Caesar Gazpacho 82

Tofu Noodle Soup with Coconut Lemongrass Broth 84

Chipotle Pumpkin Chili with Tempeh and Beer 87

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Stew with Rosemary 88

Deep Immune Cup of Soup 91

Smoky Saffron Chickpea, Chard, and Rice Soup 92

Salads and Dressings

Cider and Sunflower Dressing 97

Creamy Garlic Dressing 98

Oil-Free Sundried Tomato and Oregano Dressing 99

Wedge Salad with Avocado Citrus Dressing 100

Thanksgiving Panzanella Salad with Delicata Squash 102

Thai-ish Cabbage Salad 105

Caramelized Onion Potato Salad 106

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lime and Miso 109

Broccoli Caesar with Smoky Tempeh Bits 110

Creamy and Spicy Corn and Millet Tess 113

Peaches, Peas, and Beans Summer Salad 114

Go-To Kale Salad with "Master Cleanse" Dressing 117

Shaved Root Salad with Crispy Lentils 118

Sesame Cucumber Noodles with Melon and Avocado 121

Pepperoncini Lentil Crunch Salad 122

Meyer Lemon Romanesco Glow Salad 125

Warm Balsamic Mushroom Salad with Pine Nut Parmesan 126

Hearty Mains and Big Plates

Vegetables, Chickpeas, and Dumplings 130

Creamy Quinoa and White Beau Risotto with Crispy Brassica Florets 133

Butternut and Pesto Cream Lasagna 135

BBQ Mushroom Toast 139

Spicy Curry Tempeh Patties 140

Rice and Bean Veggie Burgers 143

Squash Parcels with Almond Quinoa 144

Crispy Avocado Tacos 147

Roasted Chili Basil Lime Tofu Bowls 148

Eggplant "Bolognese" Pasta 151

Pot-Roasted Celery Root with Horseradish Cream 153

Creamy Harissa Lentils with Cauliflower Rice 157

Tandoori-Rubbed Portobellos with Cool Cilantro Sauce 158

Vegetable and Bean Pot Pies with Potato Crusts 161

Farro and Pine Nut Chard Rolls 162

Spice-Crusted Cauliflower with Walnut Sauce 165

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowls with Lime Peanut Sauce 166

