Giveaway: Low-Carb Vegetarian Cookbook

Quarantine time means more time in the kitchen! And more opportunity to stuff your face with carbs for comfort. And if that's what makes you feel good, you should absolutely be doing that! I'm a big fan of carbs — for fuel, for satiety, and for comfort. If you're a vegan looking to cut down on carbs, however, keto or another meaty diet wouldn't work for you. But my friends (and fellow Memphians) Chubby Vegetarian bloggers Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence's new cookbook is there for you. They've just released the Low-Carb Vegetarian Cookbook, and it's loaded with recipes that are light on carbs and heavy on nutrition.

Their publisher has generously offered to send a copy of their book to one lucky reader, so stay tuned for instructions on entering at the end of this post.

I've tried a couple dishes from the book so far! The Mock Chicken Salad (made with tempeh, vegan mayo, celery, and spices) was a simple recipe that really cured my cravings for a creamy salad. With only a few ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly and tastes very much like chicken salad. In keeping with the low-carb vibes, I served this atop a green salad one night.

Justin and Amy recommend trying this stuffed into lettuce leaves, but I'm not a fan of lettuce wraps. Nor am I watching carbs, so the next day, I enjoyed this salad stuffed between two slices of sprouted grain toast for a quick work lunch (back when people were still working in offices!). Not low-carb, but it hit the spot!

This week, while stuck at home, I made the Tofu Hot Wings with Yogurt Ranch Dressing to serve alongside some steamed broccoli with nooch.

Around here, tofu is a hot commodity these days, and it's been flying off the shelves as people stock up for the pandemic, but I was able to score four pounds of tofu from three different stores! I used one block for this recipe, and it was well worth using precious tofu for. Extra-firm cubes are coated with wing sauce (I made my own with hot sauce and Earth Balance) and dipped in an herbed yogurt ranch.

I made my own soy yogurt last week in the Instant Pot, and it was a great low-fat alternative to traditional cashew ranch or bottled vegan ranches. We all need comfort food right now, and nothing is more comforting than hot wings and ranch, right?

I should mention that this isn't an entirely vegan cookbook, but there are many vegan recipes. And almost all of the recipes are veganizable (and they often provide tips for making the recipe vegan).

I have my sights set on a few more recipes from this book, including portabella mushroom jerky, vegan cheeseburger salad, hoison-glazed tofu with stir-fried veggies, and one-skillet tacos with refried pumpkin. REFRIED PUMPKIN!! A few desserts on my list: No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake Bites and Peanut Butter Coconut Cups!

Want to win your own copy? Leave a comment letting me know your favorite low-carb treat, and be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL in the comment (otherwise, I won't be able to contact you!). I'll randomly select a winner next Monday, March 30.