The BEST Cookbooks on my shelf

I've been thinking about the fact that my signature program with my clients is called "Love Every Bite" and yet I have never really told you what kind of bites that I LOVE! 

Now, when the Kitchen Witch comes out you'll find out a lot more about that, since there is a whole section of sort-of recipes :)  

But in the mean time I thought I'd share my all time favorite cookbooks and why I love them so much!!! 

First, though, a caveat. Several of these cookbooks are vegetarian, but I thought you should know... I'm not actually vegetarian. I was vegetarian for many years, so partly I have cookbooks from that time period, but the truth is that I like to eat mostly vegetarian at home, and when I do add meat, it's usually salmon that I cook in a pan or tuna our of a can.

This is because I'm used to cooking vegetarian, my husband eats fish but not meat, and I'm super weird about germs from fish and meat in my kitchen.  Also, it's always easy to ADD a bit of meat to a dish, if that is your preference. 

So, without further ado...

My favorite cookbook at the moment is a new addition to my shelf...

The Easy Vegetarian Kitchen: 50 Classic Recipes with Seasonal Variations for Hundreds of Fast, Delicious Plant-Based Meals

The reason I absolutely love this cookbook is because every recipe is basically 4 recipes in one!! I've never seen a cookbook arranged this way before. There is a "core" recipe, for example a gallette (savory pastry) which is basically pie crust stuffed with ricotta. And then there are 4 variations, one for each season.

​Now knowing I have hippie/witchy inclinations, I love the seasonal adjustments! 

However, I also almost never follow a recipe, and with 4 versions of the same recipe it is very easy to mash them up and make my own unique version, and still have it turn out great!! 

Also, the recipes so far have been easy to follow, not too time consuming or complicated, delicious and nutritious!!!

​Another fairly new addition to my cookbook collection is...

The I Love Trader Joe's Vegetarian Cookbook: 150 Delicious and Healthy Recipes Using Foods from the World's Greatest Grocery Store

Everyone should have a cookbook dedicated to the place they shop!!! 

Now, I get it that not all grocery stores have a fan base like  Trader Joe's does. Still, having a cookbook based on my go to grocery store makes cooking in a pinch SO MUCH EASIER!

On those nights I skim the recipes looking for something, anything, that I already have on hand!

It really makes on the fly cooking way less stressful.

Also, I know that the recipes will be easy to shop for - I won't have to hunt around wondering if the store carries certain ingredients. 

This is really a great solution for a busy person like me (or you) to have on hand. The recipes are pretty no nonsense, a great selection of sandwiches, some casseroles, lots of quick things. It's not a dinner party kind of cookbook, but it is amazing at weeknight dinners, fast lunches, and making the empty pantry seem not that empty!

Now to some of my old standbys that have bee used and loved for many years. 

Homestyle Vegetarian

Homestyle Vegetarian was a random book grab, I don't even remember where.. I think maybe Barnes & Noble promo table? None the less, it is a  gorgeous book, each recipe takes up a single page with a large image of the end product AND several small images of the steps to get there. 

The images in this book make is a joy to browse through and pick something I want to cook.

This is my go to book for dinner parties!!! The recipes are not hard to make, but they are delicious and turn out well every time. That is a rare combination!!! 

One of the show stoppers was the vegetable, feta, and pesto parcels...delicious vegetables packed into filo pastry. (I didn't exactly follow the recipe of course... but they were delicious none the less!) 

This cookbook is truly international in its dishes, but it does them well. The meals are light, flavorful, and present well on the table. A mainstay in my kitchen!!! 

​My favorite book for fast weeknight dinners...

Vegan Express

I was vegan for a year or two in college, but in all honestly was never very good at it. I'd be sneaking goldfish crackers and Nutella in my shared kitchen pantry, telling my roommates, "Don't tell anyone." 

Still, I like to keep things fresh at home by making sure I DO eat vegan sometimes. And vegan food is delicious and comes together quickly. 

Plus... you can always grate some cheese on top if it would improve the meal ;)

Vegan Express was a passed on cookbook fro ma friend who ended up with two copies, and I'm SO grateful! Both to her aunt for giving her the same book twice, and to her for passing it on to me! 

You'll notice a theme here: The recipes here come together quickly, are fresh and flavorful. The contents are organized by major ingredient just as much as type of food: protein (tofu, tempeh, seitan), grains, beans, noodles, pizza/quesadillas/wraps, salads, soups, sauces, and sweets. The way she breaks this down and clusters the recipes also makes it easy when you haven't been to the store to find something yummy to cook in a pinch. 

The pizzas/quesadillas/wraps section is particularly helpful, since she explains that these methods are interchangeable, so you can use the toppings/filling from one recipe with a different kind of bread to hold it, if that's what you prefer (or have on hand).

She also includes a "recipe not required" section and just gives a whole bunch more ideas!! Now that is what I call inspiration! 

​The last  cookbook is also one I go to for inspiration just as much as actual recipes...

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals

This cookbook has come into play much more since having kids. However, I have to admit I used to put vegetables and healthy things into regular recipes long before having kids. I just  considered it fun and healthy...not sneaky! 

Most of the time I'll go to this cookbook when I'm cooking something and feeling like it's not that healthy... so I'll look up something similar in this cookbook to get an idea of what I can put in it to make it healthier! ​

For example, The Sneaky Chef hides a bunch of zucchini and cauliflower in her mac and cheese. So if I'm making mac and cheese, I'll go look up her recipe and figure out if I can either quickly grate some extra veggies in or use some puree. Since I don't tend to follow recipes anyway, I might not use cauliflower, but opt for some cooked butternut squash or whatever I have on hand. The idea is to get inspiration. 

Well, that's the review of the most used cookbooks in my kitchen in the past few years. I'd love to know what you think or what YOUR favorite cookbooks are!!!! 

​Alegra Loewenstein & www.healthyfamilyharmony.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Clicking these or any other links to amazon from my site provides me with income so I can continue to create free and fun content on my site! 

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