Burrito-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Rustic Salsa 169

French Onion Lentil Pots with Onion Cream Toasts 170

Vegetables and a Couple of Grains

Roasted Balsamic Beets 175

Crispy Salt and Vinegar Potatoes with Lemon Garlic "Aioli" 176

Fennel and Cherry Tomato Gratin 178

Roasted Cauliflower with Green Tahini 181

Garlicky Winter Vegetable and White Bean Mash with Mushroom Miso Gravy 183

Fancy Rice 184

Roasted Carrots with Ginger Maple Cream 187

Miso Millet "Polenta" with Green Onions 188

Spring Steamed Vegetables with Savory Goji Berry Cream 191

Glowing, Fermented Vegetable Tangle 192

Crispy Maple Mustard Cabbage 195

Red Peppers with Herby Breadcrumbs 196

Energizing Drinks and Small Bites

Salted Caramel Date Shake 201

A Casually Specific Green Smoothie 202

Hot-Pink Beet Protein Smoothie 205

Matcha Chia Limeade 206

Turmeric Cider "Switchy" 209

Overnight Iced Tea 210

Sunshine Everything Crackers 213

Seedy Sesame Granola Bars with Chocolate 215

Super Seeded Kale Crisps 217

Avocado Tartare 219

Cauliflower and Pine Nut "Ricotta" Toasts 220

Mustard-Roasted Broccoli Pâté 223

Homemade Popcorn with Magic Dust 224

Sweet Potato Satays with Peanut Lime Sauce 227

Whipped Lentil Chipotle Dip 228

Gingered Brussels Sprout and Shiitake Pot Stickers 231

Desserts and Small Treats

Stone Fruit Pecan Crumble 235

Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits 236

Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies 239

Vanilla Corn Cake with Roasted Strawberries 240

Fudgy Nut and Seed Butter Brownies 242

No-Bake Salted Peanut Butter "Cookies" 245

Coconut Cream Tart 247

Raw Raspberry Cheesecake 249

Banana Bread Scones 253

Blueberry Muffin Loaf 254

Chocolate Macaroon Cookie Truffles 257

Salted Chocolate Truffles 258

Hippie Bonbons 259

Beet Velvet Slice with Tangy Citrus Frosting 260

Chocolate Cupcakes Deluxe 263

Earl Grey Tiramisu 265

Decadent No-Dairy Ice Cream 267

Chocolate Magic Shell 270

Whipped Coconut Cream 271

Dreamy Lemon Curd 273

Maple Caramel 274

Thank you! 277

Index 279

Editorial Reviews

01/16/2017
Canada-based blogger Wright (the title of both book and blog derives from an M.F.K. Fisher quote) captures the spontaneity of online writing in this vegan cookbook. Her encouraging tone pervades recipes such as broccoli Caesar with smoky tempeh bits. Eschewing vegan pastry and topping individual vegetable and bean pot pies with potato crusts is quick thinking. But, as on the Internet, the downside to spontaneity is an occasional lack of factual foundation. The fall/winter stalwarts featured in Wright’s root vegetable dal are seasonally mismatched with cherry tomatoes. If quinoa needs bean puree to impersonate risotto, why not just make risotto? Health claims are hinted at in recipes such as a kale salad with “Master Cleanse” dressing, and Wright dabbles in raw foods, including an unbaked beet velvet slice with a citrus frosting for dessert. A range of dietary concerns (cane-sugar-free, oil-free, etc.) are indicated with symbols, and more time-consuming projects are marked as well. Some recipes would be better off as quick sidebars: Wright provides not one, but two recipes for tea. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Laura Wright’s plant-based collection of recipes is full of color, good ideas, clever tricks you’ll want to know, and that all-important garden-based sense of the seasons which is one of the things that makes these recipes vibrant. Anyone who cooks stands to learn a lot from The First Mess Cookbook.”
—Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Literacy and The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

“Laura Wright’s passion for cooking shines through every evocative word and gorgeous photograph on her blog—and now, in this lovely cookbook, too. I've always loved Laura's inspiring, seasonal, and wholesome take on plant-based eating. And with unique dishes like Savory Ginger Green Onion Crepes, Butternut and Pesto Cream Lasagna, and Earl Grey Tiramisu, I know The First Mess Cookbook will have a place on my shelf for many years to come.”
—Angela Liddon, New York Times bestselling author of The Oh She Glows Cookbook and Oh She Glows Every Day

“Laura Wright is a rare jewel, and her debut cookbook is no different. Shining with her creative spirit, each recipe is a celebration of beauty and abundance, living well and eating well. Just by flipping through these pages, you are immediately aware of her reverence for fresh, healthy food and that each recipe is an ode to earth’s gifts. Laura will open your eyes to the treasure trove that is nature, the possibilities in the produce aisle, and will get you excited about eating more plants—not because you should but because you want to.”
—Sarah Britton, author of My New Roots

"Laura is a plant-based culinary genius. Anyone desiring to add exciting new vegan recipes to their repertoire must have this book. The recipes are approachable and healthy, and the photography is stunning. I'm in love."
—Dana Shultz, author of Minimalist Baker's Everyday Cooking

“As a long-time follower of Laura's work, I've been anxious for her creative recipes to be printed in a book that I could use often in my own kitchen. She has a way of making plant-based food appeal to everyone, no matter their diet preferences. I will continue to reach for this book for everything from her amazing dairy-free coffee creamer to weeknight dinner ideas or something special for guests.”—Sara Forte, author of The Sprouted Kitchen and Sprouted Kitchen: Bowl + Spoon 

“Laura Wright's The First Mess Cookbook is a soulful, sumptuous feast for the eyes and belly. Lush photographs and candid storytelling bring a rich collection of creative, plant-based recipes to life. In a warm and welcoming voice, Laura issues us all an invitation to embrace the beautiful mess that is cooking—and life.”
—Gena Hamshaw, author of Food52 Vegan

“Laura’s no-fuss, simple-but-stylish approach to healthy food is as bold as it is beautiful. Her warm and inviting spirit, passion for plants, and gift for pairing fabulous fresh flavors take you on an exquisite journey where you feel nourished, nurtured, awakened, and inspired. Her magical mess is a joyful celebration of eating well and living well.”
—Tess Masters, author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies book and app, and The Perfect Blend

“The First Mess Cookbook is not just an inspiring view into Laura Wright’s productive kitchen and garden or simply a collection of truly delicious recipes; it is a comprehensive guide to creating healthy and irresistible plant-based meals every day.”
—Amy Chaplin, James Beard award-winning author of At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well

“The next time someone asks me how vegan food can be filling, satisfying, and delicious I'll show them this book. Superfood-packed breakfasts, hearty main courses, huge salads full of flavor and texture, and more . . . each page makes me hungrier than the last. I’m already hooked on Laura’s Mocha Hemp Fuel and her Cozy Lentil Soup. Yum!”
—Jeanine Donofrio, author of The Love and Lemons Cookbook

From the Publisher