Of course, finding the recipe online is quicker but nothing compares to the joy of flicking through the colourful pages of a high-quality cookbook! Here are some of our favourites.
EAT YOUR GREENS, PETE EVANS
Pete Evans is well known for his outspoken comments on his favoured paleo lifestyle diet but, I have to confess, debates aside, I love his cookbooks and was delighted to be sent his latest gem Eat Your Greens to review. Pete encourages his followers to really celebrate veggies and make them the hero at meal times. He also reminds us that every decision we make – from what we buy at the supermarkets to what food we put on our plates and grow in our gardens – needs to be beneficial for us and for the planet.
There are over 130 dishes in the book that take veggies from sides to stars. You’ll be very tempted to buy this book once you’ve tried Pete’s Roasted Pumpkin Tabbouleh.
BOSH! HEALTHY VEGAN, HENRY FIRTH AND IAN THEASBY
Unhealthy in their 30s, friends Henry Firth and Ian Theasby decided to make the change to a healthy plant-based lifestyle. It wasn’t too long before they had over a billion views of their recipe videos and became bestselling vegan authors in the UK.
BOSH! Healthy Vegan is their third book and is packed with nutritional advice, meal plans and more than 80 health-focused recipes. It’s a great cookbook for those new to veganism, where they’ve taken popular favourites, such
as burgers, pizza, bolognese, and transformed them into delicious healthy vegan equivalents. There are also recipes to help build muscle, reduce calorie intake and reduce fat. The emphasis is that vegan food can be delicious, flavoursome and healthy.
EAT MORE VEGAN, LUKE HINES
Luke Hines, a finalist on My Kitchen Rules, is one of the most popular health and wellness personalities in Australia and his latest compilation of recipes
has to be one of the best vegan cookbooks I’ve
come across this year. The book offers 100 easy-to-prepare, plant-based recipes. Try his hemp and beetroot burgers, jackfruit souvlaki, roasted broccoli steaks or roasted hemp and macadamia mushrooms. Finish off with a sweet treat such as blueberry ‘bounty’ bars or chilli-spiced macadamia bites.
JUST DESSERTS, CHARLOTTE REE
Instagram sensation Charlotte Ree is famous for her simple and delicious sweets. This gorgeous hardcover book showcases 30 of Charlotte’s most popular cake, biscuit, slice and dessert recipes – think chocolate brownies, shortbread caramel slice, chocolate-chip cookies and show stoppers such as layered berry pavlova and chocolate ganache. If you love baking and creating sweet treats, this recipe book was made for you.
A YEAR OF SIMPLE FAMILY FOOD, JULIA BUSUTTIL NISHIMURA
Cook, author and teacher Julia Busuttil Nishimura has created a gorgeous recipe book with a mix of quick recipes and those that require more time to bubble away
on the stove. Using seasonal products, the recipes include a mix of Italian and Asian-inspired delights. For summer, think spaghetti with fennel and prawns; autumn, a miso-roasted chicken, or silverbeet and ricotta malfatti with brown butter sauce for spring.