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Simple Vegan!: Delicious Meat-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes Every Family Will Love
Whether you're embracing a vegan lifestyle, adding a few vegan dishes to your meal plan, or cooking for a guest, this book is your road map to delicious vegan food! From Pumpkin Waffles to Polenta with Spicy Eggplant Sauce to Deep Chocolate Cupcakes (and even Mac and Cheese!), this tasty collection offers 100 irresistible recipes the whole family will love-all triple-tested by the Good Housekeeping test kitchens.
160 pages, Spiral-bound
First published March 1, 2011
41 people want to read
About the author
Good Housekeeping
1,065 books47 followersThe Good Housekeeping Institute was created to provide readers of Good Housekeeping magazine with expert consumer advice and delicious, classic and contemporary east-to-follow recipes. These ideals still hold true today. The institute team are all experienced cooks, home economists and consumer researchers. They test the lastest products in purpose-built, modern kitchens, where every recipe published in the magazine and its range of bestselling cookery books is rigorously tested so that you can cook any Good Housekeeping dish with confidence.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 26, 2011
Vegan goes mainstream! As a vegan, gotta love it! Simple recipes for non-cooks such as myself; I love that too! As with all their cookbooks, all these recipes have the triple-test promise.
Oh, almost everything looks so yummy, and the macaroni and cheese looks easier to make than the (healthier) recipe I'm going to try tomorrow. I wish this book had been out when I was still buying Earth Balance vegan butter and Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar cheese. If/when I am really in the mood & need comfort food, I'll be trying the mac & cheese! (I’m having a craving and it’s been ages since I’ve had cravings, and I think the more recent times it’s been mostly for desserts, mostly chocolate desserts.)
I have to remember to read cookbooks only after I’ve eaten and never when I’m hungry.
There are a basic introduction and a page for each section as to the whys and wherefores of a vegan diet or eating some/more vegan meals. On the Asian noodle page, though, one of the types of pasta has egg in it, which is definitely not vegan; that was a disappointing inclusion, especially since when either honey or agave is mentioned for another recipe, it is said that many vegans don’t consider honey vegan; it’s not, and egg is definitely not. (Those eggs in the egg noodles listed brought this down from 4 to 3 stars for me. I don’t appreciate the confusion it might cause.)
The many photos are luscious, attractive, and make the recipes/food look very appealing.
Recipes that caught my eye are the macaroni and cheese (craving it!), spiced pumpkin soup, mushroom and barley pilaf, soba noodles primavera with miso, polenta with spicy eggplant sauce, tofu pad Thai, bulgar pilaf with garbanzo beans and apricots, Moroccan spiced sweet potato medley, grilled corn and jack quesadillas, broccoli “cheese” polenta pizza, Tuscan white-bean bruschetta, spiced cous cous with vegetables, and red lentil and vegetable soup, and a few other dishes too. I will eventually make the macaroni (whole wheat elbows in my case) and cheese. I’m not sure about any of the others; perhaps.
I really liked this cookbook. It would probably make a good gift for someone who might want to cook vegan for family or friends or might want to add more vegan meals for themselves, and have no idea how to go about it. There are a few dessert recipes. the one for the chocolate cupcakes is the one I find most likely to be delicious, or the cookies.
Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
Energizing Breakfasts
Satisfying Sandwiches
Eat-Your-Vegetables Salads
Nourishing Noodles & Grains
Great Grilling
Globe-Trotting Dishes
Comfort Food
Savory & Sweet Treats
Index
Photography Credits
Metric Equivalents Charts
Addendum: Please see Ginny Messina's message 6 in this review's comments section. The egg in the egg noodles and the mention of the eggs was a mistake and will be corrected in future editions. For now, I'm leaving my star rating at 3 stars but I'll add an extra half star. 3 1/2 stars.
Oh, almost everything looks so yummy, and the macaroni and cheese looks easier to make than the (healthier) recipe I'm going to try tomorrow. I wish this book had been out when I was still buying Earth Balance vegan butter and Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar cheese. If/when I am really in the mood & need comfort food, I'll be trying the mac & cheese! (I’m having a craving and it’s been ages since I’ve had cravings, and I think the more recent times it’s been mostly for desserts, mostly chocolate desserts.)
I have to remember to read cookbooks only after I’ve eaten and never when I’m hungry.
