• 1. semirhage527
     
• 2. 527 (insert surprised face here)
     
• 3. Christmas! I grew up in a Catholic family so it's Christmas all the way. My favourite part is when we were kids on Christmas morning my dad would wake us up by blasting Queen through the house so to me holiday music has never been the hymns such at midnight mass but Freddie Mercury telling us we are the champions. Even now even though I live alone and have to travel to the family festivities I wake up and listen to some Queen on December 25th.
     
• 4. I think a Blumaroo would definitely be Santa. So happy and bouncy and ready to bound up and down chimneys to deliver joy.
     
• 5. Ok to actually do my favourite winter sport is downhill skiing (although I enjoy XC as well) but to watch it's ice hockey. It's just so freeing going down a mountain. My fav team has to be the Blackhawks. I grew up going to Ice Hogs (their AHL affiliate) games (since it was in my hometown and my dad did their marketing for awhile) and it was always a blast. Gotta go with Tazer for my fav (tho freezing the puck is more for Crow's territory and we love him too). I know the cap is obvious but he's just so great! I know they're desert species but I think Rukis would make great hockey players!
     
• 6. I'm all about the cookies for the holidays and my favourite are rugelach. I normally do the raspberry chocolate version she has in her cookbook but that one is also great!
     
• 7. For aps I’m thinking Yooyu Cheese Ball
     and Chokato Dumplings. First course, fruity bread salad
     followed by Maraquan cream broth. For the main let’s go traditional, roast pork, Meridellian Style Mashed Potatoes
     and grilled veggie platter
     for the table. Holiday feasts are always finished off with holiday cookies so candy cane cookies
     and a holiday wocky cake
     for dessert and plenty of drink flowing between courses! Finally we’ll end it all with a nice mug of hot chocolate.
     
• 8. Thad is quiet and thoughtful and loves sitting down and taking in the world so he’d love a pillow cap of convenience
     so he can relax anywhere, a gaming lantern
     so he can see and a new book to take with him. And maybe a new backpack
     for all his stuff!
     While Thad is content to find a nice place and sit Sol is always gogogo. She loves learning new things and exploring everything. She’s been dying to upgrade her telescope and while Captain Tuans Collectors Telescope
     is probably too big for a stocking (unless it’s bigger on the inside!) and not super portable perhaps a smaller quality one
     could be found. She’d also like a copy of Backpacking Across Neopia as that’s the dream!
     Unlike his sibs who love to be outside Alyosha is more content inside with the finer things in life and a robot noil
     to cater to his whims and a new cloak
     would be just the thing.
     
• 9. My wishlist
     
• 10. One of my favourite winter memories was one that got me and my sister into trouble but it was so worth it. When we were kids we were obsessed with Sailor Moon and when ever we played it I was always Mercury and she was always Mars. Living in N. Illinois huge icicles were the norm and having a woods in our backyard meant an endless supply of sword like sticks so one winter we decided to have a battle (psh who cares if they’re on the same side right?) and broke off a huge icicle and grabbed a stick from the dried for the fireplace pile and lit it on fire and had an awesome battle in the backyard until mom saw us oops.
      
• 11. 2016 I’d really like to get back on a regular writing schedule and find a new job. Haven’t really set any longterm neopets goals since right now I’m just enjoying playing again.
      
• 12. 1st) Bouquet of Flowers Parasol, Stormy Ombre Flower Wand, Enchanted Tale Dress, Flowering Vine Garland, Pink Lace Parasol, Tulle Cloud Skirt, Dark Prism Forest Background, Frozen Tree Branch Wings, Fireworks Face Paint, Frightful Doorway Background
      2nd) Bouquet of Flowers Parasol, Pink Lace Parasol, Stormy Ombre Flower Wand, Dark Prism Forest Background, Frightful Doorway Background
      3rd) Bouquet of Flowers Parasol, Dark Prism Forest Background
      
• 13. I just started hanging around here so I don't know many people but /u/TheHeadlessOne was awesome and explained Food Club to me and even busting day one I've still managed to turn a profit by day two so I think this is going to be a great thing long term so thank you!

2017 Spier Chenin Blanc

$8.99 from Total Wine in Atlanta

This was my first Chenin Blanc and it was revolutionary. At a sub-$10 price point I wasn't expecting a revelation, but most ratings and reviews I saw were overwhelmingly positive so I decided to give it a chance. Figured if it was garbage, I could always try another; but at least I'd have completed the challenge! I had never heard of the producer, but when wandering around Total Wine it seems like they make a huge variety of product.

This wine was delicious. If I had to imagine what it would taste like if little Springtime Cherubs visited South Africa to make some wine this would be it. It had a well balanced acidity and sweetness. Peach and pear flavors shine with just a whisper of lemon, without being rindy or tart. This wine had a light color and light body with a delicate, fruity finish that left me wanting more. This wine drinks easily, and was perfect for a warm spring night on the porch. It was delicious straight out of the bottle, and even more pleasant after ~15 minutes to warm a bit and open up. My husband, who usually shies away from whites unless they are bone-dry and punishingly acidic was very surprised at how much he enjoyed this wine; to the point he wants us to find more!

I paired this with America's Test Kitchen's Farfalle and Summer Squash with Lemon, Capers, and Goat Cheese from "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook". Let me tell you - it was the perfect pairing with the tang from the goat cheese and the crunch of the fresh veggies. The salt of the capers played beautifully with the slight sweetness and it was just a really good pairing. The weather in Atlanta was perfect that day - I think Sunny with a high of 74? - and we drank it while relaxing on our screened in porch with the twinkle lights on. A great setting for a new experience and a first-tasting challenge!

Although I corked the undrank wine with my vacuum sealer, it was not as good 48 hours later. Not undrinkable, but it showed more oxidation/alcohol flavors. I would definitely recommend drinking it when you know you can finish it that day, perhaps stretching to 24 hours. This may just be a result of the price point.

Overall, I loved this wine, and plan to buy and drink it again. It's a steal for the price; and really just fun to drink casually on a warm day. I'm not entirely convinced that this wine wasn't made by little Springtime Cherubs.

Start reading :)

• http://yourveganfallacyis.com/en
  
• http://www.godfist.com/vegansidekick/guide.php
  
• http://logicalveganism.blogspot.com/p/fallacies.html
  
• Is there such a thing as ethically acceptable milk? Eggs? Honey? Doesn't "organic" mean that the pig is "treated well"? Many times non-vegan who make these arguments will also be very unaware of how intensive factory farming works and what it is. They may be highly misled (Bite Size Vegan has >300 informational videos on veganism, and is a great place to begin learning facts about animal agriculture that you can use in your defense of veganism) by what these labels mean, if they are legally required to mean anything at all. Even if such things could be produced (according to some various definitions of "acceptable"), they are often so prohibitively expensive that no one would be able to afford them anyway.
  
  Facts on Nutrition:
  
  
• Many major world Nutrition or Dietetics organizations say that a well-planned vegan diet can be healthy.
  
• There is no essential nutrient that cannot be found from a vegan source (plant, fungi, bacteria, inorganic material): phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, histidine (amino acids of protein), alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid (Omega Fatty Acids), Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E, K (Vitamins), calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper (Minerals), as well as choline, inositol, taurine, arginine, glutamine and nucleotides in infants. You don't have to memorize this list, just know that there is nothing we know of that we need for survival that can only be found in animal sources and not plant, bacteria, fungi, or inorganic sources.
  
• Here is a more detailed introduction to vegan nutrition.
  
  Some quick memes:
  
  
• desert island
  
• canines. Individual physiological characteristics taken one at a time in isolation are not a good indication of whether we can (or should) eat meat or other animal product foods. The length of our teeth or the size of our brain or the length of our intestines don't, alone, tell us what we are capable of digesting. What we are capable of digesting, as an entire organism, tells us what we are capable of digesting. (and none of that says anything about whether something is ethical to eat).
  
• Veganism is not a cult or a religion. Not all vegans agree with each other about every aspect of veganism. It's a diverse and dynamic group with a lot of on-going discussion. You don't have to have any sort of specific politics or other beliefs to begin making vegan decisions.
  
• "Humane slaughter" is an oxymoron and fundamentally still the wrong direction of thinking about the issue
  
• A person doesn't have to be an "animal lover" to understand and support veganism. You don't have to be completely infatuated and in love with every new animal you see to know that it's wrong to kill them, just like you don't have to be completely infatuated and in love with every human stranger you walk past, to know it would be inherently wrong to kill them. Veganism is not even asking for some sort of overwhelming compassion for animals. It's asking for the bare minimum of treatment you would show anyone, even a stranger... or the bare minimum of what you would want anyone to show you.
  
• Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. For those who reject veganism because they don't accept all parts of it, or think they would have to stop their lives and change "everything at once": 1). Veganism isn't always as hard as people make it out to be, especially after the beginning when you get into the habit of it. 2). Even partial reductions in the amount of animal products people use helps animals and reduces animal suffering in the world. Eliminating 10% of the meat they eat is better than 0%. Eliminating 50% is also better than %0. Eliminating 90% is better than 0%, even if it isn't 100%. Any amount that these products are bought and used less, is better than it not happening at all.
  
  -------
  
  > like a gentlemam with smashing arguments? I don't want to lose my temper or keep discussing the matter with them and ruin the road trip because they are very stubborn on the matter.
  
  It's one thing to memorize a lot of information about a topic (like veganism), but it's a whole different thing (it's a different set of skills) to keep your composure when talking to people who are being stubborn (or even purposefully obnoxious). That's a different problem, with a different solution and set of skills required.
  
  You can handle it a couple ways. What will work best for you will depend on who you are: on what your personality is and on how you communicate best.
  
  
• Joke back. Are you someone who likes making jokes back at what other people say? Then joke back. You can use whatever humor you like (witty, dark, sarcastic, observational). They joke about you not getting enough protein, joke about them dying young from a heart attack. They start bragging about how they would totally kill an animal with their bare hands if it gave them a steak, joke about not wanting to leave your pet dog with them because they'll slit its throat while you're not looking. They joke about needing cow's milk, joke about them not being a X-year-old man who isn't weened yet or about how you didn't notice the were a baby cow all this time. Or you can use humor to divert or end the conversation if you want. If they joke about not being able to give up meat, joke about how you're not able to give up their mom (I'm so funny). But if you're aren't the type of person who likes joking, you don't have to.
  
• Stick to the facts. If you find yourself getting upset, for some people it's helpful to just stick to the most dispassionate, logical responses to whatever they say, no matter how silly or frustrating or stupid it seems, even if they're joking. You can sometimes start with just saying back to them what they said, so they can hear it, and then politely but thoroughly pick what they said apart, small piece by small piece. But again, if you don't feel like that approach, you don't have to.
  
• You can also simply excuse yourself from the conversation. It doesn't seem like they're the kind of people that this approach usually works with, but it might. You can simply say "Yes, yes, very funny, can we talk about something else, like ___, instead?". or "I don't know, if you're interested in veganism you should read about it. I don't have all the answers." (it's completely fine to admit you don't know absolutely everything about veganism, just that you know enough about it that it looked better to you than what you were doing at the time). Or you can refer them to other resources (websites, books, documentaries, etc.) that deal with the issue more comprehensively than you can or even just feel like doing on any given day.
  
  Final Thoughts on Having Contentious Conversations and Practical Change:
  
  When you go into these conversations, try to be prepared with factual information, and do you best to remain polite, and educate when you can. If you find yourself getting angry, frustrated, or sad, try to keep calm and stick to the evidence you know. Keep in mind that other people may be listening to and benefiting from your conversation, even if the person you're speaking directly to isn't. It is okay to admit you don't know something, you've been wrong about something, or that you want to stop talking about the topic.
  
  Try and maintain reasonable expectations. Not everyone is going to go vegan overnight. If it's helpful to, think about it as "planting seeds" rather than forcing immediate and total change.
  
  Finally, you may fall into the bad habit of talking only about "Why everyone should be vegan", rather than the "How", as in, "How do you go vegan?"
  
  Practical tips for how to do something are just as important or even more important as knowing why to do it.
  
  You could challenge your friends "I bet you couldn't go vegan for a week", but if you do, then be sure to also recommend some resources to help them start:
  
  
• Ingredient substitutions or good vegan brands that substitute for common animal food products (plant milk for milk, vegan butter for butter, etc.)
  
• Habits to get into, like reading ingredient labels before buying food, or material labels before buying clothes.
  
• Apps or websites like barnivore.com for alcohol or https://cronometer.com/ for tracking nutrition in the beginning
  
• Vegan cooking blogs, websites, youtube channels, or cookbooks for recipes
  
• Email them links to things like a vegan food plate, meal plan, or pics of grocery hauls, to see what kinds of things and in what proportion to aim for eating.
  
  Don't just drop all the ethical vegan information on them and expect them to know what it means to, or how to, use it in practical everyday life.

Basically gonna echo most of the answers already posted, but just to pile on:

• 8" chef's knife. 10" is longer than may be comfortable and 12" is longer than necessary, but 7" may start to feel a little short if she's ever slicing large melon or squash. I'm a casual knife nerd and I have knives by Wusthof, Victorinox, Shun and Mac. My favorite.
  
  
• This Dutch oven. Enameled and cast iron just like the Le Creuset that a few other comments have mentioned, but much, much cheaper. I own two and they're both great. I also have the non-enameled version for baking bread, but I don't recommend it for general use unless you're a Boy Scout. Here's an entertaingly-written blog post comparing the Lodge vs. Le Creuset in a short rib cookoff.
  
