One: Pot, Pan, Planet: A greener way to cook for you, your family and the planet

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It’s true to say that Anna Jones always delivers: reading any recipe of hers is like receiving a promise of dependable deliciousness. With this book, however, she has given something deeper of herself. There’s so much humanity and wisdom in it. Perhaps one shouldn’t feel like this, but so often books that attempt to steer us into a more responsible and sustainable way of living feel like reproaches or reprimands. There is nothing of that in One Pot, Pan, Planet: it is so full of encouragement, of understanding, of joy; it’s like being led by the hand by a smiling, kind reveller, who wants only for us to enjoy food as much as possible, without wasting it, or missing out on everything it brings. A Modern Way to Eat is a gorgeous revelation of a book. Vegetarian food that feels exciting and vibrant, by an author who writes and cooks with authenticity and passion. I will be buying it for everyone.’ Most of the recipes are organized by what you cook it in (chapter one = pot, chapter three = pan, and so on). My favorite chapter took a turn and focused on the top vegetables available in supermarkets and outlined 10 ways to cook it. For example, broccoli gratin, broccoli miso salad, broccoli pesto, etc. Turmeric is as delicious as it is nourishing, bringing sunshine yellow to everything it touches. We are used to jars of the bright yellow ground stuff, with its earthy flavour, but if you can get it use fresh turmeric. Its light, almost citrus notes adds freshness here.

Melt a little butter or heat some oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery and sweat until soft and translucent, stirring from time to time. It will take about 15 minutes. At several points in the book the author seems to posit that eating local and reducing food miles is the best thing we can do to reduce our impact on the climate - even going so far as to claim that eating locally raised grass-fed beef would be better than eating a processed vegan sausage that's been flown into the country. Waste is also a big issue. Making sure the food we buy is not wasted is another key shift we can fairly easily make in out homes. My book is filled with ways to help avoid waste. One Pot, Pan, Planet is a book full of ‍encouragement, of understanding, of joy; it’s like being led by the hand by a smiling, kind reveler, who wants only for us to enjoy food as much as possible, without wasting it or missing out on everything it brings. To balance the broth, squeeze in the lemon juice, taste and add more, if you’d like, and add soy or salt as needed. You should have a delicately flavoured, fragrant broth.Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and parsley, drizzle over the tahini mix, then drizzle the Halloumi with honey. Serve with flatbreads.

And I hear that! I think for now though, I had a hard time getting excited about these recipes. Perhaps it was the beige, muted pictures (reminded me of the sad beige trend). Also I think this book is most relevant for people in the UK based on the ingredients and seasonality. I enjoyed the soup base section, and all the blurbs about sustainability, as well as the vegan options! The way to cook all the different vegetables (a section on carrots, spinach, peppers, etc) was also a fun thing. More and more people are looking to include vegetarian recipes in their life beyond a mushroom risotto or yet another red onion and goat’s cheese tart. Once the onions are soft and sweet, add the caraway seeds and stir for a minute. Turn the heat up a little and add the apples and three-quarters of the cabbage, then fry for a further 5 minutes until the cabbage begins to soften. In a large bowl or jug, mix the passata (or purée/crushed canned tomatoes) with the oil, half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt, the chopped garlic, chili flakes, drained lentils, grated squash, chopped olives, capers and lemon zest. Tear the basil leaves in half.For the non-vegan cake, melt the butter in a pan, then whisk in the dark brown sugar and chopped stem ginger. Leave to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs one by one, until emulsified. Fold through the dry ingredients and pour into the prepared cake tin.

Then, heat a large frying pan on a high heat, adding a splash of the oil. Add the tempeh and cook for 5 mins, turning frequently so that it browns and crisps on both sides. Once cooked, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 10 minutes until softened. Lay the tofu between 2 sheets of kitchen paper on a plate or clean surface. Place a small plate over the top and a jar or weight on the plate to press down. Leave the tofu like this to dry out for half an hour.

It’s true to say that Anna Jones always delivers: reading any recipe of hers is like receiving a promise of dependable deliciousness. With this book, however, she has given something deeper of herself. There’s so much humanity and wisdom in it . . . It’s like being led by the hand by a smiling, kind reveller, who wants only for us to enjoy food as much as possible, without wasting it, or missing out on everything it brings . . . The food itself is tummy-rumblingly good [and] strikes absolutely the right balance between accessibility and originality.”—Nigella Lawson

Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee or coconut oil to a large pan, add the onion and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat until soft and sweet. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for another 5 minutes. I’ve read lots of cookbooks and vegetarian ones, and I appreciate the focus on using one pan or one pot not (just) as a method of convenience, but as a much more sustainable option. For the salsa verde, put 30g of the feta and half the coriander leaves into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blitz until you have a deep green, slightly creamy salsa. Season to taste then set aside for serving. Step 5 Better cooks maybe, but Jones also admits there have certainly been moments during the past year where she has felt jaded in the kitchen. “I love to experiment, but having had my son [five-year-old Dylan] at home, it hasn’t been quite so free and easy, you know, squeezing fresh yuzu over things. It’s been much more a case of getting our dinner ready.”

The Modern Cook’s Year

I like a sturdy pan that will stand the test of time. Cast iron is my favourite as it seems to get better with age and you don’t need to worry about the coating peeling off. While I love a pan to be a workhorse is also has to look good. I use my pans all day every day and they are a constant feature in my kitchen. What is your current go-to one-pot recipe if you're short on time? It’s true to say that Anna Jones always delivers: reading any recipe of hers is like receiving a promise of dependable deliciousness. With this book, however, she has given something deeper of herself. There’s so much humanity and wisdom in it . . . It’s like being led by the hand by a smiling, kind reveller, who wants only for us to enjoy food as much as possible, without wasting it, or missing out on everything it brings . . . The food itself is tummy-rumblingly good [and] strikes absolutely the right balance between accessibility and originality.”–Nigella Lawson And the supercilious tone of the author was a bit grating. "For the really hungry, some brown or basmati rice here would work, but I eat this just as it is." Oh, you can add a slice of bread if you're ~really~ hungry, but I rarely do. Touting the superiority of jarred beans with a little Barefoot Contessa-style toss of "but canned will do, if you must." But somehow, when Ina says it, it's comforting. When Jones says it, it feels haughty. In a pan, cook the rhubarb and sugar for 2 minutes, until the juices turn the sugar into a pink syrup but the rhubarb still holds its crunch. Set aside to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.