So, for my friend Shawn who is introducing vegetarian and vegan meals into her diet I am posting a list of some of my favorite "go to" cookbooks. (As well as prattling on about other stuff, as I do.)
Cook for Good - http://cookforgood.com/ I like this one because it's seasonal, incredibly practical, and frugal. (And being an eBook doesn't hurt!)
Vegan Lunch Box/ Vegan Lunch Box Around the World - Love both of Jennifer McCann's books. I'd probably go with one, not both. (I'm just obsessed with cookbooks.) Really great ideas for easy meals.
Nourishing Traditions - Sally Fallon's book blew my mind. Seriously. Really interesting (and disturbing!) read. Lots of great information. The recipes are a little more involved, but once you get the hang of them they are well worth the bother.
More-with-Less - Doris Janzen Longacre's book is one of the World Community cookbooks, and fantastic. The other World Community Cookbooks are also really useful and interesting.
This Crazy Vegan Life - Christina Pirello is a pleasure to read, and this book is quite readable, interesting, and full of really great basic recipes.
Jamie's Food Revolution - Okay, I have mixed feelings about Jamie Oliver. But! This is a great book. The recipes are easy as hell, they use simple and readily accessible ingredients, and they aren't time consuming. Most of them are not vegan or vegetarian, but can very easily be modified.
Mark Bittman. Any of his books - How to Cook Everything, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Food Matters, Kitchen Express... I own them all, love them all and turn to them all time and time again. Pick any one of them up and I guarantee you'll be on the Bittman Bandwagon.
I could go on and on, but I won't - my cookbook collection is a scary thing, I know.
Other sources:
http://www.ivu.org/recipes/index.html - a great source of recipes.
http://vegweb.com/ - another fantastic collection of online recipes.
My personal tips:
1. Cook a big pot of beans every week. You'll end up finding countless ways to use this cheap and tasty source of protein.
2. Be careful about buying vegan/vegetarian ready-meals. Just like the traditional ones they tend to be full of nasty stuff for you, and they are also crazy expensive.
3. Shop the seasons. I can eat for a month on $50.00. This includes buying produce weekly. I mostly manage to accomplish this by excluding meat and dairy from my diet, and only buying produce that is in season - and therefore cheap. You're fortunate to live in Southern California where not only do you have access to all the Mexican markets, but Middle Eastern, Asian... great sources for inexpensive food across the board. Spices, grains and legumes, produce... all at a fraction of the price you would pay in a regular grocery store.
4. Healthy doesn't have to mean boring and tasteless. If you don't already have an herb garden, start one. Herbs can make all the difference between an "eh, well, I have to eat something I guess this will suffice" meal and a "holy crap, I should have made more of this and screw you hippie, get your own!" meal. Just sayin'.
5. Make the investment in a good lunch system. Laptop Lunchbox, Lunchsense, and a lunch jar or thermos as well as a refillable drink bottle. Having something neat and tidy and nifty will curb the temptation to just "pick something up," rather than packing your own. Be sure you pack your lunch the night before, so you're not scrambling in the morning.
6. Avoid "meat substitutes" for the most part. They are expensive, full of additives, and just not worth it. Do I use them? Yes, but infrequently. I rely on beans and grains, which are less expensive, taste better and are better for you.
7. There is nothing wrong with frozen vegetables! Just avoid the ones that come in sauces. 10 minutes and a bag of frozen peas (with some water or stock, a handful of herbs or some pesto) and you have a wicked soup that is awesome for dinner or lunch (and packs easily in a thermos for on the go).
And that's all I can think of for now.
Good luck!
(So... who would you invite to your Presidential VEGAN Dinner Party?)
5 comments:
Kewl! thanks! Do you have any suggestions for egg substitute?
Sure do! It really depends on what you're trying to get out of the substitute. For baking there are various things you can do, depending on what property of the egg you're attempting to mimic. If you're looking for substitutions for baking purposes, I would encourage you to explore: http://www.theppk.com/veganbaking.html it'll be your new best friend. If you're looking for a substitute in cooking, or for a specific recipe - let me know.
I am amused and delighted that you have pimped the wondrous goodness of peas!
"So... who would you invite to your Presidential VEGAN Dinner Party?"
In this hot weather, a tasty vegan salad could wilt. So I'd keep it cool with Coolidge.
@Anonymous: I like the taste of peas, but not the texture. So things like snow peas, sugar snap peas, pea shoots/sprouts - all good. Regular peas I can handle in soup, but otherwise: eww.
As for my Presidential Vegan dinner party - Teddy. So I could enjoy his horror.
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