Becoming Raw: Book Publishing Company Review

Today I am happy to provide you with another book review courtesy of Book Publishing Company.  I also want to remind you that Book Publishing Company is running a special campaign this April called, "Live Delicious - Eat Vegan." They'll be giving away a free vegan cookbook this month, and you can enter here!

I was recently sent a complimentary review copy of Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets. 

This is a substantial book with 352 pages of information about raw vegan diets.  I appreciated all of the scientific evidence and data included that demonstrated both the potential risks and benefits of raw diets.  The advice in this book is essential if you want to ensure that your raw diet is providing you with all of the nutrients you need.  I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in beginning a raw diet or simply incorporating more raw foods in your current diet of choice.  This book concludes with a section of over 45 recipes, and I was excited to see that very comprehensive nutritional analysis are given for each recipe! 

I'm going to share one of the recipes with you here: Tutti-Frutti Ice Cream!  There are only 2 ingredients for this great dessert: 2-3 frozen ripe bananas and 2 cups of other frozen fruit.  This recipe can be made with a juicer, food processor, or blender.  I used my handy-dandy food processor and included a little milk in order to create a slightly creamier ice cream.

While I have made banana soft serve before, this was even better.  The frozen blueberries added great flavor, making this a truly fun and tasty dessert.  You can top this treat with a few nuts for an added flourish and some crunch too!

Have a great day!  And for all of my fellow students, keep in mind that summer is *almost* here!  I know these next few weeks are going to be very busy for me, but the promise of summer is helping me sustain a positive outlook :-).

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Vegan Bites: Recipes for Singles

Before I get into this post, I have to tell you all how excited I am about Gmail Motion!  I'm eagerly anticipating the next logical progression: Blogger Motion!

That said, today I want to remind you that Book Publishing Company is running a special campaign during March and April called, "Live Delicious - Eat Vegan." They'll be giving away another free vegan cookbook this month, and you can enter here!

 

I was sent a complimentary review copy of Vegan Bites: Recipes for Singles.  This is a great book for me since I am single and often cook meals for one.  Of course, many of the recipes still create 2 or more servings, so don't shy away if you cook for more than one person.  The book starts out with a nice introduction including a comprehensive listing of kitchen and pantry essentials.  Then it dives right into a bunch of recipes.  The design and layout of the book really impressed me.  It's a joy to flip through, despite the fact that there aren't any color photographs.

 

 

I'm going to share one recipe from the book with you: Whipped Tofu Topping.  It was incredibly easy to make, but let me warn you that it doesn't really replicate dairy whipped cream.  The tofu taste is still there, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (unless you don't like tofu).  And perhaps the fact that I didn't use silken tofu made a difference... I simply used the tofu I had on hand (pictured below).  I enjoyed it with fresh fruit and pancakes :-).

 P.S. I know Gmail Motion is an April Fool's joke, but it's a good one :-).

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Speed Vegan Cookbook Review

Hello!  Book Publishing Company is running a special campaign during March and April called, "Live Delicious - Eat Vegan."  They'll be giving away a free vegan cookbook both months, and you can enter here!

I was sent a complimentary review copy of Speed Vegan, and I'll share my thoughts on it with you.  I'll even share a recipe from it!

I was excited to receive this cookbook because it promises, "Quick, Easy Recipes with a Gourmet Twist."  The "quick and easy" part captured my attention :-).

The book outlines essential kitchen equipment for vegan cooking as well as vegan pantry staples.  Both of these sections are very helpful and descriptive!  Then the book jumps right into an assortment of recipes (with some colored photographs too!).  Reading through the recipes, I thought that most of them would be relatively simple and quick to make.  They do call for ingredients that you might not necessarily have around (unless you already have a kitchen stocked with the vegan pantry staples as outlined in the beginning of the book).  Still, perhaps my kitchen is more bare than most because I'm relatively new to apartment life and don't exactly have a large budget to work with as a graduate student.  There are definitely a number of recipes that I will be able to try out after getting a few extra staples from the store.

The first recipe I tried from this book was Aztec Hot Chocolate.  Here is the recipe and final product:

I've never tried hot chocolate with pepper and thought it added a nice little bite to the drink.  I'll admit that I used red hot pepper instead cayenne since I had that on hand and figured anything hot would work :-).  I also used honey in place of the agave nectar.  I absolutely love agave nectar, but usually go with honey becuase of the cost.  In the end, I was quite pleased with the drink :-).

So, if you're looking for a vegan cookbook with some easy, flavorful recipes with a "gourmet twist," I would recommend Speed Vegan.  Book Publishing Company has a great assortment of vegan and vegetarian books.  Even though I'm not personally vegan (or vegetarian), I truly enjoy vegan and vegetarian cookbooks as I try to eat a more plant-based diet. 

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Book Publishing Company: Luscious Vegan Desserts

Book Publishing Company is doing an online promotion called, "Luscious Vegan Desserts"! 

