Woman in Real Life

Got an Instant Pot but don't know what to do with it? It's a common scenario - you get the latest kitchen gadget, one that's going to make your life easier, but it sits unused on your kitchen counter. There's a mental barrier to getting started with a small appliance you haven't used before. (There is for me anyway.) And the Instant Pot can be hit and miss. Cook something a smidge too long and you can turn it to mush. (I once made a soup with broccoli and all that was left of the broccoli was a bunch of green streaks in the soup broth.)

Fortunately you can turn to the experts for the help and inspiration you need to give your Instant Pot a fair shot - experts like Nisha Vora, author of The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook: Wholesome, Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes and creator of the popular blog Rainbow Plant Life.

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Even for vegans and vegetarians, burgers are a staple of summer. While I admit we often throw pre-packaged veggie burgers on the barbecue, if you have a bit of extra time and energy, making a fresh burger from whole foods is ideal. My family also loves a good burrito. Burritos are versatile and offer up the possibility of tailoring the stuffings to the likes and dislikes of different family members, including picky kids.

When I saw the gorgeous cover of Vegan Burgers and Burritos: Easy and Delicious Whole Food Recipes for the Everyday Cook, I was hooked. A luscious, well-topped burger, crispy fries and a burrito oozing with black beans, tomatoes and rice. Looks like the perfect cookbook for summer!

Photos: Brilynn Ferguson

I've always loved the idea of getting together with friends and family for brunch - a leisurely, long meal packed with breakfasty goodies, eaten after sleeping in until 10. My mom tells me that her grandmother (in Nova Scotia) used to have people over for brunch every week after church. "They were poor people, but the baked bean pot was filled, tea biscuits made, teapot on (no coffee)," says Mom. "Probably eggs (from their own hens) and homemade condiments (beets, pickles, chow-chow). Oh yes! Always homemade bread." The coal stove kept everything warm as extended family and neighbours casually dropped in. Sounds like a beautiful way of building companionship and community, huh?

I'm definitely not that industrious. I am not efficient enough at cooking for crowds to get a weekly gathering going. But a nice brunch for the family and a few friends now and then would be lovely. I recently received a copy of  The Edgy Veg: 138 Carnivore-Approved Vegan Recipes. I was invited to share a couple of recipes with you and I settled on two fantastic brunch recipes - a vegan eggs benedict and a mimosa with a difference. Read on for the recipes, and enter to win a copy of the book.

Photo by Marie Laforêt

I've said it before (and maybe I was whining a little bit at the time), holiday meals just aren't the same when you're vegan. Not that I have any desire for turkey. I really don't. Quite the opposite - I would be thrilled if everyone at the table was enjoying a delicious, plant-based feast. That's why I said, "Yes please!" when Robert Rose offered to send me a review copy of The Vegan Holiday Cookbook: From Elegant Appetizers to Festive Mains and Delicious Sweets.

For the simple holiday meals that we enjoy as a family of four, we tend to cook a store-bought turkey alternative or we make this easy tofu loaf. But The Vegan Holiday Cookbook, created by Marie Laforêt, has me seriously considering the need to up my holiday food game. So today I want to tell you a little bit about the types of recipes you can find in the cookbook, and share two incredible dessert recipes for you to try out this holiday season and beyond.

Don't you love the idea of eating your dinner out of one big bowl? In the early part of this year, I renewed my commitment to eating more healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. (It's an ongoing process.) I became fascinated with the idea of vegan bowls - proteins, grains and toppings in one comforting, healthy lunch or dinner bowl. Vegan bowls are ideal for summer, because you can do minimal cooking on hot days (or none at all really if you opt for a raw foods bowl).

I was excited to learn that vegan food blogger Jackie Sobon's new cookbook is called Vegan Bowl Attack!: More than 100 One-Dish Meals Packed with Plant-Based Power. It came along at just the right time for me, as I was looking for vegan bowl inspiration. You might know Jackie as the creator of the blog Vegan Yack Attack.

As I said in part one of A Book Lover's Christmas Gift Guide, books make the best of gifts. And there's a book that's right for absolutely everyone you know! You simply have to give some thought to their interests, passions and preferences. And don't forget to consider an e-book for those who prefer them. I know my mom has trouble holding books now with the arthritis in her hands. She prefers e-books.

We don't eat gluten-free foods every day in my house, but we certainly have many gluten-free meals, sometimes by chance and sometimes intentionally. It can't hurt to give your body a break from gluten. That's why I enjoyed reviewing Susan O'Brien's The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Family Cookbook: 150 Healthy Recipes for Meals, Snacks, Sides, Desserts, and More.

