5 Great Vegan Cookbooks

I ate vegan from 1999 to 2009 and dabble in the overall vegan life-style.  However, I started to add meat back to my diet when I was pregnant with my first child, Brian.  When he was in my belly, he refused to let me eat fruits and vegetables!  My husband, concerned for the health of our unborn child, convinced me to eat some meat.  It wasn't really that hard, because Brian was screaming for a cheeseburger when he was in my belly!

However, now as I sit here, too scared to call my doctor about the additional tests I need for the asymmetrical mass in my breast, I realized that I would feel better about myself and my health, if I returned to a vegan diet.

Thankfully, I still have all of my vegan cookbooks.  Some are decades or two decades old and some I've bought recently.  Even as a meat-eater, I bought vegan cookbooks, because I believe, it is where you can find the most creative, heathy and yummy vegetable dishes.

Here is a list of my favorite cook books and why:

1. Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen, by Kathy Patalsky
2. Vegan 101, by Engel & Bell
3. More Quick-Fix Vegan by Robin Robertson
4. But I Could Never Go Vegan!, by Kristy Turner
5. Candle 79, by Pierson, Ramos, & Pineda

Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen is my favorite, or at least the book I turn to most often to make dinner for our family.  The recipes are incredibly yummy, which is probably a given since it is my number one choice.  However, I also really like the guides that are included to help you make your kitchen vegan-friendly.  There are types for staples that you should have in your kitchen as well as way to turn meat-based meals into vegan meals.  Make sure you try out the Ultra Creamy Cashew Veggie Pot Pie!

Vegan 101 is my number two book.  It has basic recipes that make going vegan very easy.  This is another cookbook that I turn to regularly to make easy and delicious vegan meals.  However, call me lazy, but I'm not about to make Quick and Easy Red Bean Veggie Burgers when I can buy something similar at the store.  However, its German Chocolate Hand Pies is something that my kids beg me to make all the time!

More Quick-Fix Vegan: Simple, Delicious Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less  You need to try Bahn-Mi Noodles.  Yummy!  I made the noodles during the week when I'm often tight on time.  Not only was it easy to make, but my four children loved it as well.   I really liked that I had most of the ingredients in the house already, which is true of most of the meals in the book.  Robin Robertson has a bunch of cookbooks, so if you love this one be sure to check the other ones out too!

But I Could Never Go Vegan! For me, this book highlights all the wonderful things you can do with nuts.  My two favorite recipes in this book are the Bacon Mac n Cheese with Pecan Parmesan and the Carrot Cashew Pate.  I found them to be rather unique recipes that I did not find elsewhere.  Again, this is more of an everyday type of cookbook, but then again, the two recipes I mentioned above will surely impress meat-eaters and vegans alike!

Candle 79 I used to live in New York City.  In fact, I lived there for 11 years and was vegan for all by the last year I lived there.  I miss the city, but at least I can replicate some of the delicious food I ordered at Candle 79.  These cookbook brings back so many wonderful memories...ah...  The recipes in this book are elegant and time consuming to make.  However, I do bust it out often to look at the pictures and dream about making all the recipes.  My favorite special dishes to make are the Ginger-Seitan Dumplins and he Chocolate Mousse Toweres.

There are hundreds and hundreds of vegan cookbooks.  You really can't go wrong with any of them.  My favorites might not be your favorites.  I'd love to hear about your favorite cookbooks and why you love them so much!