There are a basic introduction and a page for each section as to the whys and wherefores of a vegan diet or eating some/more vegan meals. On the Asian noodle page, though, one of the types of pasta has egg in it, which is definitely not vegan; that was a disappointing inclusion, especially since when either honey or agave is mentioned for another recipe, it is said that many vegans don’t consider honey vegan; it’s not, and egg is definitely not. (Those eggs in the egg noodles listed brought this down from 4 to 3 stars for me. I don’t appreciate the confusion it might cause.)
The many photos are luscious, attractive, and make the recipes/food look very appealing.
Recipes that caught my eye are the macaroni and cheese (craving it!), spiced pumpkin soup, mushroom and barley pilaf, soba noodles primavera with miso, polenta with spicy eggplant sauce, tofu pad Thai, bulgar pilaf with garbanzo beans and apricots, Moroccan spiced sweet potato medley, grilled corn and jack quesadillas, broccoli “cheese” polenta pizza, Tuscan white-bean bruschetta, spiced cous cous with vegetables, and red lentil and vegetable soup, and a few other dishes too. I will eventually make the macaroni (whole wheat elbows in my case) and cheese. I’m not sure about any of the others; perhaps.
I really liked this cookbook. It would probably make a good gift for someone who might want to cook vegan for family or friends or might want to add more vegan meals for themselves, and have no idea how to go about it. There are a few dessert recipes. the one for the chocolate cupcakes is the one I find most likely to be delicious, or the cookies.
Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
Energizing Breakfasts
Satisfying Sandwiches
Eat-Your-Vegetables Salads
Nourishing Noodles & Grains
Great Grilling
Globe-Trotting Dishes
Comfort Food
Savory & Sweet Treats
Index
Photography Credits
Metric Equivalents Charts
Addendum: Please see Ginny Messina's message 6 in this review's comments section. The egg in the egg noodles and the mention of the eggs was a mistake and will be corrected in future editions. For now, I'm leaving my star rating at 3 stars but I'll add an extra half star. 3 1/2 stars.
July 26, 2011
Despite having the book out from the library for a month, I only made one recipe (the pancakes) which tells you how (not!) inspired I was by the cookbook.
I think it might be a good option for people who are a bit afraid of going vegan, or think it's all for "hippie" people and are uncomfortable with a title like Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock. It would probably be a great gift for that reluctant mom who is nervous about her grown child embracing a diet with no meat ("but how will you get any protein, my dear!?") as she could see that, oh, yes, the folks at Good Housekeeping tested these recipes and include some helpful little blurbs on vegan nutrition and perhaps her child really will survive and perhaps she might even try one of the recipes herself.
It might also be a good option for those just testing the vegan waters; the author herself explains that she is not a vegan but is trying to cut back on meat a few times a week and is growing concerned about the health detriments to consuming dairy. I think her book would appeal to those just dabbling as she is.
However, I found the whole thing a bit too glossy (as in superficial, not just the photographs) and lacking the depth in both scope and creativity that many other vegan cookbooks possess. I'm glad this option is out there for those reluctant to try other books but I suggest that those serious about some delicious and exciting vegan recipes look elsewhere (like something by Isa Chandra Moskowitz).
I think it might be a good option for people who are a bit afraid of going vegan, or think it's all for "hippie" people and are uncomfortable with a title like Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock. It would probably be a great gift for that reluctant mom who is nervous about her grown child embracing a diet with no meat ("but how will you get any protein, my dear!?") as she could see that, oh, yes, the folks at Good Housekeeping tested these recipes and include some helpful little blurbs on vegan nutrition and perhaps her child really will survive and perhaps she might even try one of the recipes herself.
It might also be a good option for those just testing the vegan waters; the author herself explains that she is not a vegan but is trying to cut back on meat a few times a week and is growing concerned about the health detriments to consuming dairy. I think her book would appeal to those just dabbling as she is.
However, I found the whole thing a bit too glossy (as in superficial, not just the photographs) and lacking the depth in both scope and creativity that many other vegan cookbooks possess. I'm glad this option is out there for those reluctant to try other books but I suggest that those serious about some delicious and exciting vegan recipes look elsewhere (like something by Isa Chandra Moskowitz).
