Autumn is a great time of year to turn inwards and do some experimentation in the kitchen, whether this means cooking delicious warm meals or exploring new baked goods to munch on while things get colder and darker outside. This post compiles a list of plant-based (vegan) cooking and baking resources offered by the Library that can help guide you on your autumn kitchen adventures. Whether you are already eating plant-based foods or not, these are sure to yield some yummy treats for this yummy season.
Vegan Casseroles: Pasta Bakes, Gratins, Pot Pies, and More by Julie Hassan
Nothing says autumn like a nice gooey, crispy, scrumptious casserole taken fresh out of the oven. This cookbook by Julie Hasson is designed for the “health-conscious” vegan while also prioritizing the things that make casseroles a traditional comfort food. According to critical reviews, her recipes succeed in delivering flavor even without the dairy products that we tend to think make casseroles so good in a non-vegan context. With categories sch as “one-dish appetizers,” “pasta casseroles,” “dessert casseroles,” and an entire section on “sauces, toppings, and basics,” this is a very varied collection for anyone looking to expand their recipe repertoire this season.
The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks’ Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Perfecting traditional baking recipes without using animal products is very difficult for most home cooks, and understandably so – when we think about baking, butter, milk, and eggs are some of the first ingredients our minds jump to! This book from Collen Patrick-Goudreau is designed as an introductory text for the baker who is trying to modify their traditional baking to fit a plant-based diet for the first time. It contains recipes for both the traditional sweets (cakes, pies, cookies, muffins) and savory baking (breads, biscuits), so this is a great one to check out if you’re not sure where you want to go with your autumn baking adventure and are searching for some starter ideas.
The Essential Vegan Instant Pot: Fresh and Foolproof Plant-based Recipes for your Electric Pressure Cooker by Coco Morante
One-pot cooking can be a great tool to get meals on the table in the fall and winter, when the doom and gloom of Seattle autumn sometimes leave us with less energy to prepare our meals. Moreover, meals from the pressure cooker often deliver that stew-like, comforting flavor that we crave when it is cold and rainy outside. This fairly new release by Coco Morante has over 75 recipes for the pressure cooker that can be used to prepare meals for any time of day or occasion. It also offers meals from a variety of different cuisines. Once again, a great resource for anyone wanting to add some new things to their repertoire this season.
Happy cooking, and happy baking!
~Posted by Hannah P.
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