  
• This cutting board and this cutting board conditioner. The importance of an easy and pleasant to use prep surface can't be overstated. I'm listing this third on purpose; this is one of the most important things your kitchen can have. A recipe that calls for a lot of chopping is no fun when you're fighting for counter space to do the chopping, or doing it on a shitty plastic board.
  
  
• A cheap scale and a cheap thermometer. Seriously, these are as important as the cutting board.
  
  
• Just gonna crib this one right off /u/Pobe420 and say cheapo 8–10" (I recommend 10–12" but that's my preference) nonstick skillet. One note I'd add is that pans with oven-safe handles are a bit more dual-purpose than pans with plastic or rubberized handles. You can't finish a pork chop in the oven in a skillet with a rubberized handle. But one could say you shouldn't be cooking a pork chop on a nonstick pan to begin with. The important thing is to keep this one cheap: you're going to be replacing it every couple of years, there's no getting around that. For my money $30 or less, and $30 is pretty expensive for these things.
  
  
  

• Cookbooks
  

  Nothing inspires cooking like a good cookbook collection. The great news about cookbooks is that they're often bought as gifts or souvenirs and they make their way onto the used market cheap and in great condition. Here are my suggestions for a great starter shelf:
  
  

1. The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt. I kind of hate that this is my number one recommendation, but I don't know your wife and I do know J. Kenji López-Alt. This one is brand new so you're unlikely to find it used and cheap, but as a catch-all recommendation it has to take first place. Moving on to the cheap stuff:
   
   
2. Regional French Cooking by Paul Bocuse. This is possibly the friendliest authoritative book on French food out there, and a hell of a lot easier to just dive into than Julia Child (Julia is the expert, and her book is an encyclopedia). Bocuse is the undisputed king of nouvelle cuisine and people like Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain (so maybe a generation ahead of you and I) came from him. Paul Bocuse is French food as we know it, and yet this book—an approachable, coffee-table sized thing—still has a recipe for fucking mac and cheese. It's outstanding.
   
   
3. Theory & Practice / The New James Beard by James Beard. These will completely cover your entire library of American cooking. Nothing else needed until you get region-specific. When you do, go for something like this.
   
   
4. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. When she died, the NYT ran a second obituary that was just her recipe for bolognese.
   
   
5. Christ, top five. Who gets 5th? I'm going with From Curries To Kebabs by Madhur Jaffrey. Don't get bamboozled into buying "Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible" which is the same book, repackaged and priced higher. You want the one with the hot pink dust jacket, it's unmistakeable. This is one of those end-all books that you could cook out of for the rest of your life. It covers almost every diet and almost every country that Beard and Bocuse don't.
   
   
6. Honorable mentions: Here come the downvotes. Pok Pok by Andy Ricker. If you're American and you want to cook Thai, this is the one. Ten Speed Press can go home now. The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Rosen (so close to making the list). I shouldn't need to say much about this; it's the book of diasporic Jewish food, which means it covers a lot of time and almost every possible country. It's a no-brainer. Thai Food by David Thompson (a perfect oral history of Thai food for English speakers, only it doesn't include Pok Pok's precise measurements, which in practice I've found important). Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish. Not for someone who just wants to become a baker, this book is for someone who wants to make Ken Forkish's bread. And for a casual bread baker I can't imagine a better introduction. Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham. Andrea Nguyen is out there and Andrea Nguyen is awesome, but I really like Mai Pham's book. It's accessible, reliable and regional. You don't get the dissertation-level breakdown on the origins of chicken pho that you get from Andrea, but the recipe's there, among many others, and it's fucking outstanding. Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. This vegan cookbook is dope as hell and will really expand your imagination when it comes to vegetables. This could actually have been number five.

One of the first veg. cookbooks I got when I was just starting out was Linda McCartney's World of Vegetarian Cooking (also known as "On Tour"): https://www.amazon.com/Linda-McCartney-Tour-Meat-Free-Dishes/dp/0821224875/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386369&sr=1-5&keywords=linda+mccartney

It has recipes from all over the world, from North Africa to Asia, Europe to North America and everywhere in between. They're great starter recipes in that the ingredients are simple (and easy to substitute if necessary), and the instructions are clear. They're great to build on - I've adapted quite a few recipes to my own tastes over the years.

A much more recent couple of books are Ottolenghi's Plenty and Plenty More:

https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386476&sr=1-1&keywords=ottolenghi+plenty

https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-More-Vibrant-Vegetable-Ottolenghi/dp/1607746212/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3YR260YE36YRJAQVCP9G

These are books that celebrate plant-based cooking which is of course inspired by many cuisines, but is itself a wholly original cuisine. Many of the recipes are not knock-offs of popular meat dishes (e.g. lentil bolognese) or existing dishes that happen to be vegetarian (caprese salad) but rather truly original compositions. It's really refreshing for simple but beautiful meals made of creative (but not pretentious) dishes.

I bought Martha Stewart's "Meatless" cookbook last year and it has great recipes too. https://www.amazon.com/Meatless-More-Than-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/0307954560/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386647&sr=1-6&keywords=vegetarian+cookbook

It's Martha Stewart, so it's not going to blow your socks off with complex spices and heat, but the recipes are again a wonderful place to start. Well-balanced, visually appealing and reasonably priced to make, you can always jazz them up yourself.

Finally, one of my favourite cookbooks, vegetarian or otherwise, is Anna Thomas' Love Soup: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Soup-All-New-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/0393332578/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386804&sr=1-1&keywords=Love+SOup

The recipes are heavenly (and as they're soup, you can always tweak to your taste - it's the ideas that are important). But what's really special is the narrative. She really engages you with lots of personal anecdotes and context for the ingredients, recipes and meals in general. I sat down and read it like a novel when I was given it for Christmas one year! It's really lovely.

I'm not particularly strict vegetarian but i've been cooking vegetarian for the past year and a half-ish. I recommend a decent vegetarian cookbook--most random recipes you cook from the internet aren't going to work if you're not used to coaxing flavor from vegetables or balancing spices in indian food. Also, you need to reevaluate what your dietary style is: don't focus on protein + starch + veg as a way of constructing a meal, but instead, combine different types of foods--legumes, grains, leafy vegetables, starchy vegetables, pastes (i.e. hummus), breads or pastas, dairy and eggs if you still eat those, tofu/seitan/tempeh as a protein component.

Also, it takes some adjustment to get used to not eating meat--that fullness and satiety you get when you consume a lot of animal protein becomes less of an indicator of fullness when you cut them out of your diet, which is weird at first, but then you get used to it (now whenever I eat more than a little meat, i feel bloated and gross). It's an adjustment.

Some of my favorite books:

Lucky Peach's power vegetables is great for meat eaters because it focuses on making vegetables "powerful." It's got a very playful art style that belies some truly excellent techniques--it's probably the book I cook from the most these days.

America's Test Kitchen Vegetarian Cookbook will help you do everything the "correct" way. Not everything is a home run, but very little of it has been duds.

People like Ottolenghi's books, but I feel like they err too far on the side of the "bright and fresh" spectrum. Everyone's taste is different, however. I think Plenty More is the best of the bunch.

I also particularly like all of the vegetarian recipes out of Food 52's Genius recipes (Though I like pretty much everything in this book).

This brings me to another point: use this as an opportunity to flip to the veggie sections of cookbooks you might have otherwise skipped when eating a meat-centric diet.

As an addendum, people say to skip fake meat, but i actually like cooking seitan to use as a protein in bowls/stir fries/sandwiches. I scale up and use this recipe but I like to bake it to give it a firmer texture--it tastes like salty, chewier bread chunks that are pretty delicious. Instead of acid, I use whatever vinegar i have lying around, add a bit of onion powder/garlic powder/cumin and crushed black pepper.

I meal plan and I cook for two. Generally-I make a lunch for both people for the week, and then three dinners, with each dinner making enough leftovers for a second night, and then the 7th night we may go out or making something fun (especially on Saturday).

My guidelines with the mediterranean diet is to eat you veggies, greens and legumes on a regular basis, eat meat 1 or 2 times a week preferably chicken, eat seasonally, consume large quantities of olive oil. So my guidelines are very loose.

So my menu this week:
Dinner: Pasta with fresh tomato and basil, peach panzanella salad, taco salad (I make mine with lettuce, tomato, half an avocado, grilled corn, chiles, some cheese, and an avocado yogurt lime dressing-this is where the other half of the avocado goes).
Lunch: Fava (yellow split pea) dip with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, bread and cheese.

I've got some meal ideas on the board for next week and they include pan bagnat, blueberry feta almond salad (not sure if it will include chicken), tomato tart, vegetarian mousaka for lunch, rice and lentil salad with sun dried tomato and pistachios (also for lunch for another week), sweet potato hummus, sauteed greens with pork, lentil salad with arugala, carrots, blue cheese and chicken, zucchini fritters with yogurt dip, stuffed eggplants with yogurt bechamel, maybe a grilled meat with moroccan carrot salad, vegetarian pupusas with cabbage salad, shakshuka with tuna, and so on. In the fall, I'll start eating more squash and other fall veggies and probably way more soups and stews, and stuffed veggie pies. I'm working on creating a spreadsheet of a lot of this stuff broken down by season, so when I need inspiration it will be there.

My inspirations are a lot of Greek food, but I also like Mexican, Indian, and other mediterranean food, so I've gotten a few cookbooks, and follow a few food blogs and go with recipes that sounds good. A great resource is the OliveTomato website that has solid recipes and information on the med diet and I use that for inspiration, though the recipes lean heavy on Greek recipes but it also provides a lot of good guidance. Some of my favorite cookbooks are Kremezi's Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts, but I really like all her cookbooks, I like Madhur Jaffrey for Indian but also really like her World Vegetarian, for veggie recipes. Ottolenghi has some really great cookbooks though the seasoning can be too much but I can also find free recipe blogs by him online. I've also heard great things about ATK's Mediterranean cookbook.

What exactly do you mean by 'healthy?'

Is it about calorie reduction or getting more nutrients? Or both?

A very simple, tasty one is roasted cauliflower. Cauliflower really benefits from browning. Preferably roasting. Just wash and dry it (thoroughly), cut into equally sized pieces, whether it be bite size or "steaks," toss in olive oil, salt & pepper (and garlic if you want), spread evenly on a roasting pan, but don't crowd it too much, and roast in the oven on the middle rack or higher at about 425-450F until brown... even nearly black in a few places. It's so simple and delicious.

It makes a great soup too, just blend it with either veg or chicken stock and either some fresh parsley or thyme.

Another veg that does well with char is broccoli. Steam, blanch (heavily salt your blanching or steaming liquid) or microwave (if you must) the cut broccoli stalks until about half done, drain and dry. Toss in olive oil, salt, minced garlic and chili flakes and grill on very high heat or broil until slightly charred. You won't believe how good it is.

Some great books for veg dishes are:

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Tender by Nigel Slater (this one has a great chocolate beet cake)

The Art Of Simple Food II by Alice Waters (So many simple, classic veg preparations in this one.)

--

Regarding Mac & Cheese, here is page from Modernist Cuisine at Home:

http://i.imgur.com/E4dd4lQ.jpg

It involves using Sodium Citrate. Calm down! Don't be afraid. It's a type of salt derived from citrus fruits. If you like to cook with cheese this stuff will be your best friend. The only issue is you don't need very much of it, so you will need an accurate scale that can handle very small weights, but they're not that expensive and it'll pay for itself quickly in the amount you'll likely save in cheese costs, because.....

What it does is it helps emulsify the fats and solids of cheese when it melts and it can be used with just about every type of cheese that can melt, so that means you can use it to emulsify multiple types of cheeses at the same time. Why this matters for you? If you're trying to reduce calories you can mix your favorite cheeses with some lower calorie cheeses (like drained cottage cheese) and still end up with a really creamy sauce without having to add cream or butter. This stuff doesn't make Pasta & Cheese "healthy" but it does help you reduce the caloric value of a cheese dish without sacrificing texture... in fact it improves it.

Check it out: http://youtu.be/gOLgLi5ZJOY

The Vegan Activist's "Complete Guide To Vegan Food" should be really helpful. For recipes, his "Top 3 Vegan Recipe Channels" video is pretty good. TheVeganZombie, and CheapLazyVegan both have relatively simple recipes on their channels as well. It's not needed, but the cookbook "But I Could Never Go Vegan!" is definitely worth getting as well. It talks about some of the different ingredients vegans use, how to prepare things like nut butter, veggie broth, cashew cream, etc., and has 125 different recipes.

I personally don't usually go too crazy with recipes, most of the stuff I eat is super simple.

For breakfast, I always have some sort of nutrient shake. I'm currently trying naturade's vanilla VeganSmart powder, it tastes like a bannana milk shake when blended with a banana and almond milk (I dilute the almond milk with water to save $). Sometimes I'll also eat hash browns, oat meal, or cereal as well.

My go-to dinner is just a bag of mixed vegetables that comes with sauce packets, and a box of new orleans-style long grain & wild rice. Rice goes in a rice cooker with water, veggies are steamed in a pan with water and the sauce packet. If I'm feeling a little crazy, I'll add some more mushrooms, siracha, and soy sauce. Rice and veggies are done in about 20 mins, low effort, and tastes great. The rice takes longer to cook than the veggies, so start cooking the rice sooner if you want them done at the same time. Also feel free to cook the rice on the stove if you don't have a rice cooker, there really isn't too much of a difference.

