One of the hardest parts of completely changing your diet is breaking away from the “go-to” meals that you have been preparing for years.
- Spaghetti and meat sauce
- Mushroom steak
- Any kind of meat put on a grill
- Pizza
- Tacos
These were just a few of the staples in our family menu. We always had the stuff on hand for them and could make them at any point in time.
So what happens when you decide that you are going to now eat a plant-based, whole foods diet?
All those “go-to” meals go down the drain, and you have to figure out what to cook.
When I made that switch about a year and a half ago, I spent hours researching recipes and trying various things. I still do sometimes just for fun because I love to cook. The difference now is I have that list of things that I can pull from quickly when deciding what’s for dinner.
And lucky for you, I am going to share some with you!
First of all, I have a list of cookbooks that I use and love (some of my favorite recipes in parentheses):
- Appetite for Reduction, Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes; Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos; Cauliflower Pesto Soup; Kidney Bean & Butternut Jamba Stew; Pasta de los Angeles)
- Veganomicon, Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero (Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits; Cauliflower and Mushroom Potpie with Black Olive Crust; Acorn Squash, Pear, and Adzuki Soup with Sauteed Shiitakes)
- Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook, Del Sroufe (Quinoa, Corn and Black Bean Salad; Tomato, Corn and Bean Salad)
- Quick-Fix Vegan, Robin Robertson
- Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, Robin Robertson
The last two are newer ones that I have gotten and I have a list of recipes I want to try, but haven’t gotten to them yet. I am particularly looking forward to the slow cooker recipes this fall and winter.
Then, I have created a Pinterest Board called Go-To Vegan Dishes. The only things on that board are things that I have tried and liked. I also have posted information there about substitutions for vegan cooking, because most recipes I find can be adapted to be vegan if I want them to be.
If you are considering an option like Meatless Mondays or even going all the way to a plant-based, whole foods diet, take a look at some of these tried and true recipes that I have posted and pick one to try for yourself. You will be surprised at how flavorful and delicious plant-based eating can be!
If you have questions about plant-based eating, feel free to ask. I don’t know it all, but I am learning more about it all the time.