Book Reviews
5-Ingredient Vegan
By Nava Atlas
Nava Atlas is a talented writer and artist. Her latest cookbook contains 175 vegan recipes made with few ingredients and that generally can be prepared in little time.
First off are appetizers and snacks, including Baked Polenta Fries, Sriracha-Lemon Chickpeas, Creamy Artichoke Dips, and more. Next, you'll find soups such as Indian-Spiced Cauliflower & Red Bean, and Udon Noodle.
The salad chapter features a variety of salads and dressings, including Italian Tomato & Bread Salad, Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Blueberries, Two-Bean Salad, Vegan French Dressing, and Green Goddess Dressing. If you're looking for some hardy dishes, check out the tofu, tempeh, and seitan section. Here you'll discover dishes such as Orange-Glazed Tofu, Peanut Satay Tofu Triangles, Seitan Peppersteak, Roasted BBQ Tempeh & Vegetables, and Seitan & Vegan Sausage with Greens.
Are you searching for new pasta and noodle entrées? Look no further! This book provides recipes for Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, Mac & Cheese with Secret Cauliflower Sauce, Mushroom Pasta Paprikash, and many other creative meals.
We're supposed to eat a wide variety of grains and beans. Be sure to try recipes for Garlic-Herb Beans, Chickpea Masala, Salsa Verde Quinoa, Farro with Mushrooms & Carrots, plus more. If you're searching for creative ideas for dishes featuring vegetables, you may want to cook Smashed Pizza Potatoes, Red Curry Cauliflower, Tahini-Lemon Greens, Coconut Creamed Corn, or Spicy Sesame Broccoli.
Another chapter features wraps and sandwiches such as Lentil Sloppy Joes, Portobello & Coleslaw Wraps, and Spinach & Bell Pepper Quesadillas. Finally, you don't want to miss the dessert section, which includes Crunchy Granola-Peanut Butter Truffles, Skillet Blueberry Crumble, Mocha-Banana Ice Cream, and Maple-Glazed Pineapple, along with many other delicious treats.
5-Ingredient Vegan (ISBN 978-1-4549-3355-7) is a 240-page book. It is published by Sterling Epicure and retails for $24.95. You can purchase this book online, for Kindle, or from your local bookseller.
Reviewed by Debra Wasserman
Plant-Based Sports Nutrition
By D. Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RDN, and Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RDN
Thirteen years ago, Vegetarian Sports Nutrition, by Enette Larson-Meyer, was a ground-breaking book about sports nutrition for vegetarians. Now, Dr. Larson-Meyer has teamed up with Matt Ruscigno, a vegan registered dietitian, to update Vegetarian Sports Nutrition, newly titled Plant-Based Sports Nutrition.
The authors provide a comprehensive review of sports nutrition topics including building muscle without meat, determining the right amount of carbohydrate and fat, promoting bone health, reducing muscle cramps, managing weight, and choosing food and fluids before, during, and after events. Each topic includes a summary of the latest research as well as practical information. The book ends with a collection of flexible recipes that provide lots of choices for busy athletes.
This extensively updated book should be required reading for athletes of all abilities whether vegan, vegetarian, or considering being vegan or vegetarian. Actually, all athletes looking for peak performance could benefit from it.
As the authors say, "Although our knowledge is far from complete regarding the benefits of vegetarian eating on the health and performance of athletes, it is clear that athletes at all levels can gain an advantage from following a plant-based diet [an eating pattern that is heavily or exclusively based on plant foods]." Plant-Based Sports Nutrition could also serve as a great resource for coaches, dietitians, and trainers who work with vegetarian athletes.
The book's tone is positive and factual. I remember giving the earlier edition to a cross-country coach who wanted information about vegan diets for athletes and his delight with the detailed look at the unique needs of athletes. I think he would respond with even greater interest to this book.
Plant-Based Sports Nutrition (ISBN: 978-1-4925-6864-3) is published by Human Kinetics. It has 334 pages and retails for $24.95. Look for this book in your local bookstore; it is also available online and on Kindle.
Reviewed by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Happy Animals: Friends Not Food
By Liora Raphael and Glenn Saks
Young kids will better understand in a positive way why they are being raised vegan after reading this book. They will clearly see why it's wrong to eat animals and why animals deserve respect. Susan Szecsi's beautiful illustrations greatly add charm to this hardcover book. which is also available on Kindle.
Happy Animals: Friends Not Food (ISBN: 978-1-940184-57-9) is a 32-page book. It is published by Vegan Publishers and retails for $17.99.
Reviewed by Debra Wasserman
The Colorful Family Table
By Ilene Godofsky Moreno
This vegan cookbook serves up seasonal recipes for the entire family. First up are Fall dishes such as Loaded Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes, Cauli-Broc Tots, Kabocha Squash & Lentil Stew, and Rocky Road Sweet Potato Pie.
Winter recipes highlighted include Gingerbread Granola, Easy Skillet Hash, Jackfruit Reuben, Chickpea Meatloaf Burgers, and Brownie Blizzard Balls. Move on to the Spring section, and you'll find Overnight Strawberry French Toast Casserole, Roasted Garlic Pesto, Crispy Baked Onion Rings, Chickpea-Artichoke "Crab" Cakes, Vegan Quiche, and Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp.
The Summer chapter features Blueberry Quinoa Cornbread Muffins, Grilled Stone Fruit Bruschetta, BBQ Lentil Burgers, Tempeh Tacos with Peach Salsa, Chocolate-Cherry Tahini Cookies, and Blueberry Cheesecake Bites. Finally, you'll find a section on Kitchen Staples, and gorgeous photos.
The Colorful Family Table (ISBN: 978-1-948836-47-0) is a 256-page book. It is published by BenBella Books, Inc., and retails for $19.95.
Reviewed by Debra Wasserman
Vegetable Kingdom
By Bryant Terry
Bryant Terry is a vegan food justice activist and James Beard Award-winning chef. His latest cookbook has 100 recipes focusing on vegetables, grains, and legumes.
Dishes are organized by vegetable type. For example, fennel recipes include Dill-Pickled Fennel; Fennel and Citrus Salad; and Chickpeas, Fennel, and Potatoes. Another featured vegetable is kohlrabi with options like Apple and Kohlrabi Coleslaw, Kohlrabi Kimchi, Kohlrabi and Carrots, and Whole Charcoal-Roasted Kohlrabi. And of course, dark leafy greens are highlighted in the recipes for Jerk Tofu Wrapped in Collard Leaves, as well as Slow-Cooked Collards.
In this day and age, it's so nice to find a vegan cookbook focusing on the foods we should all be eating! Enjoy the gorgeous photos and start cooking!
Vegetable Kingdom (ISBN: 978-0-399-58104-5) is a 249-page hardcover book. It is published by Ten Speed Press and retails for $30.00. Also available on Kindle.
Reviewed by Debra Wasserman
