Green Monday – Best Vegetarian Cookbooks

Sorry Green Monday recipe fans, there’s no creation from our kitchen today. It’s been one of those weeks where dinner was slapped together in a hurry (meaning I used lots of Morningstar Farm products) and definetly not camera worthy. Not that there’s anything wrong with a Chik’n Pattie, a slice of cheese and marina sauce for a quick, simple pasta meal; but it can be easy to get into a veggie meal rut.

That’s when I reach for one of my dog-eared cookbooks. While it’s true I get most of my recipes on the internet, it can never replace a well-loved cookbook. I don’t think a kitchen is complete unless there are a few copies of food stained cookbooks with in easy reach of the prep area. You know, the cookbooks that practically pop open to the page with the most used recipe in the book; the page corners tucked in and the spine cracked from repeated viewings.

Sometimes, I just like to browse through my favorite cookbooks, recollecting both favorites and failures to inspire new menus and dinner plans. So today I decided to share a couple of my favorite, tried and true vegetarian cookbooks (and a few on my wish list) that you can add to your kitchen library for veggie meal inspirations any day of the week.

• Not quite a recipe book, the Field Guide to Produce is a trusty guide for any level chef, on the art of identifying, selecting and preparing “virtually every fruit and vegetable at the market.” It’s especially valuable to new vegetarians exploring and experimenting with produce.

• I mentioned Linda Mccartney’s Home Cooking in last weeks post for Vegetarian Sheperd’s Pie, but had to pass it on again. A straight forward book full of cozy, comfort food beloved by kids and adults alike. Still considered one of the best almost 20 years later – an eternity in culinary time.

• I’m totally intrigued with Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready When You Are . I’m always envious when my friends pull out the crock-pot cookers during the winter months. It seems every crock-pot recipe is centered around meat. This book offers healthy, one pot meals so vegetarians can get in on the fun. How nice it would be to prepare everything on Sunday evening, turn on the crock-pot and come home from work on Monday to a piping hot, meatless meal!

• What are you in the mood for tonight? Chances are, you can find a tasty, veggie option in Vegetarian Planet. This cult favorite is in the kitchen of every veggie friend I have (and a few carnivores as well). With over 500 pages and 200 flavorful recipes from around the world (with an American flare) to satisfy any craving.

• For those on a budget (and who isn’t these days) I highly recommend the Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook. This is another great cookbook for the newly vegetarian and those going Meatless on Monday, offering veg cooking for the health, time and budget-conscious, as well as shopping and kitchen tips with novice chefs in mind. With prep times under 20 minutes and relaxed, casual recipes, this book makes a great stocking stuffer for your college-aged friends and anyone living on a budget.

Readers – Do you have a favorite, well worn, vegetarian cookbook? I’m always looking to add to my shelf, so please share!

Filed in: do-gooders,eat, drink, be merry,green monday,read, watch, listen

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