I also typically eat a lot of gardein products, you can find their stuff everywhere. it's relatively cheap, and tastes great. Other than their gravy, I've loved everything I've tried from them. Their beefless ground/meatballs taste almost exactly like real beef, and their chick'n tastes spot on when cooked right. I'll literally just fry up their Crispy Chick'n in oil, use the sauce it comes with for dipping, and call it a meal. Unhealthy, simple, and tasty :).

Anyways, I wish you the best of luck. Stick around and ask any questions if you need help, I know it isn't easy being vegan in a non-vegan world, especially when you're new.

Note: I'm a happy omnivore, but have a lot of friends that range from mild veggie to strict vegan.

I'd say there are several good reasons to take it on, even if you don't share the same perspective on the morals of eating meat. One of the biggest is that young veggie folks left cluelessly making food for themselves tend towards the morning star brand style garbage food. You don't want that.

You also can approach it as a purely intellectual challenge. How can I convert some of my favorite dishes into a meatless version that hits the same concept, even if it's substantially different. You'll stand to learn a lot about how to use stuff you already know in new ways. You also can start thinking about how to take a whole meal menu and split it into separate everyone, meat eaters, special vegetarian treat options for everyone.

That last one can be a big deal, especially for young folks. While I may not share the particular belief, I've seen young people whose families just reject their view out of hand alienated pretty hard by always being relegated to just eating the side items they find least objectionable. Making something *just* for the veggie folks as a unique treat, even as an omnivore, makes me happy.

Madhur Jaffrey's encyclopedia of veggie recipes (https://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffreys-World-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0609809237) is a great resource if you just wanna get one book with a ton of options. I'm pretty sure your whole family will find some new favorites in there.

As someone with too many cookbooks for her own good, here are some of my favorites.

I am not a vegetarian, but Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is the book that made me love vegetables. She doesn't approach vegetarian cooking in the way lots of people do, where you just substitute or omit meat from a dish, but creates recipes that center around and bring out the best from vegetables.

Gourmet Today is a huge book culled from the now-defunct Gourmet magazine. It's a good all-around resource with (as the title implies) a modern American bent to its recipes.

Steven Raichlen's How to Grill transformed me from a charcoal-shy indoors-only kind of cook into an aspiring grillmaster last summer. He lays the basics out in a very straightforward manner with lots of pictures and excellent recipes. It includes the basics of smoking as well.

I like reading cookbooks that blend recipes with a broader scope of information related to them, so I enjoy anything by Jennifer McLagan (I started with Odd Bits). She writes about ingredients that are less typical or even looked down upon, making the case that these are overlooked culinary treasures. Her chapter introductions include tidbits like history, cultural impact, and science behind the ingredients. The recipes are great but tend to be highly-involved.

For specific cuisines, a couple of my favorites are Bill Neal's Southern Cooking (the recipe for Shrimp & Grits is mind-blowingly good), The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, and Madame Wong's Long-Life Chinese Cookbook.

TL;DR: the first three are what I'd consider must-haves, the remainder are interesting and might broaden your culinary horizons.

6-year vegan here. /u/57001 has a good list. I'd add Oh She Glows to the blog list for healthy reasonably tasty things that don't take a lot of weird vegan ingredients. Also, Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction was my first vegan cookbook and is still my favorite. It's written as a diet cookbook but the macronutrient breakdown makes it really good for a runner's diet. It's written with a dietician gives you nutrition information on every page. Everything is super easy for weeknight cooking, budget-friendly, and delicious.

Hummus is your best friend. It's a good source of protein and carbs and you can find it everywhere. Very useful when you're traveling some place that's vegan hell. Although, probably pick a less greasy one than Sabra.

And yes, take your B12. A good proportion of omnivores tend to be deficient in it as well so it's not just a vegan thing. You can technically get it through fortified foods, but I would not rely on this. And sublingual or spray is better absorbed by your body than pills.

Happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Food addiction is mostly just sugar addiction. Fast food and other refined carbs convert to glucose almost as quickly as a donut, it doesn't matter if you think it's sweet or not. What's happening is that your brain is looking for its energy from the extreme sugar rush that you have accustomed it to. It can't function without high-octane rocket fuel because that is what it runs on now. You need to set time aside to endure the suffering of withdrawal, and your system will naturally start to seek other energy sources such as the 150 extra pounds of stored energy that you're carrying around everywhere.


In my experience, turning it around takes a real moment of clarity and acceptance that you're going to have to suffer for a while and get tough with yourself to get things back into balance. You need to be able to look at yourself and say: cut the shit, enough treating myself. I've banked up extra enjoyment for years, giving myself treats and rewards for no particular reason. Now it's time to pay back that big borrowed pleasure debt that I've accumulated by treating myself. And the only way to do that is by suffering and understanding that I owe back that suffering to bring things into balance again. If you can make a week with no added sugar or white refined carbs, a carrot will literally sound like a sweet treat. But before you get there, you need to suffer brutal withdrawal like you're the guy in Trainspotting. Maybe you need to lay in the dark with a cold cloth on your head, or curl into a ball and sob. The physical awfulness of getting off the sugar/carb train is not to be underestimated.


I don't know what Soylent is, but you should be eating real food rather than anything with a product name. Food was never meant to be particularly fast or easy. Real food takes some pre-planning and time to prepare. The hardest thing can be adjusting expectations about how quick or easy it is to obtain a meal, especially when the rest of society expects you to deal with eating in 15 minutes. But if you're not chopping something on the cutting board and turning the stove on, then chances are you're eating dog shit. It takes a complete readjustment of your schedule to start doing things properly. Anyone who loves food should love cooking, and happily learn to understand raw ingredients and spices and flavors. You should never be staring down a plate of something you don't want to eat. A proper meal that you've made yourself with fresh ingredients with the help of a good cookbook will be more enjoyable than any heroin fix from mcdonalds.


There are a couple great books I've used to help understand how things work, and figure out what I want to be cooking.


Most useful source of information:


http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Live-Amazing-Nutrient-Rich-Sustained/dp/031612091X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426010343&sr=8-1&keywords=eat+to+live


My favourite cookbook:


http://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffreys-World-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0609809237/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426010362&sr=1-1&keywords=madhur+jaffrey+world+vegetarian

I make my own curry powder seasoning for easy cooking when I'm too lazy, but the majority of Indians don't use "curry powder". Just your usual coriander, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder, salt, asafoetida, and a few others. Plus, it tastes best fresh!

Cashew cream is usually the go-to for vegan creaminess, but you can also forgo that and use blended tomato/onion/garlic/ginger. I find that for certain dishes, it makes a very creamy base without all the added fat. Of course, it would taste best sauteed in oil until it's nice a browned.

You should check out Manjula's Kitchen, Holy Cow Vegan, and look for Anupy Singla's Vegan Indian Cooking.

As for veggies, it entirely depends on what kind of curry I'm making. Mushrooms and peas in a tomato base is very good. Chana masala is usually the first Indian dish people try, because it's fookin delicious. Saag is another great one (it's blended greens with cream and sometimes paneer/tofu). I also really enjoy legumes cooked in coconut milk (I know you're not looking for that, but it's soooo good!) with curry leaves and cumin seeds. Pretty much any vegetable will work though, you'll just adjust your spices accordingly.

Hooray! I love cookbooks!

• Forest Feast is great for those veggies & entertaining
  
  
• A subscription to Cook's Illustrated
  
  
• A solid cookbook - Smitten Kitchen
  
  
• Anything by Yotam Ottolenghi but I particularly LOVE Plenty.
  
  
• The god of pastry Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery
  
  
• David Chang's momofuku, his pastry chef Christina Tosi's milk bar,or a subscription to his magazine Lucky Peach
  
  I don't know if they're into making ice cream, but it's really easy and fun:
  Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, The Perfect Scoop, and Ample Hills are all great.

I worked at a grocery store, cleaning the meat department. It was gross as hell, and I was the best cleaner there, which meant that overall, meat departments are awful awful places. So I stopped eating meat. These days, I think we don't need to kill things to eat, so in general we shouldn't if we don't have to. I try not to be strident or to push vegn eating on other people (I'll still go to lunch with people who eat meat, for example) because it's really annoying.

This was 1992, and I haven't eaten meat, fish, chicken, or anything like that since. I still eat eggs and dairy a little, but lately dairy makes me ill so I am cutting out the milk as well. I eat a ton of soy because it's useful and versatile.

Free-range meat and eggs are just to make people feel a little better about eating them. Same with "happy meat." It's nice that it's not factory farming, but you're still raising an animal for the sake of killing and eating it. It seems hypocritical to me.

Let me see... Favorite meals? I like to make burritos with various forms of TVP and fake meaty things. I make a damn fine dry-fried sake-miso-marinated tofu with udon. I've made a bourbon reduction sauce with spice-rubbed dry-fried fake chicken strips. I've made breaded and pan-fried tofu "wings" in buffalo sauce. I could go on, but you get the idea-- I don't eat brown rice and plain tofu every night, or, really, ever.

Your last question-- tofu shouldn't be lumped in with fake meats. It's not really an attempt to emulate meat in any way-- it's a totally different kind of thing. It does take some thought to cook it-- you need to figure out marinades and different frying techniques, and you can't just throw it in a pan and know it'll come out tasting great without you having to do much with it. On its own it's a flavorless lump, but it soaks up marinades and spices like crazy, and you can cook it a bunch of different ways for different effects. Generally you'll want to cook with extra-firm tofu, and you'll want to press the liquid out of it before cooking it (I put it between paper towels on a plate and put another plate and some books on top for half an hour or so).

Fake meats are useful for converting recipes (like the bourbon reduction I mentioned before) since you can usually drop in a package of fake chicken strips from Trader Joe's in place of chicken in most things. (And you can always get a package of Tofurky and make a sandwich.) Some of them are really expensive; some are not very good. Some are better for cooking in different ways. You may have to try them, or get advice from people who have already done a lot of cooking...

Beware of tempeh. It's a weird sort of fermented grain thing, and it's very difficult to make it totally palatable. I still don't cook with it much since it's easy to do poorly and it's super gross if you aren't careful with it. Consider that an advanced vegetarian protein and get used to cooking with tofu first. 8)

If you're curious, Veganomicon is a FANTASTIC cookbook. You could eat from it for years without getting bored:

http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X

If you want to cook various ethnic foods, I've had a good time with Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook:

http://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffreys-World-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0609809237

It has all kinds of stuff to try out, and goes into detail on methods and techniques of cooking different vegetarian proteins.

There are also vegan and vegetarian message boards around if you want to ask people who do more cooking and have tried a lot of things.

The biggest problem when starting out vegetarian will be going out to eat. You may find that your favorite restaurants are no longer good places for you to eat, or that going out with friends involves more negotiation. It also depends on where you live. Most largish cities will have at least a few vegetarian or vegan restaurants, or will have restaurants with veg options on the menus. Be prepared for some disappointing or annoying experiences while you figure it out. Finding local vegns to hang out with will help that, but you may have to be firm with your friends and convince them that it's not just a phase and that you're not just trying it out for a while. (This assumes, of course, that it's not just a phase and that you aren't just trying it out for a while.)

Be prepared for people to give you a hard time. Don't be afraid to tell them that it's your decision and if they have a problem with it they can go to hell (or perhaps something more polite). Lots of people will think it's clever to start asking you things like "what about plants? aren't plants alive too?" and "Chickens have a brain the size of a peanut-- they're not intelligent or anything!" and "clams are so simple they're hardly animals at all!" and so on and so forth. A million stupid and time-worn jokes. Just be ready.

People also like to argue with vegetarians about things because they think you're judging them. Ideally, you aren't judging them-- if you are, I'd suggest hiding it unless you really want to get into a fight, since people take it very personally. I usually tell people that it's my decision and I don't really care what they do.

Anyway, it's a great decision to make, although it's not always easy. There are lots of groups of supportive people out there, and it's a lot easier to go veg these days than it was back in 1992 (or earlier! Imagine eating vegetarian in the US in the 70's!). Good luck! Ask questions, and don't be afraid to try stuff!

I've only seen one part (which I thought was sort of bullshit) but I've heard it's for the most part a good advocate for a plant-based diet. Have you seen either Cowspiracy or Earthlings? The former covers the environmental impacts of the livestock industry, and the latter covers the ethics. I would whole-heartedly recommend both, with a warning attached to Earthlings because it can be genuinely shocking and/or traumatizing to watch. Cowspiracy can be found on Netflix, and Earthlings is free to watch here. If you want some ideas for how to execute the actual transition, I found this page to be a useful resource. IMO a whole foods diet is the way to go, it's made me feel so much better physically. But always remember there's plenty of junk food like chips, frozen veggie nuggets, and ice cream you can buy at the store if you want to have an unhealthy day. If you want a crap-ton of fancier, more complex recipes and good guides on substitutes and such, try a cookbook like this one or this one. Both are great resources, and if you want to make the switch I would definitely recommend getting one of them. Lastly, check out www.happycow.net! You can find what restaurants in your area are either fully vegan or have vegan options. Makes it a lot easier to eat out with friends and such. Anyway, hope I haven't rambled on too long or overwhelmed you with information! Hopefully some of that helps you come to a decision on this. It really is up to you, but like I said, make sure to watch those documentaries! And don't shy away from researching them afterwards to learn more about how destructive the livestock industry is.

I don't take any supplements, but I really, really, really should be taking b12. Like other's said, b12 is only really available from animal products.
I eat a LOT of spinach. Like, half a bag a day. I've not found it too hard to substitute meat in my meals. One pot meals like curries, stir fries, chilli, etc are really easy to veganise. You can swap the meat for chickpeas, other beans, lentils, soya mince, soya chunks etc, and still get a great tasting meal. The key is to use the right herbs and spices.
Tofu is delicious, but only if you cook it properly, otherwise it can be like...pannacota type texture. Make sure you press it!