This book combines three characteristics very nicely - the recipes are gluten free, vegetarian AND healthy. Because, as I'm sure you know, neither gluten free nor vegetarian in themselves necessarily equals healthy. Read on to try one of Susan's lovely recipes and enter to win a copy of the book.

Everybody should have dessert. That is the simple (and oh-so-true) premise behind Allyson Kramer's lovely cookbook Sweet Eats for All: 250 Decadent Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipes--from Candy to Cookies, Puff Pastries to Petits Fours. If you or a friend or family member has food allergies, is following a vegan diet or simply wants to experiment with a variety of new dessert recipes, this book will help. Every single recipe in the book is free of animal products and gluten. Plus, there is a chapter devoted to desserts that are free of refined sugar. There are also recipes that are free of nuts, soy and corn.

By now most of us are aware that quinoa is a superfood. It is one of the plant world's few complete proteins, providing all of the essential amino acids that your body requires. It's versatile too - it can be used in place of grains like rice or millet, in spite of the fact that quinoa is actually a seed, a pseudo-cereal that is eaten and cooked like a grain.

But how often do you use quinoa in your daily life and in how many ways? I tend to have it only about once or twice a month and I usually use it as a base for a stir-fry or as a simple side dish. Enter The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook. With this book, we can now use our favourite power food in 130 recipes that take us right through from breakfast to dinner and beyond to dessert (yes, quinoa desserts!).

When I took a look back through my food photos this week, I noted that many of them reflected recipes I had made from Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen: 150 Pizzas, Pastas, Pestos, Risottos, & Lots of Creamy Italian Classics. So I decided I had better just combine my review of this amazing new cookbook with my What I Ate Wednesday post.

My love affair with Italian food began when I met my husband-to-be back in high school. More specifically, when I met his Italian mother. She introduced me to homemade gnocchi, fresh lasagna, canning of tomatoes and pasta of all shapes and sizes. If eating pasta is wrong, I don't wanna be right!

If you are looking for the same old same old vegan recipes, Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Eats World: 300 International Recipes for Savoring the Planet isn't the cookbook for you. This eclectic cookbook, from the bestselling coauthor of Veganomicon, features 300 international recipes that translate the world's different cuisines into delicious vegan eats.

"We can freely indulge, nourish ourselves and save the planet by reinventing vegan food," says Terry in the cookbook's intro. "It's as easy as borrowing from all the cuisines of the world."

I have a lot of cookbooks! But the sad truth is that three-quarters of my cookbooks don't get much use. I could tell with one quick look through Isa Does It, however, that the latest cookbook in my collection was going to get lots of wear.

Why? Great photos for starters (from photographer Vanessa Rees). And lots of them. Secondly, I love the tone of Isa's writing - knowledgeable and authoritative and yet funny. While I had of course heard of Isa Chandra Moskowitz before, surprisingly I didn't own any of her cookbooks. But, after several people told me that Isa Does It is one of their favourites, I just had to have it.

Photos above by Angela Liddon.

It's a cookbook addict's dream - recently I was invited to select books from DK Canada's "Tasty DK" food and drink boutique. For a limited time, epicurean titles for foodies are 30% off. There are titles on everything from home brew beer to cake decorating.

I picked a couple of titles that are very different from those in my cookbook collection. The first is "Preserve It," a guide to the art of preserving fruit, vegetables and more.

Happy Wednesday, August 14th! I'm looking on the bright side today. It's sunny outside and we still have a couple more weeks of summer to enjoy. Right? Back me up here.

The good news is, summer, fall, winter or spring, you can always enjoy a good meal. Last Thursday, my husband prepared a lovely dinner of homemade vegetarian sushi and miso soup. Yum!

On Friday, I shared a Pea and Potato Curry recipe from Martha Stewart Living's latest cookbook, "Meatless."

Today, I am sharing my favourite recipe from the book (so far). As I told you in my original post about "Meatless," my husband made this recipe for Roasted Fall Vegetables and Lentil Salad for dinner one night. The ingredients are simple and healthy - like acorn squash and brussels sprouts. The results are surprisingly delicious. If you love veggies and lentils like I do, I highly recommend giving this one a try. Here's our version of the dish, below. My husband cut the carrots thinner than the book recommends to ensure they would be tender enough.

Happy What I Ate Wednesday! 

Before I get to the Martha Stewart Living "Meatless" cookbook giveaway (CLOSED) and the Martha Stewart vegetarian chili recipe, I want to share a look at a few of the plant-based foods I have eaten this past week. Breakfast is generally decaf green tea and spelt toast with peanut butter and jam - in other words, a classic, simple everyday breakfast combination.

One day, I also enjoyed one of my favourite vegan banana muffins recipes. I put dates in these delicious muffins this time instead of chocolate chips. As long as it's sweet, I'm good with it!