Vegan cook book recommendations

I am looking for a vegan cook book with SIMPLE, LOW COST and ideally LOW FAT recipes.

 

I am writing this in capitals to stress the importance! lol

 

I am not a creative cook and things that often sound simple to others are overwhelming to me. It would be counterproductive to purchase something that gives me stress. I am not familiar with too many herbs and spices and cannot afford too unique and expensive items, I find it tiring looking for strange ingredients.

 

I would like to try a more plant based diet as I have heard a lot of good about it and I am willing to incorporate some changes but manageable ones!

 

Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

It could also be vegetarian as long as it's simple and low fat.

 

Thank you

i was vegan for many years, and will probably go back to vegan.

 

i never used a cookbook or the weird, expensive hipster ingredients.

 

i know a lot of items often used in vegan cuisine that are frankly way more unhealthy than gobbling down meat-dairy-eggs, but i suppose for those who are vegan purely for moral/religious reasons that is fine with them.

 

i did try every spice on the spice rack my supermarket has to offer and that was a very good idea.

 

creativity was key to me, as well imagining how different tastes and textures would work together before trying- i seemed to have anticipated the results correctly.

 

again, sorry i don't have actual book recommendations (you could try pinterest?), but would encourage you to bravely try things out- lentil "meat balls", eggplant "goulash", barley-stuffed peppers...it is a lot easier and tastier than most people realize!

oh and mediterranean recipes often don't place a huge emphasis on animal-derived ingredients and you can just follow the usual recipe minus all things animal-derived.

 

be sure to supplement b12 and similar, as you will get none if you go completely vegan (unless maybe if you buy b12 fortified products, such as vegan milks).

I use a ton of recipes from Thug Kitchen...they have a lot available online free I haven't bought their book yet. I probably will though one day. Idk if they fit your categories though, I've been vegan/vegetarian for over 20 years so nothing in there seems weird or expensive to me (because buying meat and cheese is expensive).

 

I really like oh she glows as well...she has a blog / as well as cook books. I've used a ton of her free recipes.

 

I don't think good vegan food can be thrown together as quickly as a meat and veggie meal can be. I have a family (with a meat eating husband/daughter- so I have to make our meals just as appetizing as if there's meat or they'll start a mutiny ), so I'm generally prepared to spend time making dishes...and they're so worth it. If it's a dish I know we like, I double it and freeze the second batch. We eat leftovers for lunches. I've found since we started meal planning, we've been saving a lot of money. We throw out a lot less than we used to...it just takes a bit of time every week. I spend a ton of time on Pinterest saving recipes.

 

If you're hosting and want an awesome meal (and don't mind spending an hour cooking) this is magic. I make it weekly

 

Good luck. Hope those sites helped a bit, sorry if they don't.

Thank you

 

For both of you and anyone else that may reply, do you feel that a meat free diet has been beneficial/more healthy? and if so it would motivate me to hear a couple of examples.

 

I have heard of Thug kitchen faraday, I will look into it more.

 

I do batch cooking. I usually cook one meal I eat for 3 days, I don't have family or anyone else to feed so this is for my lunch at work.

I wish I could find the pleasure in cooking and experimenting, in seeing this as 'nurturing my body'. But most of the times I'd rather be doing something else. I think...it's only gonna become poo so why spend an hour on it, it's weird I feel that.

But this is part of my weight loss journey now too, to understand my body and my feelings around it - I think it will begin a more long term change.

 

Good suggestions RainyCoast, they feel manageable. I am from a mediterranean country so meals with pulses feel quite natural, I can invest in that more to start with and maybe add recipes as I go along. Maybe what I can do with spices is research a link of what goes with what..?

I am from a mediterranean country

awesome, does summer savory grow nearby? i foraged tons and used it a lot. local thyme too. safflower was great in veggie dishes and soups- i have always tried to decipher what my italian grandma used in her dishes that gave them that certain aroma, so when i tried safflower by chance, i was very happy to rediscover the taste of childhood.

 

vegan worked great for me, but i have an unusual combination of medical conditions that gradually lead to an intolerance to most animal foods. my health has improved considerably so i tried those foods again, and it seems i still do better without, or with very little of them. i also avoided highly processed foods, which was very very helpful. yeast extract, "smokey" aromas and vegan salamisticks weren't on my menu.

 

i supplemented b12, occasionally omega3s and vitamin d. i did get checked for deficiencies frequently and didn't have any that weren't directly linked to my disease (as opposed to diet). my bloodwork was very, very good in my vegan years, and my inflammation markers considerably lower than otherwise, which was a huge plus for me. my teeth were great then. now, suddenly, they are not.

 

what *might* be pricey is if you, in time, decide to buy equipment. i missed having a good food processor that would finely powder things or allow me to cream sesame seeds for example, or rice for homemade rice milk (store bought plant milks would get expensive if bought regularly). i mean, it wasn't a huge problem, but it would've been handy. not sure what an appliance that does that would be called, but vegan bloggers would mention it for sure.

 

i have a cheap toaster with grill plates (not the toaster that pops bread up vertically) and it was great for quickly "barbecuing" my zucchini or aubergines for sides and sandwiches. (on sandwiches: some sauces and salad dressings for vegans can be made thicker and used as spreads, so your sandwiches don't get dull).

 

if you just want a cleaner, lighter diet but are intimidated by veganism, you can always try the gradual route and keep some animal foods like egg whites or mozzarella or even poultry or whatever you find is difficult to replace with plant foods.

That's great, you are making it sound very manageable!

 

I am from mediterranean Europe but live in the UK, some of those produces are available fresh in turkish shops here. I recognise some.

 

I like the idea of the food processor - I suspect it would help me if I want to do balls from lentils etc. I have thought of the stripey toaster before for the same reasons of grilling, I think this one would be a good purchase! I suspect I could cook anything there.