I bought myself this book: Appetite for Reduction and it was a massive help.

Good luck! And don't give yourself too much grief if you slip up every so often. Give yourself a grace period to ease into it.

Just a couple of links to help you out.
The stonesoup has great (mostly) 5 ingredient recipes and can be easily made vegetarian.
I highly recommend How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and Appetite for Reduction for simple, basic recipes.
Also, quesadillas are a great, quick meal on a stove. If you're looking for a good vegan recipe, these Smoky White Bean Quesadillas are awesome and can be made easily without a food processor.
And this Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce (scroll down) is delicious, cheap and easy with pasta or steamed veggies. I had a kitchen this size when I studied abroad in France a couple years ago and it can be done. You just have to learn to be creative. :) Good luck!

My best resources have been cookbooks, honestly! Every Sunday I pick something that appeals to me and try it. I've learned to appreciate and prepare different veggies in all different ways. And that has opened me up to a lot of veggies I never ate before: beets, cabbage, ALL of the beans. Before I would always buy new veggies to try with good intentions, but just never knew what to do with them.

I know there's some debate over their style, but I really like the Thug Kitchen books. The recipes are pretty easy and creative. I also LOVE Veganomicon specifically because it has a lot of basics and is a good starting point. I recommend checking it out!

Online, I like onegreenplanet.org. They have a LOT of recipes.

Okay, I suck at responding, but here's some stuff I do!

I recently kicked my butt into gear and what helped me:

1. Cooking for myself and eating a primarily plant-based diet.
   
   I looove cooking. Making vegan food has helped me tremendously. My favorite vegan blog is Oh She Glows. She makes my favorite kind of vegan food which is the kind that doesn't have non-vegan substitutes (the food just happens to be vegan, no faux meat or fake cheese etc) and it has reasonable ingredients that I can find in the grocery store by my house. Everything I've made from that site was delicious. I own this book and it is fabulous.
   
   
2. Drink a shit ton of water
   
   I bought a water bottle like this and it makes it easier to drink than wide-mouth ones. I have an app on my phone, Water My Body, so I know how much I have left to drink that day.
   
   
3. Green Smoothies. All the time.
   
   Green smoothies are fucking delicious. I feel better every time I have one. The most basic is Almond Milk + Banana + Spinach but you can make all kinds. The 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge starts July 1, so sign up for free! There are a lot of other great recipes at Green Monster Movement.
   
   
4. Getting enough sleep
   
   I am a horrible person with no sleep. Coffee helps, but only so much. I had to start changing my habits so I could sleep on time. I set an alarm to tell me to stop doing what I was doing and start getting ready for bed. I got f.lux so my bright screen wouldn't keep me up (they have it for Android and jailbroken iPhones too!). I started reading before bed and taking melatonin. You gotta do what you gotta do.
   
   
5. Meditation
   
   Meditation has helped tremendously. It isn't exercise, but it makes me feel better. Even if I do it for five mins a day.
   
   
6. Exercise
   
   I am going to be honest. I've been lazy lately with exercise. But my favorite places to get the job done (since I don't have a gym membership at the moment)
   
   Hang Tight - MarC will kick your ass. Her southern drawl will make it hard to hate her, though.
   
   Blogilates - My favorite YT exercise guru. I love her workout calendars, because it makes planning exercise super easy.
   
   Let me know if you need me to explain or elaborate on anything!

youtube is your friend! I like CheapLazyVegan, SweetPotatoSoul, VeggieKins, also do you have a public library ? i get a bunch of vegan cookbooks from there. Personally I like reading things on paper better than youtube recipes, but to each their own.

https://www.amazon.com/Oh-She-Glows-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/1583335277

https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/

Nooch (nutritional yeast) gives things a nutty, cheesy flavor. Put that in sauces, tofu stir fry, cashew cream for 'cheese' (you blend cashews - soak them in water overnight first- with plant based milk in a smoothie).

I wish you well on your vegan journey, my friend, I've been vegan for one month and I love it!<3 come over to the compassionate side where we practice loving kindness towards all creatures

​

MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR B12.

I wouldn't call myself a vegetarian but I don't eat red meat and tend to eat plant-based meals 4-5x a week. I also hate salads unless they're greek-style (feta + cucumbers + tomatoes, that whole deal).

I'm not a creative person in the cooking department so the best thing for me was to buy a few reference books. I use this, this, and a book I can't remember that I found at a used bookstore haha. The Complete Vegetarian one is an amazing resource but very dense and many recipes take longer than 45 min. so I mostly use it as a reference for how to prep vegetables. Also don't discount vegan cookbooks! Vegans get a lot of flak on the internet but a lot of the recipes are really good. I also frequent /r/1200isplenty and /r/vegan1200isplenty where lots of easy, low-calorie high veggie dishes are posted.

Lately I'm big on little variety platters (like a plate with a mix of vegetables, cheese, and crackers lol) but I make a lot of soups too. Couscous is amazing. One of my favorite summer dishes is a penne pasta mixed with oven-baked corn, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. A lot of people like to use spaghetti squash or a spiralizer to make fake noodles which can be used as a substitute for regular noodles in stir-fry or bakes. I've also turned around and fallen in love with tofu. I really love this crispy tofu recipe. The key to crispy tofu is to use firm or extra firm and let it drain for an adequate amount of time (impatient me wants it NOW so it used to end up soggy lol). Hope that helps a bit!

Both my partner and I are vegetarians and we both like to cook. We often cook enough food to have leftovers, so our go to "quick meal" is often reheating leftovers.

If you like Indian food, this Easy Chana Masala recipe is one of our favorites. You can skip the mango powder if you don't have it/can't find it/don't want to bother getting it.

For making rice, if you don't have a rice cooker, having a gas stove is the best. But if you have electric, the best method uses two burners - 1 on high to bring the rice to a boil and the other on low to cover and simmer on. I usually do a 2 to 1 ratio water to rice and simmer white rice around 15 minutes, brown rice around 45 minutes. I also enjoy a curry rice as a side dish - simmer 1-2 tsp curry powder in butter or oil for 2 mintues; add 1 cup rice, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil and then simmer 15 minutes for white or 45 minutes for brown rice.

For making beans, canned beans work pretty well when pressed for time, but I recommend using dried beans for better flavor and texture. Soaking your beans overnight really helps to reduce your cooking time on dried beans, but that does mean you have to plan ahead.

I'm not sure if you want cookbook suggestions, but here are a few good ones that I like:

• Veganomicon
  
• The Heart of the Plate
  
• The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook - not exclusively vegetarian, but it has a lot of good vegetarian recipes
  
  If you're looking for recipes, there are a lot of vegetarian/vegan food blogs out there and you can also check out /r/VegRecipes and /r/veganrecipes.

Since everyone else is touching on the other stuff, Appetite for Reduction is one of my favorite vegan cookbooks. Unfortunately it's not loaded with pictures (and the pictures it has are kind of... funky...), but the food is good.

The Post Punk Kitchen is also worth checking out. This black bean and quinoa soup is one of my favorites that I don't make often enough.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. My SO's mother has several conditions including fibro, rheumatoid arthritis, and some super fun neurological disorders that the doctors haven't been able to pinpoint. She doesn't have CP, but I know her arms and hands are very, very weak as well. She has good days and bad days. I've known her for about five years now, and her best days seem to pile up when she's drinking plenty of water and she gives herself a break physically. Her doctors have recommended trying yoga over the years, though I don't think she's ever followed through. Swimming seems to help get her going, and I know for a while she was saying she was using very light weights (1 and 3 lb) to do some basic arm and shoulder exercises.

You are totally welcome to PM me if you want to, I'd be happy to pass along anything from my SO about his mom's routines. They've been dealing with this for about 25 years now, so I know there's a boatload of information I don't have.

Hey! I see you're a new vegan! You might want some good resources for vegan cooking and recipes. Check out some of my favourite vegan cookbooks:

Veganomicon has really good recipes and some basic recipes.

Minimalist Baker. She's got an amazing blog that I cook from all the time. It's maybe my favourite vegan source for recipes.

Thug Kitchen. Not my favourite recipes, but the book is hilarious. Also a blog.

Oh She Glows Also really healthy, lovely vegan food. Also a blog.

Good luck with your new journey, and I hope these bring you some fun ideas!

Recipe ideas for a family:

1. Meal Preps: As a family this saves a ton of money.
   Recipes: Nothing beats cheap lazy vegan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEjkioV3LO_OIUaSWRxFZ3A
   Containers I use: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01MQTYZE8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
2. Bacon: https://yupitsvegan.com/vegan-rice-paper-bacon/
   
3. Burgers: http://ohsheglows.com/2016/08/31/oh-em-gee-veggie-burgers-from-my-new-cookbook/
   
4. Mac'n'Cheese http://www.vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes/well-crafted-vegan-macaroni-and-cheese-mix/
   
5. Overnight oats for easy and mostly cheap breakfasts: http://ohsheglows.com/2015/07/22/vegan-overnight-oats/
   
6. Pancakes: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/191885/vegan-pancakes/
   
7. Chili: http://eathealthyeathappy.com/killer-vegan-chili/
   
8. Lentil Shepards Pie: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/seriously-the-best-lentil-shepherds-pie/
   
9. Bread: https://pinchofyum.com/no-knead-bread -if you get in the habit of making it the night before (18 hours before cooking) it is super cheap and delicious! You do need a dutch oven.
   
10. Bean Salad: Cheap/healthy and filling for a family. I alternate this and chili so I don't get sick of one or the other. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/94055/best-bean-salad/
    
11. Rice: The staple of all vegans. Learn to cook it perfectly. http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/perfect-basic-white-rice-137364
    
    Regarding Lentils/beef dishes/meaty dishes the following ingredients are a must for me to make them taste hardy and win my omni friends over: Nutritional Yeast also known as Nooch, Soya Sauce, miso paste, and liquid smoke. Also, all lentils are not equal don't just swap red with belugas or with brown.
    
    Apart from recipes
    Staples to have in kitchen:
    
    
12. Strong sources of Iron: Black Beans/Lentils are all high in iron. The iron fish can help with iron. https://www.amazon.ca/Lucky-Iron-Fish-Iron-Fish-Deficiency/dp/B01LX5S5FP
    
13. Vitamin B complex once a week for family along with some fortified milk or veggie substitues.
    
14. Vegan Yeast,
    
15. Vital Wheat Gluten (expensive but a nice treat sometimes to either thicken dishes or make seitan).
    
16. Inspiration: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/comments/5v4miz/upgrade_your_vegan_pantry_skills/?st=j9ydxzu0&sh=ec6a2b25
    
    
    Best cook books for vegan:
    
    
17. Oh she glows: https://www.amazon.ca/Oh-She-Glows-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/0143187228/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1510589247&sr=8-1&keywords=oh+she+glows&dpID=51onMpwHI9L&preST=_SX258_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
    
18. Oh she glows everyday: https://www.amazon.ca/She-Glows-Every-Day-Plant-Based/dp/0143196510/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GNYPSVSJAG38FERC7614
    
19. Thug Kitchen - https://www.amazon.ca/Thug-Kitchen-Official-Cookbook-Like/dp/1770894659/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YSC8PYAEHCEBP8T0VWZ0 Although the language isn't kid friendly.

I'm vegan and limiting caloric intake, but I can manage it with protein shakes! This awesome mix with 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk and a banana is about 300 calories and keeps me full for hours, while giving me nearly 1/2 of my daily protein!

My second favorite safety net is using Isa Chandra's Appetite for Reduction recipes (she's my favorite chef of all time!), especially chickpea and quinoa salad - it's so versatile and super high in protein.

If you cut out the dairy, you'll probably have an easier time reducing your overall calories, so look for vegan alternatives if necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to PM!

Yotam Ottolenghi came out with a followup on his Plenty cookbook a few months ago, its called Plenty More. Used to see vegetables as only a side dish but he really changed my mind and enabled me to see that they can really be the star of the table. There are many interesting combinations. And as a man who is an omnivore himself, he often makes his dishes hearty enough that many of us wont even miss the meat.

Another book which you should look into is Thug Kitchen. If you haven't seen their blog, you should really check it out.

You should also look into Deborah Madison's books. This one is practically the Bible among vegetarians due to how comprehensive it is. Ironically, she also is an omnivore.

Theres also the Moosewood Cookbook which is great for weeknight meals as many of the recipes are simple and quick.

If you like Indian, I would really recommend 660 Curries which has some of the best Indian food I've ever tasted. I often compare food I get in Indian restaurants to what I've cooked from this book. Yes, its not completely vegetarian but the vast majority of Indian cuisine is vegetarian so it should still be a valuable resource for you.

Speaking of Indian food, Madhur Jaffrey (who is known for her Indian cookbooks) has a great cookbook dedicated to vegetarian cooking.

Moosewood Restaurant Favorites is a great vegetarian cookbook. I'm not even a vegetarian but I do try to eat as many veggies, greens, and fruits as possible. They make other Moosewood cookbooks I just dont have any of the others (yet), but it is a vegetarian restaurant so all their other books are veggie friendly

ATK's The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook - I love all the ATK books. I use cook books on a daily basis (am young, dont really have much cooking experience beyond basics, so I rely heavily on cook books to learn) and theirs are always the best. I have never had a recipe from any of their books turn out bland. They are also generally very simple recipes. And I havent come across any that require uncommon appliances or hard to find ingredients ..there are so many other cook books that do this and I hate it when I find a recipe that requires an immersion blender and then all sorts of uncommon /hard to find speciality food items and it's like well, guess I'm not making that any time soon. If you cant tell, I have a lot of praise for ATK books lol.

