Cookbook Review: Vegan Cookbook for Teens

My friend Barb over at That Was Vegan is cranking out books like nobody's business! Her new cookbook, Vegan Cookbook for Teens, features 100 easy and nutritious plant-based recipes. Now I don't have kids, but I've always said that I'm 14 years old at heart. I'll never grow up! 

There's a whole chapter on meals for one, and I'm typically cooking for just me since Paul and I don't share meal times (and he doesn't eat the same kind of food I do anyway). I sometimes enjoy making a big pot of something that feeds me for days, but I also tend to tire of eating the same things every day. So a single-serve meal is often just what I need! There's a recipe for one-serving of baked buffalo tofu wings and one for single-serve flatbread pizzas. 

But if your teen is heading to a potluck or party, Barb has them covered there too. The chapter of "meals for many" features larger dishes that feed several people. Think baked chimichangas and banh mi-inspired veggie dogs. 

All of the recipes are simple with only a few, easy-to-find ingredients, making this ideal for a freshman college kid with a limited budget. 

I tried three recipes from the book. First up, Ultimate Vegan Nachos! These nachos have a vegan cheese sauce, chili beans, onion, tomatoes, smashed avocado. There's a recipe in the book for a whole food-style cheese sauce with a potato base, but I cheated and bought the Simple Truth Plant-Based Queso because it's the greatest! I loved how quickly this came together, and it satisfied my serious nacho cravings.

Next up, Buffalo Chickpea Wrap. Chickpeas are coated in buffalo sauce and wrapped up with avocado, lettuce, and carrots. That's it! One can of chickpeas made two wraps, so this was a perfect week day lunch a couple days last week.

Y'all know I'm a ramen lover, so I had to try the Leveled Up Ramen. For this, you toss the seasoning packet and make your own flavorful hoisin-spiced broth. It called for mixed frozen veggies, so you can really go with whatever you want here. I opted for a mix of carrots, peas, corn, and green beans, plus some frozen broccoli cuts. That broth was PERFECTION and so simple.

Other dishes on my list: Eggy Muffin Sandwiches, "Cheesy" Bacon & Green Bean Casserole, and Spicy Hawaiian-Spiced Chickpea Burgers. There are even simple small-batch desserts, like Chocolate Mug Cakes and Strawberry Milkshakes. 

Whether you're a teen or a 40-something with a partner who doesn't eat with you because he doesn't like veggies (ha!), you'll find plenty of use from this awesome book!