Click here to enter to win a free dessert book or buy one!  I was sent a review copy of More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally.  It has a great collection of dairy and egg-free recipes ranging from cookies and puddings to smoothies.  The first chapter detailed the essential ingredients and equipment for a "nondairy, egg-free baker's dessert kitchen."  This was VERY helpful!  My only complaint about the actual recipes was that they didn't have nutrition facts.  The recipe I decided to try out first was the Virtuous Vanilla Cake.  Of course, you may know by now that I have trouble following recipes, so here is a link to my modified version.  I can't help it - I don't like being constrained :-).

I was quite impressed!  The cake turned out kind of spongy and similar to a pound cake in texture.  I loved the vanilla flavor and the sweetness level was perfect for me.  I do regret not using coconut oil in place of the canola oil though.  I used olive oil since that is what I had on hand.  It worked out just fine, but it would have been neat to see how coconut oil would have worked :-).

Yay for cake that's full of wonderful ingredients!

Have a fabulous Halloween weekend!

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The Veg-Feasting Cookbook from Book Publishing Company

I received another complimentary cookbook to review from the Book Publishing Company!  The Veg-Feasting Cookbook is full of fabulous vegetarian recipes from “Local Restaurants and Leading Chefs in the Pacific Northwest.”  As you can see, I’ve already got some recipes bookmarked, including the one that I’m going to share with you in just a moment.




Front and back covers are shown above.

The recipe I'm sharing is Lentil Pottage.  Here’s the recipe:



I chose this recipe because it looked SUPER easy and my life’s been kind of hectic lately…  The recipe turned out quite well, though it was lacking a bit in flavor.  I’m thinking I might use vegetable broth instead of water next time.  I adorned my bowl with carrots :-).



This cookbook also has some great articles in addition to the recipes, including a brief history of the Vegetarian Scene in the Pacific Northwest and an extensive list of foods that deserve a place in a healthy kitchen.  This cookbook definitely deserves a 10 of 10!

In other news, I went for 2 1-mi. runs in my Vibram FiveFingers this weekend.  The first run went wonderfully, but my calves hurt quite a bit during the second run.  I wonder if that is normal when you’re starting out or if I’m running with them wrong? 

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Where can I find some good books? How about Book Publishing Company!

Last month I was sent a complimentary review copy of The Nut Gourmet from Book Publishing Company.  Book Publishing Company "is a community owned, independent press dedicated to publishing books that promote a healthful and sustainable lifestyle."  They "are located on The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee and have been in business since 1974."

In addition, their "vegetarian/vegan cookbooks include ethnic favorites and cover a number of dietary concerns (food sensitivities, diabetes, weight management, etc.)."  Their "Healthy Living imprint offers titles that help people reach optimal health through better nutrition, nontoxic personal and home care, and natural therapies for illnesses."  Their "Native Voices imprint features books on Native American history, spirituality, and culture."

AND Book Publishing Company is a member of The Green Press Initiative... so they are committed to print a growing number of their titles on paper that is postconsumer recycled and processed chlorine free!!!

Sounds like a nice company, doesn't it?!  Well, I must say I am very satisfied with The Nut Gourmet.  I can't get enough of nuts, and this book provides so many different recipes in which I can use nuts of all kinds :-).  I especially love how this book includes so much more than just recipes!  It has nutritional facts for many kinds of nuts and also teaches how to crack, roast, and even sprout nuts.  I've learned so much!  Therefore, I give this book a 10 of 10!  (If I were to make a complaint, I'd ask for more pictures, but that's a minor complaint)
 
Oh, and I should probably give you a little background about the author, Zel Allen, too.  She is presently spreading the message of a healthy vegan lifestyle by teaching vegetarian cooking classes at libraries, churches, etc.  You can learn more about Zel and her husband on their website here!
 

Now for the book! Doesn't it look delightful?!

 

Here's the recipe I'm highlighting for you:

Bean butter?  Yes, bean butter!  No, it doesn't quite taste like nut butter, but I think it's a great low-fat, high-fiber, and somewhat high-protein alternative :-). 

Now, I did make just a few adjustments to the recipe based on the ingredients I had on hand, so here is a link to my own version.  I love how a recipe like this is so versatile!

Now for pics of the process, which was SUPER easy!

So far I've tried it plain and with a banana, but there are so many ways to enjoy this bean butter... such as on a sandwhich, with chips, or even on sweet potatoes (I just thought of that one, but I think it'd be great!).  The butter is slightly sweet and nutty with a hint of the bean flavor.  As long as you're not expecting a rich nut butter taste, you won't be disappointed.  Oh, and I suppose it may help if you are a fan of beans, though the bean flavor certainly isn't overpowering.  In fact, you can't really notice it when you pair it with a banana, since bananas can overpower just about anything :-).

More reviews to come... though my blogging may be a bit sporadic as I am packing and getting reading to move to Illinois early in August since I'll be attending grad school at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign!  I can't wait, but then again this also means my summer's almost over :-(.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend everyone!

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