Rice milk is generally low in fat (and calories), but it's a little too sweet for me. Your mileage may vary. I like almond and cashew milk, but that may be a little too high in fat for you.


Daiya is a soy-free cheese alternative, but I haven't tried it. I've heard good things about it, though, and it's supposed to melt like "real" cheese.


As for yogurt, I've only had soy and coconut, so not a lot of recommendations there. So Delicious is a good brand.


Edited to add: Appetite for Reduction has some good low-fat vegan recipes that you could easily incorporate meat into if you'd like.

I recently made some really fabulous Chili-Lime Rubbed Tofu (from Appetite for Reduction ) the other day. Here's the basic recipe for it. It calls for 1tsp of oil, which is all you'd need for the recipe. If you wanted to omit it, you probably could do so without too much trouble.

I served this with sauteed spinach (in garlic and a little lemon juice + water for sautee-- just a smidge), corn kernels, and slices of bell pepper all over some warm brown rice. You could also make it over quinoa and it would be delicious! The marinade in the tofu makes a bit extra after cooking, so you can probably pour it over the bowl and have it be a bit extra flavor. Or, you could top it off with Salsa Fresca (which should naturally have none of the things you're looking to avoid).

Now, that does make for a 1-bowl-per-person meal. I love it, but if you're looking to do something fancier, you certainly can.

These Raspberry Truffle Brownies have no fat. They also can be made using sucanat or another sweetener that isn't sugar. I'm familiar with an eating plan similar to your mom's, and generally the issue is added sugar (with the recognition that special events are special, and you can have an occasional treat).

If she can't have any added sugar, you may want to make some quick banana soft serve, since most "dessert" recipes-- even vegan ones, have generally some oil or some added sugar (maple syrup, agave, etc.). So if you can't do any sweeteners or any added oil, peel and freeze a few bananas. When you're ready to have your dessert, break them into pieces and toss them into the food processor with a bit of non-dairy milk, and a touch of vanilla extract. If you're feeling fancy, you might add peanut butter or cocoa powder. Whiz it together til you get a decent consistency. You may need to scrape the sides down a few times.

Good luck, and enjoy!

Hi! I would suggest finding a cookbook you like the looks of and getting into it. I usually really like Ottolenghi's recipes, for instance.

I also started my own personal cookbook/collection, too. I started with family recipes, and would take other people's recipes and add to it. It's huge now, but I still have a couple of great standalone books.

Some dishes that have kept me alive over the years:

Risotto. This took me through university. (I don't add butter, and I sometimes add mushrooms.)

Curry. I live off of curry. This recipe is an OK starter (but use chili pepper, not cayenne). There are a lot of bad curry recipes out there. It took me a lot of years to get the recipes right, so I might suggest finding someone who is good at curries and learning from them.

Peanut sauce. You can steam green vegetables, make some rice/soba noodles, and throw this sauce on top. Add a bit of tempeh for protein. Easy peasy.

If you can get into a cooking class and food is something you want to brush up on, I would highly recommend it. I took a bunch of classes, and even the most basic ones helped me learn tricks and tips that I still use.

Good luck!

I've posted this elsewhere but here ya go...

> Avoid the Audubon guide. The Audubon guide is pretty terribad (bad photos, pithy descriptions, not user-friendly.)

> There are much better nationwide guides out there (like the Falcon Guide), but quite honestly you're better off with a regional guide.

> My recs for regional field guides:

> Alaska

> - Common Interior Alaska Cryptogams

> Western US

> - All The Rain Promises and More

• Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest
  
  >Midwestern US
  >
  
• Mushrooms of the Midwest
  
• Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States
  
• Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest
  
  >Southern US
  >
  
• Texas Mushrooms: A Field Guide
  >
  Eastern US
  >
  
• Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Cental Appalachians
  
• Mushrooms of Northeast North America
  
• Macrofungi Associated with Oaks of Eastern North America
  
  > As an aside, books like Mushrooms Demystified, Lichens of North America, Mushrooms of Northeastern North America, and Mushrooms of the Southeastern United States are too large and cumbersome to take out in the field, but are all excellent references to have at home for ID after a foray.

I would not recommend the Audubon guide it is very out of date (this can range from outdated taxonomy all the way to toxicology that has changed over the years). It is useful because it lists species other guides lacks but you'll learn to hate it.

Buy a location specific guide. It depends on where you live. If you get really into field hunting buy some specific guides that give you a more in depth understanding and help you not to die. Joining a local mycological society is also an extremely valuable resource in understanding mycology.

Here's a bit of everything

Regional guides

Alaska

Common Interior Alaska Cryptogams

Western US

All The Rain Promises and More
Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest

Mushrooms Demystified This is an old book, while still useful it definitely needs updating.

The New Savory Wild Mushroom Also dated but made for the PNW

Midwestern US

Mushrooms of the Midwest

Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States

Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest

Southern US

Texas Mushrooms: A Field Guide

Mushrooms of the Southeastern United States

Common Mushrooms of Florida

A Field Guide to Southern Mushrooms It's old so you'll need to learn new names.

Eastern US

Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians

Mushrooms of Northeast North America (This was out of print for awhile but it's they're supposed to be reprinting so the price will be normal again)

Mushrooms of Northeastern North America

Macrofungi Associated with Oaks of Eastern North America(Macrofungi Associated with Oaks of Eastern North America)

Mushrooms of Cape Cod and the National Seashore

More specific (Advanced) guides

Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World

North American Boletes

Tricholomas of North America

Milk Mushrooms of North America

Waxcap Mushrooms of North America

Ascomycete of North America

Ascomycete in colour

Fungi of Switzerland: Vol. 1 Ascomycetes A series of 6 books.

Fungi Europaei A collection of 14 books.

PDFs and online Guides

For Pholiota

For Chlorophyllum

American species of Crepidotus

Guide to Australian Fungi If this is useful consider donating to this excellent set of guides.

Websites that aren't in the sidebar

For Amanita

For coprinoids

For Ascos

MycoQuebec: they have a kickass app but it's In French

Messiah college this has a lot of weird species for polypores and other things

For Hypomyces

Cultivation

The Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home (If your home is a 50,000 sq ft warehouse)

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation

Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms

Mycology

The fifth kingdom beginner book, I would recommend this. It goes over fungal taxonomy Oomycota, Zygomycota and Eumycota. It also has ecology and fungi as food.

The kingdom fungi coffee table book it has general taxonomy of the kingdom but also very nice pictures.

Introduction to fungi Depends on your definition of beginner, this is bio and orgo heavy. Remember the fungi you see pop out of the ground (ascos and basidios) are only a tiny fraction of the kingdom.

NAMA affiliated clubs

I'm not currently doing a Whole30, but here are some W30-compliant recipes I've been loving lately. Even though it's summer, I still love warm food!

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken. THIS IS SO GOOD, and my boyfriend and I usually get 3 meals each out of it. Have this turmeric cauliflower (either cauli heads or riced) on the side: 1 large cauliflower, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 3 tbsp coconut oil. Toss the cauli in the spice mixture and coconut oil, roast on a sheet pan at 425F for 30 minutes.

(The cauli recipe comes from this cookbook, which obviously isn't 100% W30-compliant, but damn there are so many recipes in here to give your veggies some variety.)

Easy Pulled Pork. We've made this pulled pork sans tacos during W30 and ate it with roasted veggies like carrots, sweet onions, sweet potatoes or red potatoes.

Fall Harvest Turkey Thai Soup. So, so delicious, but if you're not used to eating red curry paste, you may want to use half the amount of it, or even pass on it completely.

I swear I know I plug this cookbook all over this subreddit but it is changing my life on the regular:

Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden is the best vegetable-centric cookbook I own and maybe the best cookbook I own, period? This cookbook helps me figure out:

• how to choose good veggies at the market (especially when they're unfamiliar to me)
  
• different ways to prepare the same veggies (yesterday I learned that raw asparagus is actually delicious!)
  
• how to get better at using the same minimal pantry of ingredients to flavor a whole bunch of different things in slightly different ways
  
  I think if you listed all of the ingredients listed for ALL of his ingredients for ALL of his recipes in his ENTIRE cookbook, it would probably be less than 50 things. It's all about reusing the same stuff to produce different tasting dishes and I eat all kinds of cool salads now. Here's the one I made for the first time yesterday.

Maybe you need to put the part about it being a gift in bold, because people are posting links to blogs...

I agree with 5A704C1N on Veganomicon -- I don't own it, but it's very highly regarded. I also really like the Moosewood cookbooks for homestyle comfort food.

But if your pal has good cooking skills, maybe something for a specific cuisine or with a generally more worldly view would present a challenge and give them something to learn. Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian is supposed to be really good.

Edit: I've seen some people say Jaffrrey's World of the East is actually better.

OK, second edit: you might try searching on chowhound.com's forums -- they are always my last word on anything food-related online.

I eat a combo of vegan/paleo. Why?
Paleo ppl know how to cook their meat in decently low calorie dishes
Vegan - man do they know how to make veggies! You don't really know how to cook veggies until you dig into these recipes.

• 1 Oh She Glows - Food genius! Best I've ever owned!
  

• 2 Against All Grain - Very solid, I love everything including the desserts
  

• 3 Thug Kitchen - Amazing flavor combinations and loved most everything I made, some things were more effort than they were worth. I found myself going to the grocery store a lot when I was cooking through this book. Avoided the desserts because of the use of all purpose flour, sugar etc. The baking seems more traditional.
  

• 4 Everyday Detox - Love the shakes and desserts, the cookie recipes are the best I've made, but the food falls flat. The combos don't knock my socks off.
  

• 5 Paleo Comfort Food - Found a few good things in here but lots of misses. Resorted to writing X's and check marks on the pages of things that were successful and not so successful.
  

  
  

It might help to ease into it. That can help you find recipes you like and foods that make you feel great -- it's a lot less pressure if you mess up a meal or don't like something when you're doing one or two vegetarian days per week. You can then do it more and more as you feel more comfortable and it will let you move out of your comfort zone a bit and try new things.

Don't shy away from meat substitutes (as sometimes you just want a "burger"!) but don't rely on them 100% either. Look for meals that highlight vegetables rather than try to hide the fact that there's no meat.

Also, not all vegetarian cookbooks are created equal. The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook is amazing though, and Thug Kitchen is a lot of fun.

Finally, don't beat yourself up if you slip. If you eat meat, forgive yourself and move on. Nobody is perfect but seeing a slip as a huge disaster just makes it harder to get back on track if you do.

Good luck!

Food can be healthy, easy, or cheap, but for any given meal you have to pick two. If you want healthy, you might need to give a little on the easy part, at least compared to take out.

When I first was on my own and responsible for cooking for myself, my mom got me this cookbook that has super simple, easy to make, small portioned vegetarian food. I would highly recommend it for a lazy vegetarian looking to get healthier, but I don't know anything about meat cravings and it will take a little effort to make some of these (although it also has things like yogurt parfair or sandwich filling suggestions

I gained 60 pounds being a junk food vegan and now I've lost all of it by trying to eat whole foods and count calories. I still love fries, cookies, bread, pasta, chocolate, etc. I just try to eat healthy most of the time and occasionally indulge. I would suggest using myfitnesspal or a similar app to keep track of calories and macro nutrients.

If you just cut out meat, dairy, eggs, animal products, sugar, processed carbs and soy... Oh Boy! That's a lot all at once and most people who go vegan for health reasons don't stick to the diet because they see it as... well a diet. It's a lifestyle change that involves making an ethical choice at every meal.

Having said that, going vegan was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I've never looked back. Check out Appetite for Reduction . It's full of healthy vegan meals and it lists the nutrition info for each recipe! Good luck :)

>Tofu is gross

Yes, it is. It is an acquired taste, and even then you have to do it right. It is still probably my least favorite protein as a vegetarian. What is less gross are the latest fake meats like http://beyondmeat.com/, but if you do eat meat, I'm not sure there is a compelling reason for those. For that reason, I'd suggest going with

http://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-It-Amazingly-Delicious/dp/0316221902/

Everything in that will be good. Add meat to the ones you want to, but they're all pretty good in their original vegan state. It is cheap and healthy, but you must have the "well-stocked pantry". So if you do get the book, pop the bucks for Mirin, peanut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, tamari, etc.

If you have a slow cooker and want to do Indian, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1572841303/ has a lot of great recipes too. It also has non slow-cooker recipes, but if I recall correctly they were more often ones involving a slow cooker.

1. I read Eating Animals, by Jonathan Saffron Foer and could not find a rational argument against veganism as the ethical choice given my access to alternatives to animal products. I was reading a whole lot of books on all sort of food-related topics, had no intention of going vegan or even vegetarian, but that was that. Went vegan the following day (July 4, 2011)
   
2. My spouse is working on decreasing animal product use. He kind of tapered - he was avoiding red meat, then lacto-ovo-veg, now he's closer to 80% vegan with occasional LOV meals. He also found meat substitutes he likes so he can do burgers, tacos, and other foods that are comfort food to him. I don't really have much practical advice, I guess, except that meat substitutes / analogues are a perfectly reasonable option if those flavors/textures are significant to you.
   
3. I'm boring. On a typical day I have oatmeal and coffee with soy milk for breakfast, some kind of grain plus frozen veggies and either beans of chopped up baked tofu for lunch (I make a big batch, portion it out, and freeze it ahead of time for the week), and tofu and some veggies for dinner. All boring, all easy, all tasty and inexpensive. For good recipes, I recommend checking out the post punk kitchen. Two of my favorite cookbooks are [http://smile.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Vegan-Kitchen-Donna-Klein/dp/1557883599/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415407055&sr=8-1&keywords=mediterranean+vegan](The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen) and The Oh She Glows Cookbook.

I know it sounds simple compared to all these other great ideas, but you might check out the [Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, Revised: Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegetarian Recipes] (http://amzn.com/0761511709) As the title suggests it has a lot of simple, easy to make recipes that might inspire you. I wish you luck and btw 1st post.

As a time to end boredom, my friend from school took me to a Japanese restaurant on our break between classes. He wanted me to try sushi, and I was so scared. I eventually caved, and now LOVE IT!!! In fact, that is what I am going to have today for lunch! Happy birthday by the way, even though it is late at this point <3 If I win, I would love this cookbook. Thanks!

Absolutely! Watch some of Chris Califano's videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TwXHsSE5Vg
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HjescrTWA
  
  Read a few of his articles on efficient exercise:
  
  
• http://www.thefirstsupper.com/efficientexercise.html
  
• http://www.thefirstsupper.com/srengthshapemuscle.html
  
• http://www.thefirstsupper.com/thebestweighblog.php?s=bulked-up-vs-genuine-muscle
  
• https://rawlivingproof.wordpress.com/
  
  I'm also a huge fan of Brendan Brazier, tri-athlete & author of the fabulous Thrive Diet recipe book:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Thrive-10th-Anniversary-Plant-Based-Staying/dp/0738219517
  
  Check out his TEDx Talk:
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqpjap8rewo
  
  I've done vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan, and fruitarian dietary projects. I tried out Brendan's meal plan probably a decade ago or so when his book first came out & got really fantastic results from it...tons of energy & ridiculously fast recovery times. His updated book has a 12-week meal plan that includes raw food options for 125 recipes (he also has a separate book with 150 recipes). I will say two things:
  
  

1. You'll be amazed at how expensive it can get
   
2. For not actually cooking anything, you'll also be amazed at how much time raw-vegan meal-prep consumes (not to mention how often you'll have to go shopping!)
   
   Also be warned that depending on what you're currently eating right now, your GI tract may take a few weeks to adjust to the new diet. If you're really interested in trying out a raw vegan diet with a focus on bodybuilding, I'd suggest picking up the Thrive Diet book & trying out the 12-week meal plan it it & also reading through all of Chris' articles on his website to get started.

There's definitely lots of ideas and recipes on the web, but I still highly recommend the Student Vegetarian Cookbook. It's exactly what you're looking for - yummy, cheap, quick veggie meals. It's a good mix of meals, and are things that meat-eating friends will like to eat with you too.

Vegetarian here! Morningstar stuff often contains more protein than actual meat, and is really easy to use!

Beef crumbles, red sauce, and pasta

Shepherd's pie (without the cheese)

The brand gardein has orange chicken that's really good with rice.

I'll have to do some searching and send you some simple meals he could eat plus a few of my personal recipes. If you don't cook often it can be difficult to have a vegetarian diet, but most meals will last for days (the Shepherd's pie has about 8 servings) so you won't have to constantly be cooking. I also really recommend [this book] (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1936493969)
by America's Test Kitchen, there are so many great recipes and they mark which ones are vegan, which are quick to make, etc. And they also do a great job of breaking down the basics like how to use different types of proteins, prep ingredients, etc.

I know it's probably daunting but you got this! It looks harder than it is, give it a couple of months and you'll be a MasterChef (well, maybe not but you will probably have quite a few favorites you'll be able to make from memory!)

Yeah 100%, i'm at work now but i'll scan in a bunch of recipes from the book tonight.

It's this book, which on kindle or paperback is super cheap and super worth it. All the recipes I have tried have been amazing and it does everything.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/But-Could-Never-Go-Vegan/dp/1615192107/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526462459&sr=8-1&keywords=but+i+could+never+go+vegan

I like this cookbook a lot - it's got a healthy/low-calorie focus and everything I've cooked out of it has been great (AND no/minimal "specialty" foods - some good quinoa recipes though)! Yes, it's vegan, but adding meat would be easy if you and your family prefer. I am personally not vegan, but I like vegan cookbooks a lot because they tend to showcase creativity with vegetables and whole grains.

Also, I'm going to stress this from forgot_my_password99 again:
>Cannot stress this enough, vegetables and more vegetables.

There are tons of ways to prepare vegetables other than just steaming them (though that's great too!), and maybe adding a bit of butter/pork/etc is a good way to 'baby step' into eating more vegetables!

Also: if your family is open to it, explore different ethnic cuisines! For example, Thai style curries or stir fries (easy with frozen stir fry vegetable mix, Thai curry paste, optional coconut milk, and tofu or chicken) are easy and vegetables are an integral part of the dish.

Hey! I know you didn't message back but I was just looking at cookbooks to buy for this next year (this is my next 'get my shit together' year and hopefully it works this time!) and I saw one for vegan athletes by a professional Ironman triathlete and it made me think of you so I thought I'd send you a link:

• His guide
  
• His first cookbook
  
• His second cookbook
  
  I just wanted to let you know there are vegan options for you that fit with your lifestyle, whatever it is, and it would mean a lot for me if you could help me find the perfect resource for you so you can try to make a change. Thanks for reading :)

This is a really interesting question and I’m curious to see what others post. When it comes to how to plan, pace, and execute a multi course meal, I mostly learned through osmosis cooking around my parents and just doing it myself. Would love to learn of some books that talk about this more explicitly. One resource I recommend though is this series of chefsteps articles. They describe the whole process of planning and executing a particular menu.

When it comes to flavor pairings and how to put together a well rounded dish or meal, I think there are lots of great resources. Most of the books below are more sources of inspiration than books that explicitly discuss how do flavor pairings or whatever.

• Six Seasons: vegetable focused cookbook discussing what’s in season. The main point is that you should think of the year broken into six seasons. I often use this book to jog my memory of what things might go together based on seasonality
  
• The Bug Fat Duck: this is a great source of inspiration in so many ways. The plating is beautiful, the dishes are often made up of many components and inspire pairings. Above all, it discusses Hestan’s ideology and creative process in crafting dishes and menus. As a heads up, this is a pretty modernist book, and pretty much all of the dishes are an insane amount of effort to pull off and may require special equipment. I mostly use it for ideological inspiration
  
• Atelier Crenn this is pretty much the same style of book as above, but a different chef

I struggled to find something as well, and ended up making my own.

Here's my plan at 1350 kcal per day:

>Daily Meal Schedule
>7:30am - Breakfast 300kcal

>10:30am - Snack 150kcal

>1:30pm - Lunch 300kcal

>4:30pm - Snack 150kcal

>7:30pm - Dinner 450kcal

>Total 1350kcal

Drop fifty kcal each off breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you've to a perfectly doable meal schedule for 1200kcal per day.

Breakfast examples

• 1 cup Strawberry Fields (Kashi) cereal in 1 cup Almond Milk (230kcal total)
  
• 1 slice Orrowheat Wheat Bread toasted with 2tbsp Almond Butter (280kcal total)
  
  Snack examples
  
  
• 30 baby carrots (150kcal)
  
• 21 raw almonds (150-200kcal)
  
• 1 Bananna (220kcal)
  
• 2 large yellow nectarines (140kcal)
  
• 1 large apple (120kcal)
  
  Lunch Example
  
  
• 2 slices Orrowheat Wheat Bread, 3 Field Roast vegan deli meat slices, 1tsp mustard (289kcal total)
  
  For meal ideas and lo-cal recipes, I highly recommend you check out Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction, which is just chock full of thoroughly delicious recipes that will allow you to do wonderful things within a calorie-restriction diet. My favorite recipe is the Cesar Chavez Salad, which makes for a tasty and filling meal. She also has a killer hummus recipe that is only 60kcal per 1/4 cup! Each recipe includes nutrition breakdowns and calorie counts.
  
  Also, I suggest you purchase a food scale, as too often weighing portions is the only way to know for sure that the calorie assumptions you're using are accurate.
  
  Edit: I should add that this approach can be super cheap as well. Just stick with frozen vegetables, nonorganic produce, and bulk dry beans and rice, and you can live for pennies on the dollar compared to what you might otherwise spend.

I'm a vegetarian that is always craving variety too! Some of my favorite websites for inspiration are:

https://smittenkitchen.com/ (one of the originals, she is GREAT)

http://www.101cookbooks.com/

http://www.veganricha.com/ (a lot of Indian and international cuisine)

http://www.isachandra.com/recipes/

http://cookieandkate.com/

Finally, I recommend Plenty and Plenty More - two cookbooks celebrating vegetables from the famed Ottolenghi. His cooking is fantastic (ignore the pomegranate seeds on the front cover, I promise it's so much more than that, he just happens to be middle eastern!)

https://smile.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=J1TA1NT14PVDZVX7G173

https://smile.amazon.com/Plenty-More-Vibrant-Vegetable-Ottolenghi/dp/1607746212/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1607746212&pd_rd_r=J63PHF1F8H0ZEMPVJTSR&pd_rd_w=PCmMs&pd_rd_wg=dsz8A&psc=1&refRID=J63PHF1F8H0ZEMPVJTSR

There are amazing directions on how to assemble the perfect "bowl" combos (1 grain, 1 bean, 1 veg + sauce) and lots of recipes and examples in this book, which I can only recommend. (The "Reduction" in the title is not just about losing weight; this doesn't have to be read as a dieting book, although it's possible to use it that way.) I love Isa's books because they don't use expensive, hard to find ingredients and the recipes always come out perfect.

• How Not To Die Cookbook is a phenomenal cookbook that accompanies the How Not To Die book (a recommended read, IMO).
  
• Forks Over Knives cookbook is also a good one, as is their website
  
• Engine 2 Cookbook is the last cookbook I'll recommend.
  
• If you're on Facebook, check out the groups Whole Foods Plant Based No Oil Recipes & Tips, Dr. Michael Greger fans - How Not To Die, and Whole-Food-Plant-Based-Diet.com
  
• Happy Healthy Vegan has a nice and entertaining selection of videos on YouTube. They're primarily WFPB, but not exclusively. Also very informative videos on why and such.
  
• Simnett Nutrition has quite a few What I Eat videos where he shows you what he makes and eats throughout the day. He is fitness oriented, so eats a lot, and you'll see workout montages and such, as well as quite a bit of rambling, but his rambling is either relevant and helpful info, or just entertaining and silly at times.
  
• NutritionFacts.org YouTube is all of the science and studies broken down and analyzed to get you a good grasp of what and why WFPB is the way to go.

We use the America’s test kitchen recipe and we usually add some garam masala or adobo peppers in during the food processing stage for added flavor. Also olive oil is a great healthy option ( the recipe calls for this but a lot of people use canola). Serves with fresh celery. Oh man its so good.

I cant message a photo here but I’m sure its on google. I really recommend that cookbook https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Foolproof-Recipes/dp/1936493969/ref=nodl_

Also we make a ten times batch and freeze it in a muffin tin. Pull it out at breakfast time and it’s fully thawed but still cold by lunch. Enjoy

The Student's Vegetarian Cookbook is great. Its one of the one's I got my vegetarian sister when she wanted to learn to cook. Also got her this book. She liked both so much that I ended up getting myself copies and I love them too. My sister went from not knowing much more than how to make easy mac to actually enjoying cooking and being able to make some really decent things with these books.

I've got a few good recipes that are essentially beans and different combinations of veggies and spices cooked on a skillet.

Two recipes that I particularly like are Caribbean Black Beans and
Cajun Skillet Beans (both from this great cookbook). One will usually last me a few meals. I like to serve them with good, flavorful rice and sometimes corn scones.

Another good idea is learning how to make tasty chili. You can make a bunch in bulk and freeze most of it in small containers and unfreeze it as you go.

Ha! Well since you asked...

• Run Fast, Eat Slow and Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky
  
• Dining In by Alison Roman; also her column at the NY Times
  
• The First Mess blog and cookbook
  
• 101cookbooks blog and cookbooks
  
• Six Seasons, by Joshua McFadden
  
• Seven Spoons by Tara O'Brady
  
• Any of Nigel Slater's books - especially Tender
  
  Truly truly, I could go on. But those are some good places to start :)

There are actually two cookbooks I've found great recipes in (granted my husband and I happily eat mostly vegan...) that might be an easy starting point. We love the maple miso tempeh, and while that may be too hard of a sell for your family they might like the broccoli 'cheese' soup- it's made creamy with blended chickpeas 👍🏽

Plenty (or any of the Ottolenghi) books sounds like a good fit based on her previous dishes. It's vegetable focused, healthy, not too complicated, and will definitely make her a better cook by introducing new techniques.

I agree with the ATK book posted here by /u/PM_ME_A_FACT, but would also like to add the book "Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi." The ATK book is more of a begginers book than Plenty, but both are great resources.

Plenty on Amazon

Earthlings is what made me go vegan, too. (Linked it for others who might be interested in watching it.)

Congrats on the weight loss! I highly recommend Isa Chandra Moskowitz's "Appetite for Reduction," which is a vegan cookbook aimed at weight loss. Her website is great, too.

Good luck with everything!

I was vegetarian in college and the Student's Vegetarian Cookbook was basically my Bible. So many great recipes in there that don't require any fake meat or anything like that. They're all super easy too.

One of my favorites was a flatbread recipe that involves sauteeing sliced red onions, spinach, and diced apples in olive oil, then mixing in just a bit of dijon mustard, and spreading it on a pita or flatbread. If you do dairy, add a few crumbles of feta or gorgonzola and bake for a couple minutes on high heat (400 or so) to just soften the cheese and warm everything.

One of my favorites that I just acquired is a cookbook called Plenty. It's filled with lots of really vibrant photographs and tasty, often Indian- or Middle Eastern-inspired recipes that always get my mouth watering. I'll sometimes find myself flipping through it for no good reason, just to admire the delicious food.

Ah, so you'll probably mostly have to focus on vegetables and fruits:

this is a great guide for roasting vegetables. I imagine simple roasted vegetables being one of the easier things to feed a child of that age.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty is a good resource for a lot of amazing vegetable recipes. A number of the recipes contain eggs, dairy, and/or grains, which you can probably substitute, reduce, or leave out.

Two suggestions:

1. Check out Budget Bytes. I find that her vegetarian section tends to lean on the more carb-dense side, but it's a good place to start.
   
   
2. I haven't seen anyone recommend the Student's Vegetarian Cookbook before, but it's a great place to start for good vegetarian meals with the absolute basic ingredients, since it's aimed at students.

I really love the cookbook Appetite for Reduction. It sounds like exactly what you're looking for--low fat, quick, healthy, and easy.

It's a vegan cookbook, which is kind of nice because it eliminates some high fat foods like cheese and eggs. But if you're not a huge fan of tofu or tempeh you could always cook some chicken breasts instead.

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

This is far and away my favorite vegetarian cook book. It has a good broad sampling of food from all around the world with a slight emphasis on India (which I appreciate). It is well written and easy to follow. I have a wonderful index by ingredients and country. I've had it for years and it still is my go to cookbook when I'm not making things from memory or making it up.

My boyfriend and I are mainly Vegetarian. I never thought I would be able to do it, but some of the meals I have made have been so delicious that I don't really miss meat at all. My favorite resources for meals are the following:
Minimalist Baker
Cookie & Kate
Meatless
The Complete Vegetarian

Hopefully that helps some, and I will say I haven't much I disliked from those books/blogs.

I'll throw in another vote for Isa her books are great.

She wrote the Veganomicon. with Terry Hope Romero and it's been one of my favorites since I got it in 2008.

Another favorite of mine is The Homemade Vegan Pantry

Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is a classic here, even if you eat meat as well and just want more vegetable ideas. I don't have the newer, revised edition but the original edition has been very well used in our kitchen. Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is excellent too.

better to learn both poisonous and edible.

Eastern US

Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada The most recently published for the NE

Mushrooms of the Northeast by Walt Sturgeon An excellent pocket guide, Walt does a good job mentioning the lesser known look alikes.

Mushrooms of Northeast North America A great guide for beginners, with many pictorial and dichotomous guides to ID fungi.

Mushrooms of Northeastern North America Has the most species listed for the NE.

• I am obsessed with cooking and baking. Trying new recipes is a weekly, sometimes daily thing. Specifically, I LOVE Deb's recipes!!
  
  
• Deb's Cookbook (Smitten Kitchen) because, then I can cook/bake all of the delicious food!
  
  
• Thank you, so much!

One of my favorite cook books is "Appetite for Reduction" which is a vegan low calorie cookbook.

The recipes are delicious and really helped a super non-vegan like myself give more veggies a try!

I recommend that you get yourself a good cookbook that appeals to you and work through it. The nice thing about working with one book is that the author usually sticks with the same kinds of flavoring agents and tools so you don't have to buy a ton of different things.

For the last few months I have been cooking from Appetite for Reduction because all the recipes are vegetable heavy and very quick to prepare and now I don't even need to make a list when I go to the store I know exactly what I need, lemons, limes, garlic, onions, broccoli, mixed greens, dark leafy greens, cashews, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, cilantro, whatever fruits and veggies are fresh and on sale, hot sauce different beans, olive oil, almond milk, rice, pasta, quinoa, tempeh, tofu, peanut butter, and coffee.

Sine my spice rack is full and I grow lots of herbs I can make all kinds of things

I think the trick to being able to make lots of different things is to not use any processed foods. To make fast but healthy meals it is easiest to do batch cooking on one day of grains and proteins and then just assemble quick meals out of whole grains, protein, vegetables, and a sauce.

Yotam Ottolenghi has some nice cookbooks with great recipes and beautiful photos that I've given as gifts.

https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-Cookbook-Yotam-Ottolenghi/dp/1607743949/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Ottolenghi-Cookbook-Yotam/dp/160774418X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I think that if you like to cook, then everyone should have this cookbook on their wishlist. But that is just my opinion. I like to cook because I am not very crafty.

I would be interested in a scarf or bookmark. I don't read but something to hold the place in my recipe book is nice. :)

These three books are from incredibly talented chefs in the US and London and are truly outstanding: [Plenty] (https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1452101248&pd_rd_r=QS2966PJKEEF0GRXT77M&pd_rd_w=AGutm&pd_rd_wg=8W62G&psc=1&refRID=QS2966PJKEEF0GRXT77M), [On Vegetables] (https://www.amazon.com/Vegetables-Modern-Recipes-Home-Kitchen/dp/071487390X/ref=pd_sim_14_23?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=071487390X&pd_rd_r=QS2966PJKEEF0GRXT77M&pd_rd_w=AGutm&pd_rd_wg=8W62G&psc=1&refRID=QS2966PJKEEF0GRXT77M), and [Six Seasons] (https://www.amazon.com/Six-Seasons-New-Way-Vegetables/dp/1579656315/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1579656315&pd_rd_r=K5GB31833Y91YN058FX5&pd_rd_w=mrmpX&pd_rd_wg=A77Ay&psc=1&refRID=K5GB31833Y91YN058FX5).

Cookbooks have been a life-saver when it comes to making vegan food that my family will eat! Minimalist Baker recipes are always a home run for us.

I bought a book last week on Amazon that you might like, called "But my family would never eat vegan!"
https://www.amazon.com/But-Family-Would-Never-Vegan/dp/1615193421

I don't cook meat for other people, and they haven't complained yet because every vegan recipe I make is delicious :)

My favorite book on my shelf right now is Joshua McFadden's Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables.

We are big carnivores at my house, but this book has taught me to approach eating seasonally so differently. The information is helpful, delicious, approachable, and unpretentious. Buy it and then immediately make the fried delicata squash "donuts" with pumpkin seeds and honey.

When I go to the store I try to shop in the bulk section so I can buy exactly how much I need for a recipe instead of a box of something. Also, I am really good at eating leftovers.

I use One Pan, Two Plates by Carla Snyder for my husband and I. I think the recipes are really delicious and easy and (mostly) healthy. You could prepare one of the recipes and then have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Pan-Two-Plates-Weeknight/dp/1452106703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418833179&sr=8-1&keywords=one+pan+two+plates

I have not used this book, but I've heard it's good (Cooking for One by Judith Jones): http://www.amazon.com/Pleasures-Cooking-One-Judith-Jones/dp/0307270726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418833055&sr=8-1&keywords=cooking+for+one

Appetite for Reduction has a bunch of great recipes that are by no means difficult to make. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, The Veganomicon is pretty awesome. Just remember: Cumquat, Vanilla, Nectacoughcough

The Resistance board game because she loves it :) - 28.18 inc. S&H

Oh She Glows Cookbook - high priority, 14.50 free shipping

That puts it at 42.68 with some change for smaller items or whatever.

It's not entirely French based but I highly recommend Yottom Ottolenghi's Plenty. Tons of great vegetarian options in that book, all exquisite.

I try to eat mostly paleo so the America's Test Kitchen Paleo cook book is great. In fact, America's Test Kitchen anything is great.

It's not health related but you can certainly modify the recipes to be low-carb but I also really like 2 plates, 1 pot I haven't come across a recipe I didn't like in that book. I will say that I usually have a ton of leftovers from the side portions of the meals.

Well, you said field guide, so I am assuming you don't want to lug around the 30 lbs of Mushroom Demystified in the woods as you forage. This one is MUCH smaller. It is pretty good with a ton of good pictures.

Though I have not personally cooked from them, you might want to check out Quick Fix Vegan or the 30-Minute Vegan Books (1, 2, 3, 4), which are geared toward making food in 30 minutes or less.

My personal favorite book for when I'm looking for something easy and relatively fast is Appetite for Reduction. Though the title doesn't suggest it, the author notes that many of the recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less. It's a low-fat (not fat-free) cookbook, though, so that may not strike your/your SO's mom's fancy. Still, I've made lots of tasty things from it, and I'm not a dieter. It also has cute veggie illustrations.

Here are some ideas:

• Shun Nakiri knife?
  
  
• Microplane grate. This is what I use for finely mincing ginger and zesting citrus
  
  
• Spice dabba, indispensable for keeping whole (i.e., unground) spices in a compact form factor.
  
  
• Silpat baking mat, great for converting any baking pans into a nonstick version. I've used it to roast vegetables, bake cookies and even macarons.
  
  
• Mandoline, self-explanatory. Great for making uniform slices or strips of vegetables for gratins or casseroles. I made the ratatouille in Pixar's Ratatouille with this!
  
  
• Combination pressure-cooker/steamer/rice cooker/slow cooker. This is an electric pressure cooker that has the advantage of not requiring the same amount of babysitting as a typical stovetop pressure cooker. If your GF cooks with a lot of beans and lentils, then pressure cooking is something she'll appreciate.
  
  
• Plenty by Ottolenghi features highly inventive vegetarian cooking using a wide assortment of vegetables. The book has a middle eastern emphasis, but still contains recipes from all over the globe. My favorite is the Soba noodles with mango and eggplant.

Have you tried skinnytaste.com ? I've been using tons of her recipes.

Also, lots of recipes from the Moosewood cookbook series are good for WW points. This is my favorite of their cookbooks: http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Cooks-Home-Adventurous/dp/0671679929

As I make the recipes, I figure out the PP+ values on WW online and then write the points value right in the cookbook.

She has a cookbook too that is really great. I think most of the recipes might be on her site, but I still recommend picking up the book. Several of our favorite things to make come from there.

http://smile.amazon.com/The-Smitten-Kitchen-Cookbook-Perelman/dp/030759565X

I have been vegetarian for 13 years. I use the big recipe sites like allrecipes, www.food.com , www.foodnetwork.com , www.epicurious.com , plus some veg-specific ones like www.vegweb.com and www.vegetariantimes.com . Honestly, I would suggest picking up a cookbook. If you don't want to spend any money you could even check out a couple from the library. They usually have some decent veg cookbooks. It is very easy to find low fat/low calorie vegetarian cookbooks. I have a couple of vegan ones that I use a lot because my husband is vegan (I'm not): Appetite for Reduction and The Happy Herbivore Both authors have some good vegan recipes on their websites too: www.happyherbivore.com and www.theppk.com

Another thing that is really simple is just to modify the things you like to eat now and make them vegetarian. My coworkers always ask me what I eat but besides the fact that I tend to eat more world cuisine than the average meat-eating person I eat a lot of the same things that they do. Lasagna, stir fries, casseroles, tacos, most anything you can think of. So my advice is to just think of whatever you want to eat and either modify it yourself or google a recipe for it to make it meatless and low-calorie.

I agree that PETA dropped the ball with that particular ad. I don't think that making overweight people feel bad about themselves is the way to go, as far as bringing them to the vegan side, or for inspiring people to lose weight either. But it's possible that by changing her diet to a healthy plant-based diet could really affect your mom's weight. It could also go a long way towards improving her self-esteem issues. Doing something for others (in this case, for the animals) often results in one feeling good about oneself. Anyway, it sounds like you're already trying to nudge her in that direction. Maybe you could show her some low-fat vegan recipe blogs or get her a book like Appetite for Reduction, or the Forks over Knives cookbook...if you haven't already done that!

I have too many to list. I love a whole bowl and eat it regularly, recipe: http://triedandtasty.com/the-whole-bowl-copycat-portland/

Also buy this cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1936493969

Its the best! I cook out of it 3-5 times a week.

I've lost 12 pounds in the last month or so by eating more vegetable-based dishes. This book is amazing! And cooking is really fun. And this one is good for learning general nutrition.

I know that the end of Appetite for Reduction Isa goes into how to plan out making "bowls" such as the mediterranean bowl consisting of bulgur, roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, and a dressing that can be made following the recipe in the book. There's also some good sandwich suggestions which are made up of various recipes in the book.

The book can also be really good for weight loss since it breaks down the nutritional content for each recipe. IIRC, the book is also focused on less calorie dense items as well (hence the title).

edit: Just checked and the Veganomicon has a few meal suggestions as well.

This is my favorite budget veggie cookbook.

Mac n' cheese and spaghettio's are both veg if you're really broke, and beans and rice are also really inexpensive. If you buy a little $20 slow cooker, you can save money by cooking dried beans. Noodles of any kind are cheap, and you can learn to make sauces that are cheaper than the jarred kind. Basic tomato sauce is just garlic and canned whole tomatoes. Stir fry and fried rice tend to be inexpensive. Oh, and polenta! Polenta is cheap and delicious. You can make your own Greek yogurt fairly easily and it's not as expensive as store-bought.

/word vomit

For Indian, I definitely recommend Anupy Singla's Vegan Indian Cooking. It's accessible and full of great recipes.

I don't have firsthand experience with the other two cuisines you mentioned, but this book looks promising!

I was recently given a cookbook that I have really enjoyed: One Pan, Two Dinners. I've yet to make anything in there that I didn't really enjoy, and they combine different foods in interesting ways. Perfect amounts of food for the wife and I.

I've had really good luck with this book. Don't let the "Vegetarian" part scare you, you can always add meat - but cutting back on meat will help save you money.

