Resources
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I’ve found all of the resources below to be extremely helpful in my own vegan journey. I will update this list over time as I find new things to share with y’all!
Books – General
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism by Melanie Joy
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer
Books – Health
Vegan for Life by Jack Noriss and Virgina Messina
How to Not Die by Michael Greger MD and Gene Stone
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell
Cookbooks
The Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Teff Love by Kittee Berns
Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry
Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers by Terry Hope Romero
Vegan Casseroles: Pasta Bakes, Gratins, Pot Pies, and More by Julie Hasson
The Taco Cleanse: The Tortilla-Based Diet Proven to Change Your Life by Wes Allison, Stephanie Bogdanich, Molly R. Frisinger, and Jessica Morris
Thug Kitchen by Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis
Earthlings (You can view this online, so I’ve linked to it. Watch at your own risk. I could only get through about 30 minutes, and I cried the whole time. This documentary is what convinced me to officially take the plunge into veganism, and it is worth exploring, but it is very graphic).
Blackfish (Available on Netflix)
More Than Honey (Available on Netflix)
The Ghosts in Our Machine (Available on Netflix)
Cowspiracy (Available on Netflix)
Forks Over Knives (Available on Amazon)
Breakfast
Appetizers
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip – 86 Lemons
- Vegan Pigs in a Blanket – Kathy Patalsky
Sides
- Southwestern Corn Pudding – The Veganomicon
Entrées – Quick & Easy
These recipes have simple instructions and can be prepared in under an hour. These are my go-tos when I’m craving a relaxed evening after a busy day at work.
- Vegan Red Beans and Rice – Budget Bytes (Note: Add a little bit of Magic Vegan Bacon Greaseto the beans for a smoky, guilt-free bacon flavor.)
- 20 Minute Bean and Cheese Tacos – Keepin’ it Kind
- Slow Cooker Tikka Masala
- Tofu Chilaquiles – Minimalist Baker
- Easy Vegan Pizza – Minimalist Baker
- French Flageolet Beans – Ina Garten (Note: To make this recipe vegan, simply omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth)
- Peanut Stew – The Vegan Stoner
- Peanut Noodles – The Vegan Stoner
- Crockpot Lasagna Soup – Family fresh Meals (Note: Use Boca or Gardein crumbles in lieu of ground beef. Top with Daiya or Follow Your Heart mozzarella shreds, or try your hand at making homemade vegan parmesan)
- Vegan Sloppy Joes – Hell Yeah It’s Vegan (Note: TVP is short for “textured vegetable protein,” which is a meat substitute. I’ve never actually used TVP. I replace it in this recipe with red lentils.)
- Mashed Chickpea Salad – Simple Veganista
- Easy Coconut Curry – The Detoxinista
- Avocado Pesto Pasta – Chef Chloe
- Portobello Philly Cheese Steak Bowl – Keepin’ it Kind
- Tofu Breakfast Tacos – Whole Foods
Entrées – Medium Difficulty
These recipes are little more involved than the ones above, but are still relatively straight forward. These usually take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to make, usually because of bake times. A few require you to soak cashews for 8 hours in advance, but if you forget to do that (which I always do), you can always just boil them for 15 minutes to achieve the same results.
- Ethiopian Mac and Cheesie – Teff Love
- Speedy Veggie n’ Brown Rice Noodle Bowl with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce – Oh She Glows (Note: We use tamari instead of coconut aminos and organic cane sugar in place of coconut sugar in the teriyaki sauce.)
- Spaghetti and Beanballs – The Veganomicon
- Red Lentil Thai Chili – The PPK
- Spicy Srirachi Peanut Butter Tofu – Kalyn’s Kitchen
- BLT Mac and Cheeze – The PPK
- Teriyaki Skewers – The Vegan Stoner
- Lemon Asparagus Mushroom Cheezy Pasta Bake – Healthy Happy Life
- Korean Barbecue Tofu Bowls with Stir-Fried Veggies and Quinoa – Oh My Veggies
- Crispy Tofu & Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry – Minimalist Baker
Entrées – More Involved & Elaborate
These recipes take some time, have several moving parts, and use unique ingredients. For the recipes with seitan, you can either make your own seitan at home, or you can buy it. Whole Foods and other health food stores have it with the other meat substitutes, and sometimes you can find it at regular grocery stores near the tofu. Seitan is inexpensive to make, but it can be time consuming and a little tricky to pull off. A vegan right of passage is to prepare it incorrectly, resulting in a brain-like texture. We’ve all been there, so don’t feel bad if you mess it up. If you want to experiment, Isa Chandra has really good, versatile seitan recipe. You can find it here.
- Dilly Stew with Rosemary Dumplings – The PPK
- Seitan Piccata – The PPK
- Nirvana Enchilada Casserole – The PPK
- Popeye’s Style Chicken – Blacks Going Vegan
- Spicy Lasagna Roll Ups – Teff Love (You can see pictures here)
- Lasagna Verde – Happy Healthy Vegan Kitchen
- Pad Kee Mao – Terry Hope Romero