Although I’ve never watched Whale Wars, I am familiar with The Sea Shepherd, so I was interested to to take a look at Cookin’ Up a Storm when a review copy was offered to me.
Cookin’ Up a Storm was written by Laura Dakin, the cook on the ship Steve Irwin. In between recipes, there are tails from the sea from the ship’s crew, and Laura also shares anecdotes about the ship’s galley (that’s the kitchen to us landlubbers). Life and food at sea are things I hadn’t put too much thought into before reading Cookin’ Up a Storm, and now I have a tremendous amount of respect for those who spend any amount of time at sea.
In the mission recounted in the book, Laura was responsible for feeding 50 crew members on a 100 day mission at sea. The work actually began well before the ship set sail, as preparation for a campaign that large takes quite a long time. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to cook three meals a day for 5o people on dry land, let alone when faced with cramped quarters and rocky waves.
In Cookin’ Up a Storm, Laura shares the recipes she cooks for the crew, from breakfast through dessert. There are recipes for soups, snacks, sauces, and breads as well. Since fresh veggies are scarce in the middle of the ocean, you’re not going to find any massaged kale salads here (although there are some salad recipes), but you will find recipes for delicious and hearty meals cooked with vegetables, beans, and grains, such as Rockin’ the Boat Risotto, Old Salt (and Pepper) Tofu, and Chickpea Curry for a Courageous Crew. The Sea Shepherd’s signature dish the Sea Shepherd Pie – a vegan take on the traditional meaty dish. I made it for a recent potluck and watched my guests devour it!
I have a copy of Cookin’ Up a Storm for one lucky winner. Follow the instructions after the recipe to enter.
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegan butter
- 3 cups (750 ml) sliced button mushrooms
- 1 leek, thinly sliced (tender green parts only)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) reduced-sodium tamari
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups (750 ml) no-salt-added vegetable broth or water, plus more as needed
- 3 cups (750 ml) dried French lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained
- 2 tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) nutritional yeast flakes
- 4 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) thinly sliced fresh chives
- To make the filling, put the oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until the butter is melted. Decrease the heat to medium and add the mushrooms, leek, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tamari and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
- Add the broth, lentils, and tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Decrease the heat to medium, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. If necessary, add more broth as the lentils cook so they don’t become dry. Stir in the vinegar and nutritional yeast. Transfer to a 4-quart (4 L) casserole.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
- While the lentils cook, prepare the topping. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, partially cover, and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain. Add the oil and salt and mash until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.
- Spread the topping evenly over the filling. Sprinkle the chives evenly over the topping and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
I have a copy of Cookin’ Up a Storm by Laura Dakin for one lucky winner. Follow the instructions below to enter. U.S. resident’s only, please. Contest ends at midnight eastern time on March 29, 2015. Good Luck!
I would make a big veggie shepherd’s pie,with roasted vegetables and for dessert,chocolate covered strawberries.
Lasagna is always great for a large crowd. This Sea Shepherd’s Pie looks delicious!
I love shepherds pie!! It’s the perfect comfort food.
lentil loaf!
I really would like to read about cooking for a huge crew at sea. I hope that I win!
Love lentils, love shepherd’s pie! Great marriage for life!
Love lentils! Love Shepherds pie! Great marriage for long life!❤️
I love to make a big pot of chili with mashed potatoes is perfect to feed a large group. Also, pasta. You can never go wrong with pasta! 🙂
Veg chili is always a crowd pleaser and one of my go-to recipes for feeding a crowd. This book looks great, thanks for the giveaway.
I love a big chickpea salad!
Chili, it’s the easiest!
A very hearty soup with salad.
A big pot of chili!
Both hubbys and my families had shephards pie as a big family comfort food dish. We came from opposit sides of the country and the recipe is a bit different from how we remember it. I have played with it a few different ways making a vegan one that he would enjoy as much as myself. This one may do it, will try tonight. I so tried to support this book on kickstarter and had to cancel all items i was supporting when the drunk hit us, making money quite tight at the time. Glad to see they have made it! 🙂
Pasta!
I usually make soup or have hummus and salsa.