My family follows a Flexitarian diet. We eat mostly plant-based foods while allowing meat and other animal products in moderation (but very little dairy). So we eat mostly vegan, but with a little flexibility. We supplement meat during the times when we’re eating fewer carbohydrates. I am a self-taught cook and I do the majority of the cooking in my home. So I’ve tried a vast array of recipes over the years!
There are a million cookbooks in the world, but these are a few of my absolute favorites and are the ones I plan to keep on my shelf even as I strive for a minimalist home. I’ll add more as I discover additional praiseworthy cookbooks.
“There is enormous pleasure in cooking good food simply and in sharing the cooking and the eating with friends and family. I think it is the best antidote to our overstressed modern lives.” -Alice Waters1
The Joy of Vegan Baking, Revised and Updated Edition: More than 150 Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets
by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
By far, these are the best vegan baking recipes I’ve ever made. This book is my go-to for all baking now. The author has several books, online classes, and a podcast.
My Pantry
by Alice Waters with Fanny Singer
Many of the recipes in this book are simple, everyday items we all eat, such as oat pancakes and whole wheat flatbreads. Waters and Singer explain how to make them simply and deliciously. I consider this book a must-have on every cook’s shelf.
Whole Bowls: Complete Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Meals to Power Your Day
by Allison Day
I can’t say enough good about this book – I literally haven’t made a bad recipe out of this book yet. The recipes are wholesome, vegetarian, gluten-free, and can be tailored to dairy-free. I just feel good after I’ve made a meal from this cookbook.
Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed
by Bryant Terry
These recipes are delicious. Some of the meals are time-consuming, but the flavors are phenomenal!
More Fast Food My Way
by Jacques Pépin
This is one of my go-to’s for fast, gourmet, and delicious meals. He uses a lot of fresh ingredients and wastes little.
Bad Manners: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck: A Vegan Cookbook
by Bad Manners
Previously called Thug Kitchen, these meals are all vegan (meat and animal product free). The meals are delicious, healthy, and the instructions are easy to follow. Plus, unless you’re offended by bad language, you’ll get a good chuckle every time you cook!
“The first step to finding time to cook for yourself is to stop thinking of cooking as an expendable part of your day. It’s not.” -Bad Manners cookbook
Bad Manners: Party Grub: For Social Motherf*ckers: A Vegan Cookbook
by Bad Manners
While this book is designed to put together food for groups, it is easy to use the recipes for a family. This book has my favorite pizza dough recipe!
The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet
by Anne-Marie Bonneau
Blogger turned author of this cookbook, Bonneau teaches us how to eat well with zero-waste. Even food scraps can be used somehow! “Like all things zero waste, a bit of planning stops wasting before it happens, like preventative medicine,” she wrote. She includes an entire section on how to preserve food, how to shop, how to make the most of in-season produce, and how to store food. She teaches how to ferment, make a sour-dough starter, and how to cook without kitchen disposables such as plastic wrap and paper towels. Features 75 vegan and vegetarian recipes.
The Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook: 150 Simply Delicious Everyday Recipes for Your Whole30
by Melissa Hartwig Urban
The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom
by Melissa Hartwig Urban
This is the original Whole30 book that explains the program in full. It includes recipes for main meals as well as sides, such as guacamole, and vinaigrettes.
Nadiya Bakes: Over 100 Must-Try Recipes for Breads, Cakes, Biscuits, Pies, and More: A Baking Book
by Nadiya Hussain
There are so many delicious recipes in this one. She creates recipes with ingredients that I would never think to put together on my own, which is what is so exciting in this book! I highly recommend Pizza Paratha.
Modern Lunch: +100 Recipes for Assembling the New Midday Meal
by Allison Day
Footnote: