The Friendly Vegan Cookbook: 100 Essential Recipes to Share with Vegans and Omnivores Alike

I love Toni's second cookbook, Plant Based on a Budget (I don't have her first... yet), so have been eagerly awaiting this cookbook ever since I pre-ordered it in August. I have already tried 2 recipes, the fettuccine alfredo and corn chowder. Both were delicious and simple, using ingredients that are affordable and easy to find. I was a little skeptical about cooking the pasta in the sauce, but it turned out perfectly.I love that this book has a mix of everything from breakfast to holiday foods to desserts, and that the authors put so much time and effort into developing each recipe and making sure it is non-vegan friendly. I also like the balance in this book (as well as in Plant Based on a Budget) - most recipes are very healthy, but the authors realize sometimes a little splurge is necessary, too. I'm also grateful I haven't found any odd adaptogens or the like in the ingredient lists. Furthermore the pictures are beautiful and the tone is very authentic.Update(s):- I forgot to mention how much I appreciate that there is no seiten and store-bought vegan cheeses are all listed as optional.- The banana bread was delicious and came out perfectly (I don't buy Crisco so just used refined coconut oil in a 1:1 ratio). Of note, there are maybe 3 recipes that contain Crisco and I imagine you can sub coconut oil or vegan butter if you don't like Crisco.- The chia pudding, granola, overnight oats, mango banana smoothie and PB choco shake were all super easy and very good - sweet enough to be special, but not so much to make you gag.- Chickpea salad - super easy and good, but would have been great if I could find a decent vegan mayo (all of the good ones seem to change their formulas.)- Ramen: simple ingredients but probably best ramen I've ever made.- Pumpkin spice latte: not my thing in general, but husband rated as much better than from the coffee shop.- Thai yellow curry: so easy, rich and delicous (despite the fact that I only used 1 can of coconut milk).- Tofu scramble and bfast burrito: simple and very good.- Pesto and pesto pizza: amazing. (I found it worked best in my oven when I cranked the heat up to 500 F and then greatly reduced the cooking time, but ovens are finicky like that.)- Cornbread: coming from the South, I was skeptical about a cornbread recipe from two Californians ;) but it turned out great. Is very sweet, which is fine since I don't miss my traditional honey on top. (I did sub WW pastry flour for the AP).- Udon soup: so easy, hearty but not heavy, and good.- Coleslaw: also delicous, and beautiful with the 2 cabbages. Btw, used Target brand vegan mayo, which we thought was way better than what I used in the chickpea salad (avonaise).- Nacho cheese dip: I'm not a huge nooch fan, so I was nervous to try this, but it turned out great. I shared with a (non-veggie) friend, who even deemed it good enough to put on his Chipotle!- Sushi: so fun and yummy. I hadn't made sushi in years, so this book was a great reminder how incredibly easy, affordable and good it is.- Spinach artichoke dip: I made this from Chloe years ago and my (non veggie) brother said it was the best spinach artichoke dip he's ever had. This week my husband loved too.- Collards: YUM. These were perfect. We had with rice and beans, but they'd be great with everything from sourdough to cornbread to pasta.- Beefy tacos + pico: I've made a lot of really good vegan tacos over the years, but these were some of our very favorite. They had just the right amount of salt, seasoning and soft texture to remind me of the taco kit beef ones I ate growing up. (Note: i had green pepper and sweet onion, so the color was ugly, but the taste made up for it).- Potato salad: perfect ratio of sauce:stuff. Really good- reminds me of what you'd get at the country store. I think you could fool anyone with this.- BBQ sauce: made for the burgers, which I'm making later, and froze the extra for the pizza and jackfruit. I really don't like store bought BBQ sauce, but this was good (my husband likes BBQ and said was great). I like their use of smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke, which I think works well in marinades but can overwhelm sauce.- Tofu bacon/BLT: I haven't eaten bacon in over 10 years and don't miss it, but this was so good. It even looked kinda like speck in the sandwich.- Bean burgers: These had a good, faintly Tex Mex flavor, but mine didn't hold together the best, maybe because I used leftover rice from the fridge (?). Regardless, my husband said he'd want again.- Margarita pizza: easy and delicous! The only thing I changed was cooking it 7 min on 500 F.- Cornbread chili pie: We already knew the cornbread delicious on it's own, but it was amazing in this recipe as well and balanced the chili really well. I didn't have TVP so used bulgur (soaked in 1/2 c H20) instead. My father-in-law stated we was nearly converted to veganism with this. :)- Pot pie: This is so rich and delicious. Made for my in-laws as well and everyone loved. Definitely the best vegan potpie I've made. I didn't have a food processor available when I made this, so I grated the cold butter into the flour, which was a tricep workout, but worked fine.- Lasagna: Tbh I can't actually rate this yet, because I unfortunately forgot to purchase the tofu and last minute had to sub a "bechamel" I made of cashews, almonds and water. However, I kept the rest of the ingredients the same and it was delicious, so I can't wait to try the real thing. Update: is delicious as written, too :) I would recommend using no boil noodles to save time.- Green bean casserole: This was very creamy and good. My beans were too crispy when I just steamed them so would consider roasting or even using canned next time (the latter for the most "traditional" feel).