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The Part-Time Vegan: 201 Yummy Recipes that Put the Fun in Flexitarian
• Adopt "Meatless Mondays"
Scramble tofu for brunch
Eat more beans--and less beef . . .
. . . or not. It's all good, according to Cherise Grifoni, your fearless guide to the seemingly complex world of no-meat, no-eggs, no-dairy. In this guilt-free cookbook, you'll discover how to go vegan without feeling any pressure whatsoever. But a warning: the mouthwatering recipes may have you transitioning to full-time much sooner than you anticipated!
Honestly, what's not to love when you're eating:
Purely Vegan Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
Lean, Mean, Black Bean Guacamole
Very Vegan Potato Pesto Salad
Spicy Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasted-Garlic Mashed Taters
Spanish Artichoke and Zucchini Paella
Barley Pilaf with Edamame and Roasted Red Pepper
No matter why you want to go vegan--whether it's for health, the planet, or some other worthy reason--this cookbook makes sure you have fun in the process!
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2011
4 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 14, 2011
So I'm still enjoying this book but have noticed a few things about it that I didn't at first:
1. The author is still in college. More power to her but also explains a lot about the book!
2. There are no pictures of any of the completed dishes. Maybe keeps costs down but it's nice to have visuals.
3. A lot of the dishes turn out too dry because there's no fat in them. Vegan food tastes a lot better with at least some fat. So I've been modifying as needed.
4. I like that her ingredients are simple and usually stuff I already have in my kitchen but she almost makes things too simple, relying very heavily on onion and garlic powder. I like using the real thing. But again, I modified.
Overall, still a good, solid cookbook with a lot of variety, good/creative ideas, and tasty flavors. And you can't beat sarcasm.
Update: very nice and easy vegan pesto which I think I liked even more than pesto w/cheese. Light and lemony.
There are more recipes in here I'd like to try!
1. The author is still in college. More power to her but also explains a lot about the book!
2. There are no pictures of any of the completed dishes. Maybe keeps costs down but it's nice to have visuals.
3. A lot of the dishes turn out too dry because there's no fat in them. Vegan food tastes a lot better with at least some fat. So I've been modifying as needed.
4. I like that her ingredients are simple and usually stuff I already have in my kitchen but she almost makes things too simple, relying very heavily on onion and garlic powder. I like using the real thing. But again, I modified.
Overall, still a good, solid cookbook with a lot of variety, good/creative ideas, and tasty flavors. And you can't beat sarcasm.
Update: very nice and easy vegan pesto which I think I liked even more than pesto w/cheese. Light and lemony.
There are more recipes in here I'd like to try!
August 21, 2024
How the author, editor, publisher, distributors and book cover designer managed to skip the meaning of the word vegan and publish this is beyond belief.
Vegan, a term coined in 1944 when the ethical belief system that is centred on not harming, exploiting or killing animals was defined, is clearly explained in all English dictionaries and on the Vegan Society website.
It does not mean a diet, that is a plant-based diet. All vegans do eat plant based food but not all plant-based eaters are vegan.
Veganism is a protected belief system. Akin to Christianity.
Now imagine I write a book on being a part time Christian. What would these would be Christians do the rest of the week, pray tell me?
I could title it similarly with Christian in the title and then add a chapter on how to install an altar in the corner of the church for sacrificing victims for Satanism?
Victims are killed for meat and dairy. Vegans do not change their beliefs on a Monday to get some taste pleasure and indulge their desires to wear leather then go back to believing that sentient animals with emotions just like ours and desires and pain receptors should be spared the slaughterhouse.
This book is an offensive contradiction. This book should not have even been self published.
Vegan, a term coined in 1944 when the ethical belief system that is centred on not harming, exploiting or killing animals was defined, is clearly explained in all English dictionaries and on the Vegan Society website.
It does not mean a diet, that is a plant-based diet. All vegans do eat plant based food but not all plant-based eaters are vegan.