My favorite is Plenty, it is a vegetarian cookbook and many of the recipes have dairy or egg products, however, there are numerous amazing vegan recipes and most of the non-vegan ones can be easily altered. The focus of the book is presenting vegetables as entrees.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty is incredible. All veg recipes with an Israeli and North African twist. It’s pretty easy to follow and one of my favorite cookbooks.

Edit: link

If you don't know who Brendan Brazier is, he is definitely someone worth getting to know for resources on these things. I recommend this book as a good place to start.

One thing I will point out is that you mention that you come from a running background. I believe you will have to substantially up your daily caloric intake once you start to incorporate swimming into your regimen.

I have a few recipes that I've done myself! However, most of my recipes that I get I find online. Here are a few good sources!

http://ohsheglows.com/

http://www.theppk.com/

http://vegweb.com/

http://www.vegkitchen.com/

My girlfriend also two books which we use A LOT:

Appetite For Reduction

Veganomicon

If you would the few recipes that I have, I'd be glad to give them to you! I'm about to be really busy at the moment, so I don't have time to type them up (all of my recipes are stored in my head lol) but I have the day off tomorrow so I will type them up then :)

My boyfriend recently bought me the America's Test Kitchen Complete Vegetarian Cookbook and this was the first recipe I made from it. I made a few alterations - like using kecap manis instead of molasses and sugar. I would also increase the amount of sambal olek next time I make this, it wasn't spicy at all. I would also make more sauce than I did. Overall happy with it though!

I shall try it as well. And in case you need reading material, go check out the "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook" from the great people at America's Test Kitchen: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Foolproof-Recipes/dp/1936493969/ref=sr_1_1 - I bet you'll like it. It's on my bed stand. Makes me hungry and sleepy at the same time.

I'm obsessed with every recipe from The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla. The recipes are easy, flavorful, healthy, and authentic. A lot are vegan or easily veganizable, as she's also the author of Vegan Indian Cooking, which also has some slow cooker recipes. Both cookbooks are highly recommended!

America’s test kitchen is great but most of their recipes are behind a pay wall. Epicurious and Bon Appetite are the same company and both have delicious recipes but they aren’t necessarily for beginners. All three of those groups have recipes on YouTube.

I would avoid most blogs which have no real quality control or a way of really testing their recipes unless the blogger is a pro chef.

Tasty is dreadful. They focus more on novelty than flavor.

You mentioned you prefer vegetarian/vegan this is my favorite veg cook book everything I’ve tried from this book has been delicious.

Have you read any of the Thrive Books?
http://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Nutrition-Optimal-Performance-Sports/dp/0738212547/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409777153&sr=1-2&keywords=thrive

Or

http://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Energy-Cookbook-Plant-Based-Recipes/dp/0738217409/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409777153&sr=1-4&keywords=thrive

Super helpful for vegan athletes!

I recommend Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty.

Or if you know that your friend likes Indian cuisine, here’s the bible on the subject: Pushpesh Pant’s India: The Cookbook.

These are the ones on my wishlist:


The Vegonomicon


Everyday Happy Herbivore


Thug Kitchen


But I could never go vegan!


Oh She Glows Cookbook


I personally own The Vegan Stoner Cookbook and I like it a lot.

One Pan, Two Plates has a lot of great recipes with sensible portion sizes for two people. Don't trust her cooking times for things like rice and lentils and stuff like that though, they take way longer than she says.

This sub has never heard of cookbooks. There are hundreds of excellent vegetarian cookbooks that are so easy to find at any bookstore. This one just came out this year and it is fantastic and very broad.

[The US], the nation of innovation (at least historically) would have never been with socialist principles. Socialism promotes laziness. Capitalism promotes ingenuity. This is indisputable as communist countries have always had to steal their best stuff from capitalist, innovative societies.

[...]The only difference between [socialism and communism] is communism incorporates much more of a police state in their dealings with their own citizens. If America's founders were socialists, I believe there is a very high probability that Thomas Edison, Alexander Bell, The Wright Bros., Louis Pasteur and the Apollo Program, among other examples, never happen. I love our socialist Euro friends and all, but they have not surpassed America's accomplishments despite the fact that America has existed for far less time.

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Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, Revised: Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegetarian Recipes https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761511709/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_o-RMzbQE761J9

I have an older edition of this book. Most of the recipes are really easy with commonly available ingredients. Steps are well explained and most of the recipes make 1-4 servings.

When I first went veg many years ago, I found this book to be quite useful. My culinary skills & tastes have progressed considerably since then, but this book proved to be an excellent starting point for cheap & tasty veggie meals & ideas.

Student's Vegetarian Cookbook

I love this cookbook. It's about 80% good stuff. My husband and I literally cooked our way through the whole cookbook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1600940498/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_-BZMDbD6TE237

Moosewood! I am a Moosewood Cooks at Home fan, myself.

I grew up cooking with River Road Recipes, which really is the best "textbook of Louisiana cooking."

Veganomicon, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

Forks Over Knives―The Cookbook: Over 300 Recipes for Plant-Based Eating All Through the Year

If you have one: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot: 80 Easy and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes That You Can Make in Half the Time

I can recommend a few books that we constantly use to cook from:

The Happy Herbivore

But I could never go Vegan

500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes

We use the first two on a weekly basis, although we mix in some traditional vegetable noodle soups, homemade pizza (with vegan cheese), lots of wok-style noodles with vegetables and tofu and more.

I highly recommend this cookbook . Tons of recipes of all different kinds and nearly everything I’ve tried from it has been really delicious.

I'm not the person you replied to, but any cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey is a great place to start imo. I bought this one 8 years ago and I still use it.

Start with a great cookbook. I own this one and recommend it highly (not an affiliate link): https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Foolproof-Recipes/dp/1936493969

Don't try to replicate meals with meat in them! I know there's all this faux-meat stuff with the tofu and the seitan and the whatever, but it doesn't taste as good as meat and there are a zillion delicious vegetarian recipes that are absolutely as tasty as things with meat.

I highly, highly recommend Maddhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook, which has so many delicious recipes. I cook out of there all the time, even though I eat meat.

If you're eating cheese, eggs, etc., you probably don't need to worry too much about nutrition. Going vegan is more of a concern because you have to worry about where you're getting your protein.

This book changed everything for me... delicious and simple recipes. Its my go to cookbook and a lot of my omni-friends have received a copy and adored it.

Dude, I totally get you. I went to the supermarket high a few weeks ago and noticed that half of the produce there I've never tried. Some I know, like turnips and radicchio, others not at all, escarole and baby kohlrabi. It blew my mind that these veggies had been around me for my entire life and I'd never even tasted them.

So I did some research and found a cookbook that focuses on the flavors of a single vegetable and have been making my munchies from that. It's amazing how diverse the flavors of fruits and veggies are and how underappreciated they've become nowadays

The recipe came out of this book a friend gave me recently. Ive only tried a few recipes but they've all been amazing. https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Indian-Cooking-Healthy-Recipes/dp/1572841303

I bought this book a few years ago when I was on a budget, and I quite liked it.Student's Vegetarian Cookbook

And do you know Mark Bittman? He also has a vegetarian book out that I like. How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Should it be pareve?

A lot of indian recipes are adaptable to kashrut. Vegetable curries with rice and lentils or chickpeas can be festive.

Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi has some good vegetarian cookbooks. https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248/ref=asc_df_1452101248/

Any of the Moosewood cookbooks, or the Vegetarian Epicure. I'm not vegetarian in the slightest but some of my most beloved recipes come from those books.

A few things that might help you:

Check out appetite for reduction. It's a Vegan cookbook for losing weight so it has some good low carb options.

A lot of Japanese food is actually low in carbs if you skip the rice, try out something like Tofu Nimono.

Try swapping your rice for quinoa, it's basically like rice, but it has more protein so you don't have to eat as much.

I personally like filling up on greens to instead of filling up on carbs.

Plenty and Plenty More are the absolute best cookbooks I've ever owned of any kind.

I just got America's Test Kitchen's "complete" vegetarian cookbook and its got some great recipes! It doesn't explain all the reasoning behind some of the techniques like a good YouTube channel would, but it does give plenty of details (frequently with illustrations).

I can recommend two cook books.

1. mastering the art of French cooking by Julia Childs
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-French-Cooking-Volume/dp/0394721780
   
   
2. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. A personal favorite.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/The-Smitten-Kitchen-Cookbook-Perelman/dp/030759565X
   
   

You can look for something like the Students Vegetarian Cookbook by Carole Raymond. Which is an inexpensive paperback book, so look at local libraries and book shops

or even as a last resort:
https://www.amazon.com/Students-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Revised-Recipes/dp/0761511709

Also search in general for "student vegetarian cookbook"s because there are others out there too that focus on easy recipes and beginner tips.

But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan!: 125 Recipes to Win Everyone Over (But I Could Never Go Vegan!)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1615193421/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IIpzzb7SWHAD5

Marked down from $24.95 to $11.67

the Oh She Glows cookbook is fantastic and I have never made a bad recipe.

Definitely the Moosewood Cookbook! (https://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Cooks-Home-Recipes/dp/0671679929/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=72K88YT6MZNKNAWAEAMQ)

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I received this cookbook in college, and it expanded my cooking repertoire by lightyears. All of the recipes are simple and taste delicious. Most take around 30 min or less and involve a small number of ingredients. It is vegetarian/pescatarian, but as a hardcore omnivore, I don't miss the red meats at all.

I agree that just chopping vegetables and throwing it on a plate won’t really cut it. You need to have at least 2-3 different components to a dish (unless it’s a one pot type meal) and I personally often take the approach of one bean/lentil dish and one fried or baked dish. That combined with some rice or bread makes a hearty meal that makes me feel satisfied in a similar way to eating a meat dish. On the plus side, veggie dishes tend to cook more quickly than meat.

I’m a omnivore but try to cook vegetarian meals when I can and have the time. I recommend this book if anyone is looking for some ideas for vegetarian dishes and meals to make but aren’t experienced in that type of cooking.
https://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffreys-World-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0609809237

I'm a student, and I love the Student's vegetarian cookbook because it's got a lot of easy/cheap recipes.

I love this one and use it all the time.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Pan-Two-Plates-Weeknight/dp/1452106703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449342825&sr=8-1&keywords=One+pan+two+plates

I love Appetite for Reduction, a vegan cookbook by Isa Chandra Moscowitz.

Yottam Ottolenghi's cookbooks have great salad recipes and plating examples. Check out Plenty and Plenty More.

https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248

http://imgur.com/a/MOCzr

I left out the ginger and used 2 sweet potatoes rather than Yukon potatoes (because I had no idea where to get those).

Recipe from this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/1600940498/ which I can heartily recommend (this was the second recipe I made from it this week).

End result top right here (and in a detail picture if you swipe): https://www.instagram.com/p/BSq-9tCl_Sp/

Get this cookbook, it's great: https://www.amazon.com/But-Family-Would-Never-Vegan/dp/1615193421

I borrowed Plenty from the library for this one. There are some amazing recipes in there that I am looking forward to trying!

Canned Jackfruit was recommended a meat sub in But I could never go vegan! if anyone wants a good book rec.

Start with the basics, the 'minimum viable kitchen' - http://priceonomics.com/cookware/

Really you just need a big knife and a little knife, a big pan and a little pan, measuring cups and spoons, things like spatulas and tongs. Buy as you go.

If you're a carboholic, start out with pastas. Different sauces and lots of vegetables and you can use any meat you want, but you don't have to if you don't want to.

You might want to try one of the 'one pan meals' cookbooks as well http://www.amazon.com/One-Pan-Two-Plates-Weeknight/dp/1452106703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410206314&sr=1-1&keywords=one+pan+meals

Votes are for The Resistance Card Game (Second Edition with bonus Expansion) and The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out

Not OP, but I highly recommend this book! Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a vegan cookbook rockstar and this is her lower-fat/calorie recipe book. I have cooked almost every single recipe in it and I have yet to find a clunker.

https://www.amazon.com/But-Could-Never-Go-Vegan/dp/1615192107/ref=cm_sw_em_r_cawdtod_wxe3wb1BW1S5H_tt

But I Could Never Go Vegan!

This book helped me believe I could actually go vegan. Creative, tasty recipes and every last one is an absolute hit!

Not OP but I recommend Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cookbook Appetite for Reduction. All of Isa's recipes are good (seriously), and this book is aimed specifically at weight loss. Here's a link to a few recipes from the book. And if you're not in a position to buy the book, I'm sure you can find other recipes from it online!

At Amazon, #1 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Vegetarian & Vegan > Vegan


Edit Link to amazon

If you like Indian food, pick up this book. You will not regret it.

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Indian-Cooking-Healthy-Recipes/dp/1572841303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348860807&sr=8-1&keywords=vegan+indian+cooking

Also you might want to start on a B-12 supplement. Get a sublingual that uses methylcobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin.

If she wants health and vegan, go for:

http://www.amazon.com/Forks-Over-KnivesThe-Cookbook-Plant-Based/dp/1615190619/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449959651&sr=8-1&keywords=forks+over+knives+cook+book

This is known as the bible of vegan cooking. It has basics from how to stock your pantry, to cooking rice, etc. Recipes are categorized and they have low cal, I believe:

http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X

This is from one of the original farm-to-table vegan restaurants in NYC. Everything is healthy and they have basics:

http://www.amazon.com/Angelica-Home-Kitchen-Rousings-Restaurant/dp/1580085032/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449959834&sr=8-1&keywords=angelica%27s+kitchen+cookbook