- Pesto pasta: Sooo delicious and perfect amount of pesto for 1 lb of pasta. I made a bunch of pesto, froze it and defrosted overnight, which worked great. Leftovers were amazing as well.- Tofu noodle soup: easy and very good. I slightly prefer the (even) more simplistic version from Plant Based on a Budget, but would gladly eat this again, too.- BBQ jackfruit/sandwich: In the past I'd made jackfruit maybe 5 times and never really cared for it, but since I'm trying to make every recipe in this book for fun, I thought I'd make a half batch to give it a second chance, and omg, i was not disappointed. I used their BBQ sauce (which I had frozen the extra of) and this was so, so good. My husband called it phenomenal. Please don't discount jackfruit bbq until you try this with their sauce!- BBQ tofu: Good. I did this in the air fryer and it even got these scraggly edges that were slightly reminiscent of meat, but not enough to gross me out.- Split pea soup: hearty and good.- Instant oatmeal: have made all 3 times and are quick and very good, nice to make ahead for a busy week. I did reduce the sugar some since the packets were a little sweeter than I prefer. I also needed to add more milk.- Thumbprint cookies: mine weren't nearly as pretty as theirs, but they were delicate and good.- Mexican hot chocolate: made for hubbie, who really liked (despite the fact that I only had homemade oat milk to use, so it wasn't as thick as it should have been).- Mexican rice: I thought this was good on day 1, but excellent leftover. I recommend doubling the recipe to use up a whole can of tomato sauce. This was better and easier than one I made from ATK years ago.- Stuffed shells: Only have a picture of the precooked dish, but I made for Xmas Eve and they were excellent. I didn't set out to fool anyone, but one family member even questioned how I could be vegan using cheese in them. They are also great because you can assemble a day in advance.- Reese cups: so cute and fun (and rich). I only buy dark chocolate, so mine didn't taste the most authentic but I like them better.- Avocado toast: obviously delicious. I like they added a few subtle touches without overpowering the flavor of the avocado.- Fried rice: I used leftover short grain rice instead and was very good. I'd maybe add a little more oil if I were making it for people who were used to eating out, but it was perfect as is for us.- Lasagna soup: easy, light and good. Have used red pepper (as directed) and green (when I didn't want to pay twice as much for red), and was great both ways.- Birthday cake: The flavor was excellent (with Earth Balance), but the texture was way too gooey. I like very moist cake, but this was more like a dough ball texture. My mom made it and is an experienced home baker, so I can't comment on any "mistakes" she may have made to try to change it next time.- Fudgy brownies: my dough was way too dry as written, so I added 4-5 extra Tb of milk and the end product was amazing. Took them to a BBQ and there were none left, and a non-vegan friend requested the recipe.- Caesar dressing: I've made 100's of vegan Caesar dressing's and this is my husband's favorite and probably mine as well. It's so rich and buttery and not overly garlicky or lemony like some.- Pasta salad: YUM. Non-vegans requested this delicious recipe.- Thousand island dressing: I'm more of a ranch girl, but realized this is like the delicious special sauce I used to eat on fries at a local burger place. I bought relish just to try this recipe and planned on giving the rest away, but we enjoyed it so much I'm going to keep it now to make this again. I can foresee enjoying this on potatoes, veggie burgers, beans, veggies, etc.- Chocolate mousse: This is very decadent so I recommend tiny portions. Mine thickened up so much I think it would make a lovely icing. Have leftovers in the freezer to try the Fudgsicle version.- Waffles: These were quick and perfect. Will definitely repeat. Freeze great, too.- Quinoa tots: This is one of our favorite recipes now. The first batch stuck really bad to my stainless steel skillet, so I finished in the Air fryer (brushed w/ oil, didn't coat in panko like they suggested) and that worked great. Definitely double the recipe. We had 1000 island for dipping, but found they didn't even need it.- Tofu kebabs with teriyaki sauce: This didn't turn out great for me. I used extra firm tofu and pressed it, but it was still too soft to skewer, so I tried in a cast iron pan on the grill instead. The sauce got burnt but the tofu was still soft, so I had to finish it in the air fryer to get the edges crisp (it did taste good then, however). The teriyaki sauce has a great flavor, but I think for marinating it'd be best to leave out the cornstarch, since it made it gloppy and not as easily absorbable.- Shepherd's pie + mushroom gravy: served to non-veg family and everyone enjoyed. I didn't think I liked gravy, but this was delicious and so easy. The pie tastes even better after sitting in the fridge overnight.- Stuffing: used Flora salted butter and added 1/2 tsp salt - my husband said this was the best stuffing he's ever had (don't tell our moms).I am starting to feel like a broken record, but seriously have been so impressed. I am not earning anything for this review, just trying to help others find an excellent cookbook that is FULL of foods I'd feed anyone, vegan or carnivore.The only recipe I think is missing for a complete vegan cookbook of US-American staples is biscuits, but as mentioned, I'm from the South, so am probably biased. Also I wish this and every other cookbook would include (metric) weights in addition to volume measurements for baked goods. It's way more accurate and precise, plus is faster and easier.(Btw I apologize for the poor photography in this review.)I will continue to update as I have the opportunity to try more recipes!