Veganism is a protected belief system. Akin to Christianity.
Now imagine I write a book on being a part time Christian. What would these would be Christians do the rest of the week, pray tell me?
I could title it similarly with Christian in the title and then add a chapter on how to install an altar in the corner of the church for sacrificing victims for Satanism?
Victims are killed for meat and dairy. Vegans do not change their beliefs on a Monday to get some taste pleasure and indulge their desires to wear leather then go back to believing that sentient animals with emotions just like ours and desires and pain receptors should be spared the slaughterhouse.
This book is an offensive contradiction. This book should not have even been self published.
December 27, 2015
Everyone's reviews are all over the map, because there are great things about this cookbook and some bad things. In fact, I like this cookbook better than I rated it, but I had to knock down a star in recognition of others.
What is great about this cookbook is that it sticks with just the vegan basics (sorry for those who think these ingredients are weird, but I went page by page and you really have to learn all of these to get along in the vegan world). There are some recipes that use prepared food for the lazy/busy, but most of the recipes are simple and clean eating (which is great for me because I hate processed food, but I hate the fake meat and fake cheese even more - I am convinced only true vegans like that stuff, because they forget what the real stuff tastes like). The recipes are also fairly cheap, most of them, so it is good for students or others on a tight budget.
And, oh yeah, the recipes are good!
Now a lot of people comment on the lack of photos in this cookbook. I am used to it: it used to be very rare that vegan cookbooks had photos (most of the classics don't), I suspect because the audience was small so the printing had to be cheap. That's not the real problem with this cookbook.
I suspect the author, having been vegetarian since she was young and vegan for years, is so used to this, she forgets how to explain this to beginners. If you are calling it "part time vegan," you are going to be attracting the non-vegan audience. It is not enough to state briefly that you can substitute non-vegan ingredients into the recipes (which, from reading the reviews, I think people miss) unless you explain the ingredients so people know what they do!
Here's a primer:
SOY: Whether it is tofu, Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), (fermented) tempeh, it's all soy. Most of the time, it replaces meat, but your silken tofu can replace some dairy products. While you can sometimes switch out these for what you are replacing in the first place, it changes the cooking time and varies by recipe so this is a more advanced cooking skill.
SEITAN: An alternative to soy, this is a wheat product that is 75% protein. Once again, animal protein is what it is meant to replace, but replacing it with something else is an advanced skill as it can vary by recipe.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Whether it is soy, almond, rice, oat, whatever your preference, non-cow's milk drinkers all say the same thing: you might buy a sweetened or flavoured milk to drink, but always buy unsweetened and unflavoured for cooking (95% of the time, that's the same for baking too). Usually you can buy the alternative of your preference, as usually you can interchange them in recipes with little consequence to taste, since it is usually lost amongst the other ingredients. If using cow's milk, substitute skim or at least low fat.
VEGAN MARGARINE: An easy substitute that anyone can figure: whatever margarine you have or butter. The one thing the book gets wrong, which may be due to the time it was written or the region she was shopping in, you can no longer assume most margarines are vegan; manufacturers are using modified milk ingredients in margarines, likely for cheapness or buttery flavour. The best lists of ingredients to avoid are those for milk allergy sufferers; if you don't have time to read the ingredient list, look for the obvious "vegan" or the less obvious "all plant-based ingredients."
NUTRITIONAL YEAST/FLAKES: Nutrition is a high priority for this ingredient, as these yellow flakes give vegans (and vegetarians) a non-animal source of the all-important B12, which some vegans can be missing if not controlling in their diet (or anyone who drinks too much). Often described by vegans as having a cheesy Parmesan-like taste by vegans, non-vegans will tell you it does not... But it does have that umami flavour Parmesan is famous for, just not the entire beauty of Parmesan! So you can substitute Parmesan or your favourite umami paste but, better yet, buy some and start adding it to your dishes: sprinkle on popcorn or eggs, pair with tomatoes or tomato sauces, stir into soups... Anywhere you would use Parmesan, add some nutritional flakes too!