February 21, 2011
Not the be-all and end-all of vegan cooking, but there is a lot to like about this book. First it has a wonderful look and feel. It combines spiral binding with (the ungrammatical, but still very useful) lay-flat binding, which I love for a cookbook. As you would expect from Good Housekeeping, the food photography is absolutely perfect, which, I’m sorry to say, is a rarity in vegan cookbooks.
There are little boxed items throughout labeled “Something New” (introducing foods such as sea vegetables and Asian noodles) and “Vegan-wise” (sections on adding protein to salads, grilling vegetables, and butter alternatives)which are fun and informative. A section at the beginning highlights the benefits of vegan eating and tiptoes ever-so-gently into factory farming--just a little paragraph. And the section on nutrition gets things mostly right. The recipes are very easy to follow and there is nutritional info for each, along with active and total cooking times.
Since this is Good Housekeeping, I guess they aren’t allowed to name names, so there are no references to specific brands, which is too bad since I think that can be helpful to new vegans. And some of the language is a little dated—such as the not-very-appetizing and not-entirely-correct “soy burgers,” rather than “veggie burgers.” The authors also confuse textured soy protein with isolated soy protein, but I would imagine that’s something that only a nerdy nutritionist would care about.
I love that there is a section devoted to comfort foods (and two of the recipes I tried came from that section, of course :) The four recipes I sampled were all excellent (they’ve been triple tested after all!). I made the following:
Vegan mayonnaise: Very good flavor, but I’d use firm silken tofu rather than regular next time to make it a little more spreadable.
Almond Ricotta: Again a little soupy, but that might be my fault since I think I may have under-measured the almonds for this. The flavor is wonderful and I’ve been eating it over steamed veggies. (One annoying thing was that the nutrition info was way off on this; it indicated 545 calories per cup, but I calculated around 335 for the entire recipe, which was somewhat more than a cup)
Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup: Not especially glamorous, but fast and easy, very good and really, really healthy. I made it because it's the type of thing my husband loves--and sure enough, he raved about it.
Macaroni and “Cheese”: Very easy and absolutely divine. I used Vegan Gourmet Cheddar-style and want to try it with Daiya as well.
Overall, I think this is a great low-key introduction to vegan cooking for those who are just dipping their toe in the water or need to come up with a few dishes for vegan guests. And, even though I'm far beyond the toe-dipping stage, I know I'll cook from this again. It’s friendly, foolproof and attractive—and a pretty good deal at just $10 on amazon.com.
There are little boxed items throughout labeled “Something New” (introducing foods such as sea vegetables and Asian noodles) and “Vegan-wise” (sections on adding protein to salads, grilling vegetables, and butter alternatives)which are fun and informative. A section at the beginning highlights the benefits of vegan eating and tiptoes ever-so-gently into factory farming--just a little paragraph. And the section on nutrition gets things mostly right. The recipes are very easy to follow and there is nutritional info for each, along with active and total cooking times.
Since this is Good Housekeeping, I guess they aren’t allowed to name names, so there are no references to specific brands, which is too bad since I think that can be helpful to new vegans. And some of the language is a little dated—such as the not-very-appetizing and not-entirely-correct “soy burgers,” rather than “veggie burgers.” The authors also confuse textured soy protein with isolated soy protein, but I would imagine that’s something that only a nerdy nutritionist would care about.
I love that there is a section devoted to comfort foods (and two of the recipes I tried came from that section, of course :) The four recipes I sampled were all excellent (they’ve been triple tested after all!). I made the following:
Vegan mayonnaise: Very good flavor, but I’d use firm silken tofu rather than regular next time to make it a little more spreadable.
Almond Ricotta: Again a little soupy, but that might be my fault since I think I may have under-measured the almonds for this. The flavor is wonderful and I’ve been eating it over steamed veggies. (One annoying thing was that the nutrition info was way off on this; it indicated 545 calories per cup, but I calculated around 335 for the entire recipe, which was somewhat more than a cup)
Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup: Not especially glamorous, but fast and easy, very good and really, really healthy. I made it because it's the type of thing my husband loves--and sure enough, he raved about it.
Macaroni and “Cheese”: Very easy and absolutely divine. I used Vegan Gourmet Cheddar-style and want to try it with Daiya as well.
Overall, I think this is a great low-key introduction to vegan cooking for those who are just dipping their toe in the water or need to come up with a few dishes for vegan guests. And, even though I'm far beyond the toe-dipping stage, I know I'll cook from this again. It’s friendly, foolproof and attractive—and a pretty good deal at just $10 on amazon.com.
