Cookbook Recommendations

[elsie3]

Could you fabulous people recommend some cookbooks? I am looking for something featuring "clean" eating, not necessarily vegetarian but stressing plant based foods, basic ingredients that I can buy locally that don't cost too much, and family-friendly. How's that for a wish list?

Thanks for your suggestions and ideas.

[owltx]

I am going to recommend two vegetarian cookbooks, because that is what I use the most, so they may not have all you need but definitely fit the plant-based option, as well as clean eating since they emphasize whole ingredients.

The first is "Passionate Vegetarian" by Crescent Dragonwagon. I love this cookbook; almost every recipe turns out great, she really focuses on whole foods, whole grains and low-fat without overtly stating that on every recipe. My husband and toddler both have favorites from this cookbook. Her stuffed tomatoes are wonderful, and there is the best & easiest black bean soup ever.

The second is "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" by Robin Robertson. I know, I know, we typically think of slow cookers as anything but clean eating but she really does a great job of innovating slow cooker recipe ideas. Her two mushroom barley soup & Mediterranean stew are two household favorites.

FWIW, one thing I do when trying out new cookbooks is check them out from the library first, if you have that option. That way you can try out a couple of recipes and see how they appeal to you & your family personally before making the big purchase. Good luck!

-Stephanie

[NY25]

Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley is great. Has one of the best soup recipes ever! Was one of the top veg chefs in New York before turning to teaching.
I also actually like If It Makes You Healthy, from Sheryl Crow. It's quite good and has a balance of vegetarian and non-vegitarian recipes. It's all based on her post-cancer, cleaned-up diet.

[MKEMom]

For my day-to-day cooking, I'm currently enjoying the new Eating Well "meatless" cookbook (can't remember the actual title). Eating Well generally uses "clean" principles in all their books, and I would recommend any of them.

I also enjoy the Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks. They are pescetarian, since they include fish recipes, but no other meat. Most of the pasta recipes assume white pasta & rice, but you can always use whatever kind you like. Other than that, their books are very "clean" and use mostly everyday ingredients. My favorite is their Simple Suppers book. I cook out of it at least twice per week.

[elsie3]

Thank you for the recommendations, I really appreciate it. They're exactly what I am looking for.

Our library is fairly limited, but I'll give it a try. I've got two Tosca Reno cookbooks on hold, but from the reviews it sounds like her recipes are fairly complicated and use exotic/expensive ingredients. I'm a decent cook, but I don't like to spend a lot of time cooking, and ingredients need to be budget friendly.

[elsie3]

Originally Posted by owltx

The first is "Passionate Vegetarian" by Crescent Dragonwagon.
FWIW, one thing I do when trying out new cookbooks is check them out from the library first, if you have that option. That way you can try out a couple of recipes and see how they appeal to you & your family personally before making the big purchase. Good luck!

-Stephanie

Amazingly, my library system had this one. I'm excited to get it. Sadly, they didn't have the other recommendations, but they did have a couple of EatingWell books.

I don't know if this one is any good, but it described me perfectly: "Almost vegetarian : a primer for cooks who are eating vegetarian most of the time, chicken & fish some of the time & altogether well all of the time."

Thanks again,

[owltx]

Score, I am glad your library had Dragonwagon. It is a huge book, so it can look overwhelming. Hopefully you will find a couple of recipes in there that suit you. Some of hers can look complicated simply because her ingredients lists look long - but a lot of that is often just different veggies or herbs (which I usually just make easier by choosing only one herb or none fresh and subbing in Mrs. Dash for the rest). One thing she calls for fairly often is nutritional yeast, which I would say is well worth seeking out if you don't currently use it. Bulk sections of stores often have it, or the health sections (sometimes with the vitamins). It adds a B12 vitamin, but, more importantly to me, gives a nice savory taste to many veggies soups & sauces.

Try Tofu Cream of Fresh Herbs and New Potato Soup. I use a stick blender to make things easier, and skip the plum paste altogether. The Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Green Chile, Corn and Hominy are wonderful too. Hippie Rice is usually a crowd pleaser and loaded w/veggies. The Eternal Soup is the black bean one.

[elsie3]

Originally Posted by owltx

Score, I am glad your library had Dragonwagon. It is a huge book, so it can look overwhelming. Hopefully you will find a couple of recipes in there that suit you. Some of hers can look complicated simply because her ingredients lists look long - but a lot of that is often just different veggies or herbs (which I usually just make easier by choosing only one herb or none fresh and subbing in Mrs. Dash for the rest). One thing she calls for fairly often is nutritional yeast, which I would say is well worth seeking out if you don't currently use it. Bulk sections of stores often have it, or the health sections (sometimes with the vitamins). It adds a B12 vitamin, but, more importantly to me, gives a nice savory taste to many veggies soups & sauces.

Try Tofu Cream of Fresh Herbs and New Potato Soup. I use a stick blender to make things easier, and skip the plum paste altogether. The Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Green Chile, Corn and Hominy are wonderful too. Hippie Rice is usually a crowd pleaser and loaded w/veggies. The Eternal Soup is the black bean one.

Yum! I can't wait to try these. And I do know where to find some nutritional yeast, so we're good to go.

Thanks again!!!!!

[parvez]

Please tell me about Cookbook.

[momto4]

I like Jamie Oliver's cookbooks. While not everything in them would be calssified as "healthy" I find them very stragiht forward, simple, and many recipes have only a handful of ingredients. They are quick and delicious.