I found this book on super-sale. If you can get it for sale, and you know a little bit about your ingredients, or at least are willing to just try these ingredients to explore, I say it is worth a buy. If you aren't willing to try new food, just eat a salad and save yourself the heartache.
What is great about this cookbook is that it sticks with just the vegan basics (sorry for those who think these ingredients are weird, but I went page by page and you really have to learn all of these to get along in the vegan world). There are some recipes that use prepared food for the lazy/busy, but most of the recipes are simple and clean eating (which is great for me because I hate processed food, but I hate the fake meat and fake cheese even more - I am convinced only true vegans like that stuff, because they forget what the real stuff tastes like). The recipes are also fairly cheap, most of them, so it is good for students or others on a tight budget.
And, oh yeah, the recipes are good!
Now a lot of people comment on the lack of photos in this cookbook. I am used to it: it used to be very rare that vegan cookbooks had photos (most of the classics don't), I suspect because the audience was small so the printing had to be cheap. That's not the real problem with this cookbook.
I suspect the author, having been vegetarian since she was young and vegan for years, is so used to this, she forgets how to explain this to beginners. If you are calling it "part time vegan," you are going to be attracting the non-vegan audience. It is not enough to state briefly that you can substitute non-vegan ingredients into the recipes (which, from reading the reviews, I think people miss) unless you explain the ingredients so people know what they do!
Here's a primer:
SOY: Whether it is tofu, Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), (fermented) tempeh, it's all soy. Most of the time, it replaces meat, but your silken tofu can replace some dairy products. While you can sometimes switch out these for what you are replacing in the first place, it changes the cooking time and varies by recipe so this is a more advanced cooking skill.
SEITAN: An alternative to soy, this is a wheat product that is 75% protein. Once again, animal protein is what it is meant to replace, but replacing it with something else is an advanced skill as it can vary by recipe.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Whether it is soy, almond, rice, oat, whatever your preference, non-cow's milk drinkers all say the same thing: you might buy a sweetened or flavoured milk to drink, but always buy unsweetened and unflavoured for cooking (95% of the time, that's the same for baking too). Usually you can buy the alternative of your preference, as usually you can interchange them in recipes with little consequence to taste, since it is usually lost amongst the other ingredients. If using cow's milk, substitute skim or at least low fat.
VEGAN MARGARINE: An easy substitute that anyone can figure: whatever margarine you have or butter. The one thing the book gets wrong, which may be due to the time it was written or the region she was shopping in, you can no longer assume most margarines are vegan; manufacturers are using modified milk ingredients in margarines, likely for cheapness or buttery flavour. The best lists of ingredients to avoid are those for milk allergy sufferers; if you don't have time to read the ingredient list, look for the obvious "vegan" or the less obvious "all plant-based ingredients."
NUTRITIONAL YEAST/FLAKES: Nutrition is a high priority for this ingredient, as these yellow flakes give vegans (and vegetarians) a non-animal source of the all-important B12, which some vegans can be missing if not controlling in their diet (or anyone who drinks too much). Often described by vegans as having a cheesy Parmesan-like taste by vegans, non-vegans will tell you it does not... But it does have that umami flavour Parmesan is famous for, just not the entire beauty of Parmesan! So you can substitute Parmesan or your favourite umami paste but, better yet, buy some and start adding it to your dishes: sprinkle on popcorn or eggs, pair with tomatoes or tomato sauces, stir into soups... Anywhere you would use Parmesan, add some nutritional flakes too!
I found this book on super-sale. If you can get it for sale, and you know a little bit about your ingredients, or at least are willing to just try these ingredients to explore, I say it is worth a buy. If you aren't willing to try new food, just eat a salad and save yourself the heartache.
September 21, 2018
A lot of great recipes, many of them relatively simple and easy with ingredients I already have. My go-to vegan mac and cheese recipe is from this book.
