Everyday Vegan: 300 Recipes for Healthful Eating

I use this cookbook as frequently as I do better-known greats such as The Veganomicon and The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. I love that Atchison is devoted to truly healthful cooking, not just any old vegan cooking. I also love that she creatively combines ingredients without making them unnecessarily long or complicated. For example, in her Rosemary Tofu Saute, she has the reader cook the kale in the same pan as the tofu, after the tofu has been placed on the platter. The hot kale is then placed on top of the tofu, and voila - dinner! I was especially pleased that this one wowed a table full of people who normally eat meat. One reviewer was upset because Atchison favors a particular brand of veggie broth. You can just use a different brand, for goodness' sake. Atchison is all about health and flavor, and yes, she does have particular preferences at times, but give yourself permission to be flexible. Like many other cookbooks, this one consistently call for Braggs' Liquid Aminos, and I consistently use ordinary shoyu, instead. It hasn't caused me any problems. This is an extremely well-written cookbook.

I received this book as an early Christmas present. I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it at first since I've not been too happy with many vegan books, but this one now has a permanent spot on my bookshelf. I will be referring back to this book many times in the future. My family made the decision to go vegan about 18 months ago for health reasons. It's been one of the best decisions we ever made. Some of the information contained in the first 70 pages of this book has encouraged me to make even more mindful decisions about what my family is eating. Just because a food can be categorized as vegan, doesn't make it healthy. I'd even share this book with non-vegan friends. Unlike one critic, I didn't find the tone of Jeani-Rose to be too preachy. She seems very down to earth and this book is an extremely pleasant read. There's a lot of information here that would be beneficial to people who don't even want to eat vegetarian dishes. I haven't had the opportunity to finish looking at all of the recipes, but I've skimmed through some. I will agree that a few of the ingredients will not be available at your local supermarket, but don't give up. I've seen many of these ingredients at the local health food store in my small town. If your looking for a good book for yourself, or for a friend, don't pass this one up.

Compiled by an expert health and cooking counselor Jeani-Rose Atchison, Everyday Vegan: 300 Recipes For Healthful Eating is a high-spirited, healthy-living cookbook featuring meat and animal-product free recipes for all occasions, and much more - facts concerning food groups, advice concerning the deleterious effects of pesticides, genetically engineered, and irradiated foods, and food philosophy. Recipes include mouth-watering dishes such as Gingered Butternut Squash Soup, Asparagus Flan, Lettuce-Wrapped Tempeh Meatballs, and so many more. A first-rate resource for creative and health-conscious vegan chefs.

Jeani-Rose Atchison, author of Everyday Vegan, walks the walk. She grew up on a typical American diet as most of us did: "with no thought of nurturing, just the primitve notion of survival." This continued into her early thirties when she learned that she had compromised liver and kidney function. When she eliminated certain foods such as meat, dairy, and refined foods, she witnessed dramatic results: her body felt more relaxed, she moved easier, her joints were not stiff, and her breathing improved. Yes, this is a vegan cookbook, but more importantly, the first 70 pages are devoted to chapters on Conscious Living, Thinking of Children, Food Group Facts, and Food Philosophy. Attention is called to organic food and genetically engineered food, with case studies about the use of pesticides and children.Recipe categories include appetizers/dips/spreads, condiments, soups, salads/dressings, breads, side dishes, entrees, desserts, and beverages. Instructions are given on how to sprout, and how to make tempeh. Winning recipes include Cashew French Toast, Asian Spring Rolls with a tamari/lime dipping sauce, and Carrot Cake that uses fruit as a sweetener. Everyday Vegan provides invaluable information, not just for those starting out on a vegetarian path, but for all health conscious individuals.

This book really changed my life. It is written in more of a casual format, but its content is very good. It contains a great deal of diet guidelines, as well as a number of very good vegan whole-natural-food recipies. I own a number of vegan cookbooks but this is the one that I go to 90% of the time. In addition, following this book, I've lost about 50 pounds!