A Modern Way To Cook, A Cookbook by Anna Jones

A Modern Way To Cook, A Cookbook by Anna Jones

I remember growing up; my mom always smelled like Jergens, the original cherry almond lotion. Oh I loved that smell. Dinners always consisted of some kind of meat or meat by-product. Then and only then some type of starch and veggies were added. Thank goodness times have changed. Meals have become more healthy and focused on fresh and seasonal vegetables. And why not, veggies can open up a whole new world.

My idea of a great vegetarian meal is one in which no one realizes it's meat free. The meal is colourful with lots of flavour and texture. The ingredients are easy to obtain and the recipes easy to navigate. Now enters Anna Jones, a very talented London based chef. She has previously worked with Jamie Oliver and has just published her second vegetarian cookbook, “A Modern Way to Cook”.  Her focus is on seasonal and wholesome ingredients that can be prepared quickly. The recipes are organized into chapters according to the time they take to put together, 20, 30 or 45 minutes. There is also a chapter on investment cooking, the kind of cooking that takes more time in the kitchen like nut butters, granola and such. “The backbone foods of the kitchen” as she so aptly describes.

Butternut Squash and Cannellini Gratin

From this cookbook I prepared the butternut and cannellini gratin. It is wonderful combination of red onions that were cooked down until soft and sweet. Butternut squash was then added along with a few sprigs of rosemary. As you can imagine by now; the kitchen smelled heavenly. Next cannellini beans are added, vegetable stock and juice from a lemon. The gratin was topped with torn sourdough bread pieces and grated Swiss cheese and then baked for 45 minutes. In my own defense I was not sure what my husband would say because of the beans, not a big fan........ but he loved i!. Will be making this again. The next day I added the gratin filling minus the crispy bread topping to a quesadilla and enjoyed it for lunch, delicious.

Quesadilla with butternut and cannellini gratin

I highly recommend, “A Modern Way to Cook” to anyone wanting to enjoy quick vegetarian meals that are very thoughtful and easy to prepare.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.