March 7, 2025
While some of the recipes are pretty good, it reads like that of a 16 year old. The author spends more time trying to be cheeky and funny than actually making a comprehensive recipe. There are areas in this book that don’t include temperatures, how long to cook something, or casserole dish sizes. Which isn’t a big deal if you’re a seasoned cook. However, there are sections in the book where the author has the reader mix something together and simply never mentions it the rest of the recipe. If you’re not a seasoned vegetarian or vegan - utterly useless 🤦♀️
June 28, 2020
First I loved it, then i cooled a little to it after i saw others. I like the variety of recipes, but the layout isn’t the best. I have to replace too many wheat things. While not horrible, why subject my poor drained brain to more work when there are books just as good and I don’t have to do mental substitutions.
August 23, 2024
Needs pictures but loved the part time tips throughout the book.
April 11, 2011
I’ve been trying to add more vegetarian recipes to my family’s menu, so when I saw “The Part-Time Vegan” available on BookSneeze®.com, I thought it was timely and decided to give it a try.
The book is nicely laid out and there are certainly plenty of recipes. A couple of things I did not like about the book itself was that there were no photos. I like to have at least a few photos in a cookbook to help you get an idea of how the food looks. I also didn’t really like the author’s writing style. It was a bit sarcastic and had some mild curse words which are really not needed in a cookbook.
Overall, this book wasn’t what I really was looking for. First of all, there are too many recipes containing soy. I am allergic to it, I can’t eat it. I am aware that soy is a diet staple of vegans, but I honestly thought there would be more recipes that would focus on other protein sources besides soy, such as beans. As far as I’m concerned this book uses soy and other meat replacements far more than it has to. Also, many of the ingredients are items that are not easily found in my area and can be a bit on the expensive side.
Quite a few of the recipes sound pretty tasty, but most were not items my family would remotely eat. The whole point of this book is suppose to be “part-time” veganism. So, I thought it would be a bit more main-stream. This is not the book for a meat eating family who is just trying to add some vegetarian meals to their menu. I do think that it is a great beginning vegan cookbook for a person really interested in transitioning to a full-time vegan diet, but that’s just not us. Overall, I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone who doesn’t have the intentions of going vegan full-time.
NOTICE:
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in
The book is nicely laid out and there are certainly plenty of recipes. A couple of things I did not like about the book itself was that there were no photos. I like to have at least a few photos in a cookbook to help you get an idea of how the food looks. I also didn’t really like the author’s writing style. It was a bit sarcastic and had some mild curse words which are really not needed in a cookbook.
Overall, this book wasn’t what I really was looking for. First of all, there are too many recipes containing soy. I am allergic to it, I can’t eat it. I am aware that soy is a diet staple of vegans, but I honestly thought there would be more recipes that would focus on other protein sources besides soy, such as beans. As far as I’m concerned this book uses soy and other meat replacements far more than it has to. Also, many of the ingredients are items that are not easily found in my area and can be a bit on the expensive side.
Quite a few of the recipes sound pretty tasty, but most were not items my family would remotely eat. The whole point of this book is suppose to be “part-time” veganism. So, I thought it would be a bit more main-stream. This is not the book for a meat eating family who is just trying to add some vegetarian meals to their menu. I do think that it is a great beginning vegan cookbook for a person really interested in transitioning to a full-time vegan diet, but that’s just not us. Overall, I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone who doesn’t have the intentions of going vegan full-time.
NOTICE:
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in
April 13, 2011
When I saw this book up for review, I became really excited! I've been a vegetarian for close to 13 years, and I've never had a problem without meat. Unfortunately, though, I've tried several times to cut out dairy products and my body doesn't do well. I don't know what I'm leaving out, because I'm not a nutritionist, but I can't seem to do it in a healthy manner. I strongly have the desire to cut out dairy products, though, and I thought this book could help me along a bit, or at least do it "part-time" as the title of the book suggests.
