February 16, 2018
(last updated January 27, 2020) 
I always know that I’m in good hands when I make one of Hannah Kaminsky’s recipes. This isn’t only because I own all of her cookbooks (and swear by Vegan Desserts), but also because I’m a very, very longtime reader of her blog, Bittersweet. It was one of the first vegan blogs in my reader, back in the day, and my admiration of Hannah’s work grew exponentially when we worked on my first cookbook together.
I count on Hannah for food that’s practical and thoughtfully instructed, but with a touch of whimsy. Her recipes have a wonderfully playful and nostalgic touch. It’s always made sense to me that this quality would shine through in her dessert recipes—after all, what’s a more perfect realm for channeling nostalgia than pie or ice cream—but now I’m happy to see it animating a savory cookbook collection, too.
Real Food, Really Fast is Hannah’s latest. It’s a robust, vibrant, playful collection of vegan recipes that take 10 minutes or less to prepare and are made with real food ingredients. Hannah’s starting point is that a lot of convenience food is far from wholesome and lacking in the foods—vegetables, whole grains, legumes—that give such rich nutrition to plant-based diets. In place of the usual frozen and boxed fare, she offers up whole food dishes—breakfasts, snacks, soups, salads, sides, entrees, and desserts—that come together in mere minutes.
True to Hannah’s promise in the introduction, these are recipes that don’t allow flavor and nutrition to suffer in the name of speed. They’re also boldly flavored, because as Hannah notes, “What could be worse than going through the work of cooking from scratch after an already exhausting day of work only to sit down to a flavorless meal?”
There are some recipes in the book that I expected to be quick, like salads and snacks. Others came as a surprise: 10 minute chili, a black forest skillet crisp, mofongo bowls with plaintains and black beans (the cooking process is sped up by microwaving the plantains), a chickpea mulligatawny, and a smoky, chipotle creamed kale. These are dishes that I’d just assume needed at least 30 minutes to build flavor, but Hannah walks readers through a process that will deliver flavorful results in less time than you’d ever imagine.
I’ve sat down and already bookmarked about a dozen of the recipes, including the A+ Benedicts (made with tofu patties), Straight-up Chickpea Scramble, Three Pea Soup, Cruciferous Colcannon, Couscous Biryani, and Walnut Bolognese. I’m so excited to explore, and the book found me at just the right time, as work and school have been a little overwhelming lately. I started off with the recipe that’s pictured on the colorful cover of Real Food, Really Fast: Hannah’s Falafel Fattoush.
It’s a colorful, crunchy mixture of pita chips, chickpeas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and spices, and I think it embodies so much of what Hannah’s up to with this book. Folding minced garlic, crushed red pepper, cumin, and coriander directly into the salad ensures that flavor is built quickly. You can use pita chips if you wish, or bake yours; I did neither. I actually put pita halves into my toaster and let them get crispy, then tore them into pieces. It worked perfectly! And chickpeas stand in for traditional falafel her, making this a quickie dish that’s also focused on whole foods.
I made a couple of little additions to the recipe: roasted red pepper strips, because I had some that needed to be used, a handful of arugula, and I used za’atar in place of plain sesame seeds. Everything worked. One of the nice things about this book is that it’s pretty accommodating of small swaps and adjustments.
Falafel Fattoush from Real Food, Really Fast
Author -Yields: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 2-ounce pita breads
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved if large
- 1 cup sliced Persian cucumber or diced English cucumber
- 1 15- ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- Lightly toast the pita bread and chop it into bite-sized squares, about 1/2-inch each. Place the bread in a large bowl along with the tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, scallions, and parsley. Mix the vegetables around lightly to combine. Sprinkle in the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Toss everything together until the vegetables are well distributed and evenly coated with the spices.
- Right before serving, drizzle in the lemon juice and olive oil, tossing once more to incorporate. Add more salt to taste, if needed, and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds over the top.