April 5, 2011
What a waste of time (and money, if I hadn't gotten it from the library)! Recipes are missing, INGREDIENTS are missing, and the pictures are kind of disgusting. This feels like they just slapped together a few recipes, removed the meat and added soy milk and called it good. Worthless to any vegan, or cook, for that matter.
September 12, 2011
I'm actually REALLY surprised this book doesn't have a higher rating on here. I'm a seasoned vegan...and I cook a lot. So much, that it gets kind of...well, annoying and stale. Enter Good Houskeeping's Simple Vegan cookbook. I thought, "oh...it's a mainstream publisher so this might not be so good." I was wrong. This book is pretty fantastic. The ingredients are all very easy to find, and every single recipe I have tried so far has been pretty good. Not amazing by any means, but definitely decent.
May 17, 2012
This is a very good "starter" vegan cookbook. Most of the recipes are uncomplicated and the ingredients are fairly easy to find. I checked it out of the library and may do so again because there are other recipes that I would like to try and didn't have the time to.
March 15, 2018
There are a couple items I plan to try. I am familiar with a past recipe like is presented in the book: banana peanut butter smoothie which was pretty good when my mother and I did the juicing challenge;however, we wanted to do it for a week and we accomplished 3 days without any solids. She stayed those three days at my home to be my accountable partner and I was also hers.
I only want to try these:
pomegranate berry smoothie
creamy two potato salad (may have to tweak this since no soy products in my diet at all!)
Unforunately, there were not many recipes I could choose from even to tweak.
I only want to try these:
pomegranate berry smoothie
creamy two potato salad (may have to tweak this since no soy products in my diet at all!)
Unforunately, there were not many recipes I could choose from even to tweak.
July 14, 2016
What an amazing vegan cookbook! I HAVE to get this one. The recipes look and sound fantastic. There are great side notes explaining the differences between varieties of items like soy cheeses, non-dairy milks, noodles, etc. The recipes are well chosen to give vegan options to traditional American home-cooked meals that are essentially no more difficult to prepare than the original recipes but they are vegan! And, real attention seems to have been paid to make sure that the recipes are especially tasty - one of the biggest problems for cooks attempting to switch from omnivorous eating to vegan or vegetarian typically is that they end up blander than when they were made with animal products.
I am seriously looking forward to using this cookbook and getting a copy for my own cookbook collection.
I am seriously looking forward to using this cookbook and getting a copy for my own cookbook collection.
April 17, 2012
This cookbook is exactly what it purports to be. a simple vegan cookbook. There are lots of basics suitable for a vegan lifestyle. Some are more creative and specific to vegan living, like non-dairy homemade ricotta, and many are basic recipes that tend to be vegan by default. A lot of the recipes were also gluten and yeast free, which was nice for me. I will probably buy a copy at some point, to keep around as a handy reference. It's definitely something I'd recommend for someone just starting out eating vegan.
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August 13, 2016This is probably my favorite of the vegan cookbooks I got from the library. The recipes looked pretty easy and tasty. If I were going to buy a vegan cookbook, it would probably be this one. My loan is up, but I want to check it out again and actually cook some of the recipes.
July 23, 2011
Some of the sandwich ideas are ok, but I think that most of the recipes are boring, and unappealing. You can't just remove the meat, and toss some soy milk in there. Back to the library you go!
July 11, 2014
I love that every recipe has a picture and nutrition information. I added a few of the recipes to my recipe box. Like always, I had to adjust the recipes to exclude: nuts, oils, salt and sugar.
January 4, 2012
I would really give it 3 1/2 stars because it has pictures. EVERY cookbook should have a picture of every recipe!
June 25, 2012
This is a nice, simple cookbook. I haven't made anything yet but I have been inspired from the great grilling section!
December 6, 2012
This book was ok, but I was looking for a book that used less oil in the food preparation. Still looking
September 1, 2013
Why is a vegan book giving me pointers on how to introduce milk into a lactose insolent person's diet?
This book was a complete waste of time. Also very unhealthy recipes. Terrible
This book was a complete waste of time. Also very unhealthy recipes. Terrible
March 18, 2014
This was a pleasant surprise, I didn't expect a lot of things in this one that I wanted to try, but Good Housekeeping did some major homework and came up with some awesome sounding recipes!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews