The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook: 500 Inspired, Flexible Recipes for Eating Well Without Meat (The Complete ATK Cookbook Series)

In the seven weeks since I bought this book, I've already made ten recipes. This cookbook is phenomenal! After twenty years of vegetarianism, I recently made the shift to an entirely plant-based diet, and decided a few new cookbooks were in order to help spark new creativity in the kitchen. Of the three books I bought, this one has become my go-to favorite. There isn't a single page in this book without something intriguing and appetizing on it. I cannot overstate this: "The Complete Plant Based Cookbook" is written with the home cook at heart. It seems obvious that every cookbook would be written with the intent that the average person could duplicate its recipes in their own kitchen, but that's rarely the case. This book is exceptional, though. The instructions are written clearly and are easy to follow. The measurements, temperatures, and cook time are true, and the ingredients are almost all available at my local markets. Often, vegan cookbooks fall into one of two categories: exotic/elaborate preparations of hard-to-find ingredients, or meatless mimicry of junk food. I was looking for a book that offered something else. This cookbook provides countless meal ideas that can make it possible to enjoy delicious balanced meals throughout the week. Meat and dairy substitutes can be a marvel, but I prefer that this book avoids much of that in favor of celebrating and elevating whole vegetables. Even the nacho "cheese" sauce (pictured) is made with simple potatoes and a carrot! I've made everything from soup to roasted veggies to pie using this cookbook, and all have come out exactly as described, even at times when the instructions felt impossible (there's no way this can set without eggs....there's no way this consistency will be...how can this??...) But time and again, I trust the instructions, and the food comes out delicious and beautiful. America's Test Kitchen really lives up to its name here, as it's obvious that all of these recipes have been tried and tried again before publication. Lastly, the back of this cookbook has something that I've never seen in any other: a full index of the basic nutrition facts of each of the recipes! I'm sure I won't be checking back there too often (especially for that pecan pie!) but what a cool resource to offer. There's also a full index listing all of the gluten free recipes in the cookbook, which I'm sure will be hugely helpful for many people. All of the books I ordered had similarly great reviews, but this one was the only one that's truly exceptional. Bon appetite!

Super great recipes

The cover of the book says “Inspired, Flexible recipes for eating well without meat.” The recipes that have dairy in them, for example say “yogurt, plant based or dairy.” I think some reviewers are being a little harsh - if you don’t eat dairy or eggs, use the plant based ingredient instead. This may be a cookbook that will help more people move away from a meat based diet! The book has a big section on the plant based kitchen, vegan dressings and sauces, how to make cheese substitutes, ingredients to add flavor to your recipes, and is a good primer on how to cook vegan or vegetarian. We eat 95% vegan, but sometimes, especially in this pandemic, a little cheese just tastes good. When we have non vegan house guests, we tend to be more vegetarian to accommodate them. We live in a rural, big seafood area, and vegan restaurant food is a dinner salad, so maybe we just tend to be more flexible. The book arrived yesterday, and I am looking forward to trying many of the recipes. I like the “Why of his recipe works” section at the beginning of each section. It gives hints and explanations of why the method and/or ingredients were used. And often I it tells me when a substitution can or shouldn’t be used. There are pictures of many of the recipes, many recipes from international cuisines, and lots of good ideas! My kids are getting this cookbook for Christmas, too.

Every recipe I've cooked from this book has been a flavorful knock-out - from simple things like steamed broccoli with cumin & lime, to veggie pot pie, to the section in the back with slow cooker and instant-pot recipes. Pros: - great flavor combinations - clear instructions - variety - easy to modify recipes to taste - not relying on soy or soy-based products for nutrition Cons: - ATK means some instructions are complex. You can get VERY GOOD results by simplifying, they just might not be MOST EXCELLENT. - some recipes assume you have a well-stocked (appliances) kitchen. It's best to pre-read recipes and consider how you're going to do something if it requires something you don't have. - along with the above - you may have long prep times - you can't think about what's for dinner today and expect to eat in an hour if you're picking a recipe from this. The "Fast" recipes (scant in some sections) are 45-minutes or less, but honestly, your mileage may vary. I'm typically slower as a solo-chef. - Some of the recipes have surprisingly long cook times. This matters with an instant pot where overcooking by just a little can result in dinner mush. Use caution, or if in doubt, cut the pressure time short. Maybe I just prefer my cooked veg with more texture. Overall: - If you're vegan, this book is a wonderland. The eggs and dairy are always optional, or in a recipe variation. - If you're not vegan, you can put plants forward using any of the recipes herein. While the Cons listed above are wordy, I can "plan ahead" my way out of all of them. I appreciate that I can follow these recipes as written and get incredible results. I can follow them MOSTLY as written and get great results.

Fabulous book with so many fantastic recipes a must read

I have 2 other ATK books, my brother scoffed my vegan one so decided to let him keep it and bought this one. There are a few repeat recipes (from the Vegan book) that I’m grateful for and all in all a fabulous book, great recipes. My brother and I have been vegetarian for 30+ years, went vegan a few years ago so for the newcomer or oldie this book is a go to. The added information/research for the newbie is fantastic.

As I shift towards a more plant-based diet, it's hard to find good recipes for comfort foods. This book has a ton of recipes! I don't even know how I'm going to try them all but I'll do my best However, I think the recipes fall short in their descriptions. It is not always clear how long a recipe takes or how many it serves - these have become standard pieces of information, so it's a little tough to navigate without. Not every recipe has a photo of it, which does make sense for making such a packed book, but then it's easier to get excited about the ones with pictures. So far I like it, despite some small shortcomings. I love ATK so I also know I can trust these recipes, and develop my cooking skills while trying these out

Had been looking for this kind of cookbook for vegetarian recipes - most of the books are very disappointing - having only 3-4 good recipes This book fails to disappoint - each recipe is worth the effort and easy to follow The colourful pictures adds to the pleasure of going thru the book A must have if you love to cook ! I highly recommend it

great book delivered early