Cleanse Advice - Cookbooks

Coming from a meat and potatoes kind of family, the thing that intimidated me the most about starting the cleanse was that I knew that my cooking repertoire included very few things that would pass as "cleanse-friendly".  So I headed to the library and checked out every single vegetarian/vegan cookbook they had.  Yes, I left with TEN cookbooks (the maximum allowed) on my first trip and came back for the other five at a later date.  There were a few I found to be the most helpful, and here they are:

Supermarket Vegan by Donna Klein

15 Minute Vegetarian by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay

Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers (I've heard all of the Moosewood cookbooks are great for Vegetarian cooking)

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

The Gluten-Free Bible 

From Asparagus to Zucchini - Third Edition

I found these cookbooks to be so helpful because going in to the cleanse I was worried about having enough variety.  I mean, one can only eat so many beans and so many salads.  But these cookbooks all helped me feel like there was a whole other culinary world waiting for me that I had never explored.  And that meals didn't have to include meat to be yummy.

So do you have a favorite vegan/vegetarian cookbook?  If you do, post it in the comments and I'll do a follow up post with readers suggestions!

Comments

[Tara]

Thanks Stacy! I was wondering where you were getting those yummy recipes you were mentioning. I need some good vegetarian options. I had to go gluten free (not for allergies, but to try to conquer thyroid issues), and so that has made me introduce meat back into my diet. I was wondering about some good gluten free, vegetarian options. Maybe I'll check out some of the books at the library.

Tara

[Stacy]

I found a combination of the vegetarian cookbooks with the gluten free books to be really helpful. If you're thinking of gluten-free long term, I'd definitely look into making your own bread, etc. Pre-made gluten free stuff is SO expensive! But buying all the separate flours and then making your own would be a really great way to integrate GF cooking into your Veg. diet.

I also looked back at the recipe loop from our CSA and they suggested another cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. I'm adding that to my hold list at the library. Who knew I'd ever be excited about vegetarian cookbooks?!

Hope you guys are doing well - we sure miss you up in these parts! You need to make a trip back to Michigan soon!

[Tara]

AWWW--we miss you too! Keep posting the pics--I love seeing how all the little ones are growing so! Thanks for the suggestions!