I was so disappointed. It became clear very quickly that this book wasn't what I was expecting. I was hoping for more down to earth recipes, and ingredients like beans and natural products. It seems like almost all of the recipes use ingredients like soy, or seitan, or nutritional yeast or some type of "fake meat". I've eat soy for years, but I've began to recently question how healthy all these processed soy foods are. My body has actually been giving me warning signs that it's not as healthy as it seems. I'm trying to cut them out of my family's diet and replace it with healthier products. This cookbook didn't help out with that goal. I do want to give the recipes some credit, though. You can use other ingredients to replace the soy, but then what's the point of it being a vegan cookbook when you have to add dairy products back in? There are SOME recipes that fit what I was looking for, but I really had to weed through to find them. I truly think if you are already a vegan and you use these types of ingredients, you'll enjoy this cookbook.
Another complaint I have is the language. It's a cookbook! Why the need to use profanity?! I know this isn't a Christian book or anything, but again, it's a cookbook and totally inappropriate.
There's also no pictures. It may just be me, but I like to have pictures with my cookbook recipes. I don't guess they are absolutely necessary, but I highly prefer pictures.
I really hate that I seem to be bashing this book, but I was just really diappointed.
*I received a copy of this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion
I was so disappointed. It became clear very quickly that this book wasn't what I was expecting. I was hoping for more down to earth recipes, and ingredients like beans and natural products. It seems like almost all of the recipes use ingredients like soy, or seitan, or nutritional yeast or some type of "fake meat". I've eat soy for years, but I've began to recently question how healthy all these processed soy foods are. My body has actually been giving me warning signs that it's not as healthy as it seems. I'm trying to cut them out of my family's diet and replace it with healthier products. This cookbook didn't help out with that goal. I do want to give the recipes some credit, though. You can use other ingredients to replace the soy, but then what's the point of it being a vegan cookbook when you have to add dairy products back in? There are SOME recipes that fit what I was looking for, but I really had to weed through to find them. I truly think if you are already a vegan and you use these types of ingredients, you'll enjoy this cookbook.
Another complaint I have is the language. It's a cookbook! Why the need to use profanity?! I know this isn't a Christian book or anything, but again, it's a cookbook and totally inappropriate.
There's also no pictures. It may just be me, but I like to have pictures with my cookbook recipes. I don't guess they are absolutely necessary, but I highly prefer pictures.
I really hate that I seem to be bashing this book, but I was just really diappointed.
*I received a copy of this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion
April 22, 2011
How many cookbooks does one person need? That is a loaded question! The Part-Time Vegan: 201 Yummy Recipes That Put the FUN in Flexitarian is not your (grand)mother's cookbook. Written in a very informal voice, Cherise shares the recipes with a mix of humor and sarcasm.
Whether you are new to "veganism" or a pro, you will enjoy the wide range of recipes. Beginning with "Veganism 101," Cherise answers questions such as: How do you start? What ingredients do you start looking for, and How do you find them? Tofu??? What is it really?! How many ways can you make it?
The Part-Time Vegan includes recipes for: Dips and Appetizers, Soups, Breakfast, Sides, Pastas, Grains, and more. It also includes dinner plans "because no one needs to know you didn't think of it yourself."
The Cucumber Cilatro Salad, Zucchini fries, and the Tangerine and Mint Salad sound wonderful.
Cherise Grifoni, a full-blown vegetarian for seven years, recently converted to veganism after discovering dairy products were causing her migraine headaches. She is currently a senior at New York University and is a member of the university's unofficial vegan cooking club.
My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Why: I didn't enjoy the few curse words or the sarcasm in a cookbook.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from BookSneeze.com.
Whether you are new to "veganism" or a pro, you will enjoy the wide range of recipes. Beginning with "Veganism 101," Cherise answers questions such as: How do you start? What ingredients do you start looking for, and How do you find them? Tofu??? What is it really?! How many ways can you make it?