I loved eating this salad, and in spite of Hannah’s warning that the pita would turn a little soggy, I actually really liked how it all worked together when the pita had sopped up some of the dressing and spices. I served it with some of my simple French lentil soup (this week’s batch cooking), and it was a perfect lunch. At this time of year I tend to start to crave green and crispy things, and the meal satisfied that craving while also giving me plenty of heft.
I’m such a fan of what Hannah does, and I’m happy to be sharing a copy of Real Food, Really Fast with one US reader today. You can enter below to win, and I’ll announce the winner in one week.
Good luck! And I’ll be sticking with the salad theme (albeit hitting very different notes) with a recipe that I’m sharing next week. Before then, I’ll be checking in with weekend reads. Wishing you all a restful Friday night.
xo
Recipe reprinted with permission from Real Food, Really Fast, copyright © 2018 by Hannah Kaminsky. Published by Skyhorse Publishing, New York.
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Categories: Recipes,
Salads
Ingredients: Chickpeas, Tomatoes
Dietary Preferences: Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: 30 Minute or Less, Quick & Easy
Ingredients: Chickpeas, Tomatoes
Dietary Preferences: Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: 30 Minute or Less, Quick & Easy
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Absolutely fantastic! and also the pics…
I love this exotic recipe.
How I wish I had this salad sitting in front of me for lunch right now. 🙂 It’s so bright and fresh, and hearty enough for a complete meal. Just catching up on all of your posts and I feel inspired as always!
I like to eat nuts as a quick snack or toast with peanut butter.
A simple combo of apple with peanut butter makes me a happy girl at snack time.
This looks absolutely fantastic .Can’t wait to see this cookbook . I need to try this. looks delicious. Love your photos.
Cucumber with hummus is quick and easy!
A green smoothie!
Hi Gena:
My 10 minute snack would be some almonds or sunflower seeds… hmm.. maybe halvah (tahini love) But, seriously, if I had that falafel fattoush salad in my fridge – then, without question, I’d have some of that!
Fresh fruit!
Peanut butter and honey on a graham cracker. Thanks for sharing Hannah’s book!
My go-to snack is apple slices with peanut butter. Quickest meal is whatever soups or chilis I have saved in the freezer!
Fantastic looking book and I will have fun exploring the BitterSweet blog, that’s a new one to me. My quick snack or meal is a nuked potato with salsa poured on top or hummus.
Miso soup with rice noodles!
Can’t wait to see this cookbook! Best quick food is leftovers in a bowl or avocado toast. Yum.
Thanks for the giveaway! My favorite quick meal is steamed collards topped with tempeh steamed with BBQ sauce, and either leftover grains or sweet potato thrown in.
Our quick 10 minute go-to is rice and beans.
My go-to 10 min meal is avocado toast, with hummus, tomato, cucumber, onion, and broccoli sprouts. Tasty and satisfying.
Beautiful salad and beautiful post. Thank you!
I’ve been enjoying avocado, lettuce, and olive spread sandwiches lately with chips.
Love this recipe. I have all the ingredients so I’m going to make it this weekend. I love Fattoush salad. My go to snack is usually Dave’s Killer Bread with hummus and packed full of veggies, lettuce, cucumber, peppers and raddishes.
Avocado toast!
So into this recipe!!! I cannot wait to get this cookbook. My go to snack is my homemade granola (with amaranth and flax seeds) and light vanilla soy milk.
For a snack I usually grab fruit or quick soak oats and add fruit. The only quick meal I know is pasta with steamed spinach and butter.
This salad looks incredible and is getting me so excited for warmer weather when all of these vegetables will be in season! My go-to snack is peanut butter, always crunchy, straight from the jar.
my new go-to snack is homemade sunflower seed butter, dates and celery sticks
A quick skillet hash-type thing with root veg, greens, and beans.
energy balls!
It is such an honor to have my recipe grace the pages of your blog. I know just how discerning you are when it comes to recipes, and rightly so, which is why it makes my heart sing to hear your praises for my work. Thank you so much for sharing, and for so generously offering this giveaway, too! It truly mean the world to me.
Hummus and seedy rice crackers are my no minute snack.
My go to is lightly Saturday greens, beans(usually black or adzuki), avocado, & Kimchi.