Book Review: Spicy Plant-Based Cookbook

 

Recently, I was given a copy of The Spicy Plant-Based Cookbook by the publisher to consider for a review. After a quick look through the cookbook, I decided to review it because the recipes really appealed to me. 

What I Like About the Cookbook: 

The Spicy Plant-Based Cookbook, by Adams Media, offers a diverse collection of over 200 recipes including snacks, dips, salsas, sauces, salads, soups, sides, desserts, drinks, and main dishes- all spicy!  The ingredients are fresh, healthy, vegan, easy to make, and use whole real foods from plant sources.

International Flair

The recipes have an international flair drawing from Mexican, Indian, Korean Middle Eastern, and other interesting cuisines whose recipes tend to be spicy.

As a plant-based vegan eater, I find that I am always looking or sauces and salsas to perk up simple vegetables and salads. This book offers an interesting and varied selection to choose from. 

 

Easily adaptable for hot, medium, or mild. 

Although "hot" and "spicy" are the theme of the recipes in the book, I found I could easily tone down to recipes to accommodate my less hot and spicy taste - but still enjoy the delicious recipes. Whether you are a "hot and spicy" lover or prefer a mildly spiced recipe, the recipes in this cookbook are adaptable.

There were many recipes that I wanted to try, but I decided to make  mango citrus salsa which was delicious. I know I will be going back to make other recipes such as Moroccan root vegetables, General Tso's Tofu, Sweet and Spicy Peanut Noodles, Easy Peanut Sauce, Cumin Potatoes, Korean Style Hot Pot, Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili, etc. 

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Gluten-Free

Of course for those of us who are gluten-free, it would be important to adapt recipes to meet gluten-free standards. Use gluten-free soy sauce in recipes that call for soy sauce and be careful about grains such as substituting quinoa for recipes that use couscous However, many of the recipes do meet gluten-free standards.

It's definitely a cookbook that could teach you how to incorporate more real "spice" into your cooking and help you go from bland to exciting.

The Mango Citrus Salsa which was easy and delicious. I'm really happy to have this cookbook, and I highly recommend it. 

It's available on Amazon and it's worth having a copy. 

Ingredients: 

1 medium mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped

2 medium tangerines, peeled and chopped

1/2 medium bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1/2 red onion, peeled and minced

1/2 medium jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions: 

In a large bowl, combine ingredients. Gently toss to mix well. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Store any leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Excerpted from The Spicy Plant-Based Cookbook by Adams Media. Copyright © 2021 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.