Reviewed by annieb123 on
The Easy 5 Ingredient Vegan Cookbook is a well curated collection of plant based recipes by Nancy Montuori. Released 10th March 2020 from Callisto on their Rockridge Press imprint, it's 222 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook available now). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
There are a lot of reasons to incorporate more plant based food in our diets; guarding our resources for future generations, living more simply, health and well-being, as well as philosophical reasons, not to mention taste. The less fussy and fewer ingredients required in a recipe, the more likely I am to actually -do- it. As other reviewers have stated the '5 ingredients' in the title means 5 main ingredients and doesn't (and probably shouldn't be expected to) include staples and other add-ons like broth, oil, chopped onions, seasonings, etc.
The included recipes are made with easily sourced ingredients and the instructions are crystal clear and easy to follow. The photography is not abundant; most of the recipes are not illustrated, but the photographs which are included are clear and well done.
The book has a logical easy to follow format. The introduction covers plant based cuisine, some general food safety, followed by a swap-out list for meats and some staple ingredient list for the vegan pantry to have on hand. The following chapters are arranged thematically: smoothies & breakfast, salads, soups & chili, sandwiches & burgers, snacks & sides, entrees, staples & sauces, and sweets.
Each recipe includes an intro with recipe special features such as nut-free, gluten-free, etc. There is an introduction with other info such as portion control and yields followed by highlighted info with prep-time estimates, cooking settings, and other info. The recipes' ingredients lists are provided with American measurements (with metric/SI measures conversion not included - there's a conversion table in the appendix). Nutritional info is provided in the footer under the recipe instructions.
The links and recipe ingredients are slanted toward the North American reader, but can be sourced relatively easily in other areas of the world with an internet search.
Three and a half stars because I really felt the lack of sufficient photography very keenly, rounded up to 4 for the completeness of the instructions and cooking instructions and the author's overall supportive and encouraging writing style.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 10 March, 2020: Finished reading
- 10 March, 2020: Reviewed