Every recipe we have tried so far has been fabulous. If you are cooking for non-vegans, do not hesitate to buy this cookbook! Tonight I made the Cornbread Chili Casserole and my teens and husband devoured it. My teens were especially impressed with the cornbread topping. I have tried many vegan cornbread recipes and they said this one is by far the winner. Other recipes we've tried have been Alison's Pot Pie, Minestrone, Mashed Potatoes, Nacho Cheese Sauce, Mexican Rice, Tofu Scramble, and the Overnight Oats. Every single recipe is a hit. There are so many more I cannot wait to try. Next week for Thanksgiving, I will be making the Stuffing, the Green Bean Casserole, and maybe a few more! I can't wait to make some of the desserts over the holidays and for other special occasions. Grandma's Cookies and the Thumbprint Cookies will make great gifts. And the ice cream cake will be perfect for a summer birthday party!Another reason to love this cookbook is the authors themselves, Michelle and Toni. If you are like me and don't have any other vegans in your life, these two women will inspire you and help you along your journey. Through their podcast Plant Powered People and their websites Plant Based on a Budget and World of Vegan, their kindness and passion for the animals and the planet shines. I am so grateful I stumbled across these two amazing women. They are both true gems! And the resources they provide for new vegans are amazing! :)

First, there is an enticing picture that accompanies every recipe! That is a must for me in a cookbook.The recipes I have tried - wontons (p. 127), green bean casserole (p. 150), collard greens (p. 154), and birthday cake (p. 170) - have all been delicious. I cannot wait to test out more! I am glad I got my copy before Thanksgiving :)There are plenty of recipes for newbies or people who don't consider themselves "chefs", such as overnight oats, potato salad, and pesto crostini. Folks who are new to a vegan lifestyle or rarely step foot in the kitchen will be comfortable making these dishes and seeing how easy and yummy home cooking is. People who know their way around the kitchen will also learn plenty and find lots to experiment with. The quinoa tots and jackfruit "pulled pork" are next on my list!Whether you are a novice or have been featured on the Food Network, true chefs know that food = love. It is clear that Toni and Michelle poured their hearts into this beautiful cookbook. From the personal stories they share about each recipe, to sourcing recipes from friends and family, to the little details such as the "my tips" section for every recipe, this is a cookbook you can come back to again and again, as well as share with the loved ones in your life.

What a positive and uplifting (and delicious...looking!!) book! Especially during this time when the world seems to be divided, just reading the intro and the messages in the book brought smiles and light into my heart. “Vegan” might bring various feelings to many and Toni and Michelle truly makes a space that feels inclusive and “calls in” people from various beliefs and backgrounds to feel included and valued on the journey to eating more plants that helps our bodies, animals, our planet and our communities.From simple recipes like tofu scramble to chickpea “tuna” sandwich, to a little more detailed meals like lasagna and cornbread chili casserole (yum!) - anyone from those new to plant-based eating to veteran “vegans” will find a recipe that delights the palate.Just in time for the holidays, The Friendly Vegan Cookbook will bring joy, kindness, and friendliness to the tables and kitchens of your loved ones that’s fully powered by plants!

One of the best vegan cookbook there is (and I have many!) Easy, tasty recipes, no hard to find or costly ingredients. If you only want one vegan cookbook (even if you're not vegan), this is the one to buy.

Best book if you want to start your transition journey and embrace a different health regime. Simple recipes to follow and very “yummy”