 

In terms of milk alternatives, I am used to almond milk and soya milk so that's ok, I spend on that.

 

Maybe I won't buy meat and see how much more I am spending.

 

I have never taken vitamins and supplements, perhaps I could start a more vegan diet as you suggest and have some tests and see how I am health wise.

 

Were you slimmer whilst vegan? Though I understand for you the veganism was for health reasons.

 

Do you know why smokey products are bad? I used to eat smoked bacon without fat when I was on weight watchers, it was very low calories but I think it's bad for us.

To make nut milk, just soak nuts, blitz them (blender, food processor or immersion blender) and then strain through cheese cloth. I used to make it all the time.

 

I'm more vegetarian than vegan- I just try to eat more vegan.

 

I'm overweight...pretty much always have been. I have PCOS, so that might be part of it. Despite that, my blood work is perfect. I've never had a vitamin deficiency...my doctor has been pretty impressed actually. Just look for things that are fortified with b12...and do put in extra mind to getting more calcium. There is calcium in broccoli and Bok Chou (etc) but you have to eat a lot of it to get a serving...and we need calcium.

 

I think it's actually a lot easier to have a healthy balanced diet eating meat...it's a lot more work when you start cutting out food groups...but I've always felt weird about eating meat, so I can't seem to make a balanced diet including it....so we don't buy meat for home and I'll just have steak or salmon once a month (usually when we go out for dinner and the veggie option is dismal).

 

I've been eating like this for so long that I don't even think about it. I don't find it complicated. I make my own veggie burgers all the time (with beets, quinoa, nuts and seeds, spices and a binder- if you'd like the recipe I can send you the link).

 

Every time anyone comes for dinner or stays with us for a week, they all comment on how healthy we eat...so many veggies. We hit the food guid target no problem every day. We eat tons of beans...I'm not as good on the whole grains because I make most of our own bread (and I have a love affair with sour dough lol).

 

I do eat some processed foods. I buy field roast sausages. They're made mostly from grains...and they taste amazing. I crumble them into pasta sauces, casseroles, enchiladas etc. They're just a quick way to add a ton of flavour. They're kind of pricey though...but I rarely just eat them- they get put into things that make several meals, so I can justify the expense.

 

It takes a while but you'll find short cuts and ways to make it work for you.

 

If you keep your meals centred around a variety of seasonal veggies, you'll be able to keep it cost efficient and low fat.

 

There are so many websites that have helpful info...I google a lot when I'm cooking. If I don't know what a spice is, I google it (because usually it's a blend, and there's a recipe, like garam marsala etc), or "what can I use instead of eggs as a binder?"...it's amazing the resources out there. Anything you want to make has already been done- you just have to find it.

Were you slimmer whilst vegan? Though I understand for you the veganism was for health reasons.

i actually was! though i am quite petite naturally, but somehow i didn't have to watch my weight ever while vegan- i suspect it was also because snacks were rare (processed). i have gained a little since i changed my diet, but i ate pretty much everything and anything for a year, junk food included.

 

the smokey flavoring i don't think is bad per se, some manufacturers just add things to it, thus i avoided flavorings (didn't really miss it tbh). i suppose you could find one that is only liquid smoke and water though, might add an interesting twist to meals.

 

if you come across recipes requiring egg supplements- i have often skipped the more expensive chia seeds and used linseed with good effects. for sweets (cake, pancakes etc), bananas also work.

 

it was very manageable. there wasn't so much hype about alternative foods those days, so i guess i wasn't intimidated by that. when in doubt, use eggplant and millet lol.

I like "NYC vegan". It's filled recipes that are simple and then recipes that are time consuming. All of the recipes are NYC classics, but vegan.

I always get confused between vegan and vegetarian but I purchased this book last year as like you, I wanted simple easy recipes that didn't take much time. And didn't break the bank. What could be easier than five ingredients?!

 

"The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet," by Nava Atlas.

 

I've made lots of yummy stuff, you can improvise too, I always do!

I always get confused between vegan and vegetarian but I purchased this book last year as like you, I wanted simple easy recipes that didn't take much time. And didn't break the bank. What could be easier than five ingredients?!

 

"The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet," by Nava Atlas.

 

I've made lots of yummy stuff, you can improvise too, I always do!

 

Vegetarian means eating "nothing with a face or a mother" but dairy is okay, and some vegetarians eat eggs.

 

Vegan means "nothing with a face or mother or made/produced by animals"...so no dairy, no eggs...some vegans go as far as not eating honey. "No exploitation of animals"

I really like Isa Chandra Moskowitz's books. I eat everything, but the bf doesn't eat meat and is lactose intolerant - I've found a lot of great recipes and inspiration from her. And I think I've perfected vegan baking ☺️ - ok, not the healthiest there, but everyone likes treats now and then , and so many vegan treats were not good IMHO but hers are.

Vegetarian means eating "nothing with a face or a mother" but dairy is okay, and some vegetarians eat eggs.

 

Vegan means "nothing with a face or mother or made/produced by animals"...so no dairy, no eggs...some vegans go as far as not eating honey. "No exploitation of animals"

 

Thanks faraday! I thought that might be the case but wasn't sure. I suppose I could have googled but you saved me the trouble!

 

Anyway, in that case, if a recipe calls for dairy she could substitute it for something soy-based.

 

Not many do though.

The McDougall newsletter online has a lot of good starch-based, no oil recipes. Also there is a Forks Over Knives app you can download for free. The Engine 2 Diet has a lot of good recipes.

 

I've gone (mostly) vegan and follow Dr. McDougall's ("The Starch Solution) recommendations. He doesn't allow any oil, either, and limits nuts, seeds, and avocados. I do it for health reasons primarily aand have gotten great results.