The Part-Time Vegan includes recipes for: Dips and Appetizers, Soups, Breakfast, Sides, Pastas, Grains, and more. It also includes dinner plans "because no one needs to know you didn't think of it yourself."
The Cucumber Cilatro Salad, Zucchini fries, and the Tangerine and Mint Salad sound wonderful.
Cherise Grifoni, a full-blown vegetarian for seven years, recently converted to veganism after discovering dairy products were causing her migraine headaches. She is currently a senior at New York University and is a member of the university's unofficial vegan cooking club.
My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Why: I didn't enjoy the few curse words or the sarcasm in a cookbook.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from BookSneeze.com.
April 13, 2011
I found that many of the ingredients needed for most of the recipes in this book are items that are not easily found and if I do find them they are kind of expensive. There is one or two that I was able to make and enjoy but as for the rest I wasnt interested.
The recipes sound pretty tasty, but most were not items my family would remotely eat. The whole point of this book is suppose to be “part-time” veganism. So, I thought it would be a bit more main-stream. This is not the book for a meat eating family who is just trying to add some vegetarian meals to their menu. I do think that it is a great beginning vegan cookbook for a person really interested in transitioning to a full-time vegan diet, but that’s just not us.I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone if they didnt have the intentions of going vegan" full-time".
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials
The recipes sound pretty tasty, but most were not items my family would remotely eat. The whole point of this book is suppose to be “part-time” veganism. So, I thought it would be a bit more main-stream. This is not the book for a meat eating family who is just trying to add some vegetarian meals to their menu. I do think that it is a great beginning vegan cookbook for a person really interested in transitioning to a full-time vegan diet, but that’s just not us.I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone if they didnt have the intentions of going vegan" full-time".
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2015
I got this one from the library but think I will also be buying my own copy to keep.
I enjoy this book. Grifoni takes a relaxed, humourous approach to eating vegan meals and foods. The ingredients she uses are readily available and easy to cook. The recipes are largely based on whole foods, but also include vegan 'faux cheese' types of products. I am OK with that.
I have tried a few recipes in the book with delicious, cannot-wait-to-try-some-more results. Again, I think I will have to buy my own copy so that I can continue to explore the recipes and make repeats of favourites even after the library gets its copy back.
I enjoy this book. Grifoni takes a relaxed, humourous approach to eating vegan meals and foods. The ingredients she uses are readily available and easy to cook. The recipes are largely based on whole foods, but also include vegan 'faux cheese' types of products. I am OK with that.
I have tried a few recipes in the book with delicious, cannot-wait-to-try-some-more results. Again, I think I will have to buy my own copy so that I can continue to explore the recipes and make repeats of favourites even after the library gets its copy back.
May 18, 2011
I bought this book while doing a 28-day vegan challenge and I am enjoying looking to the recipes for inspiring ideas. The only recipe that I have made so far are the Very Berry Banana Cookies which were excellent--you can see the post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Right now I would rank this as 3.5 stars but once I try a few more recipes and see how they work out, it may change.
Right now I would rank this as 3.5 stars but once I try a few more recipes and see how they work out, it may change.
July 16, 2014
I'm still learning about eating vegan (I would definitely be in the part-time category at the moment), and this is a good introductory cookbook, but it sure would have been nice to have pictures of the food so I had some idea if what I was doing was actually right. Some of the recipes have been great, others were terrible, but you don't know if you like it until you try it, right?
April 30, 2011
reviewed at Small Kucing :Part-Time Vegan 201 Yummy Vegan Recipes That Put the Fun in Flexitarian By Cherise Grifoni
a book with a sense of humour
a book with a sense of humour
June 4, 2012
Lots of great-sounding recipes - tried the Lemon Quinoa Veggie salad tonight, it was really good - and most are pretty simple too. Have made a list of all the ones I want to try...
June 14, 2012
excited to try some of these recipes...
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews