Five alive to a healthier you

Enjoyed Veganuary? These are the best vegan cookbooks from the past year to help keep your plant-based journey going…

Asian Green: Everyday Plant-based Recipes Inspired By The East

by Ching-he Huang

If you’re craving flavourful Chinese food, look no further than Asian Green by Ching-he Huang. Showing just how important Huang’s work is, in November 2021 she was made a MBE for services to the culinary arts – and this book is a great entry to her recipes if you’ve never made any before. It’s a real celebration of vegan Chinese food – once you try the smoky tofu and broccoli Ram-don or the chilli sprouts with creamy coconut noodles, you’ll never go back.

The Modern Tiffin: On-the-go Vegan Dishes

by Priyanka Naik

It’s impossible not to feel inspired when flicking through Indian American chef Priyanka Naik’s cookbook. Her recipes are a journey around the world – from American dishes (chilli-maple skillet cornbread) to Mexican (mango gazpacho), as well as Middle Eastern (almond tahini cake) and Italian (bucatini with pumpkin). If you’ve got a few solid plant-based recipes in your arsenal and are looking to experiment a bit more, this is the book for you.

The Little Book Of Vegan Bakes

by Holly Jade

Vegan baking is notoriously difficult, and sweet treats are often the reason people fall off the plant-based wagon. If you want to stick to veganism – or just want your bakes to be a bit more flexitarian – Insta’s sensation Holly Jade’s debut book is for you. It’s full of brightly coloured cakes, doughnuts and tarts – and the easy-to-follow recipes prove you don’t have to give up on baking entirely if you’re vegan.

Celebrate: Plant-based Recipes For Every Occasion

by Bettina Campolucci Bordi

Vegans often get lumped with a sad and dry nut loaf during big celebrations – but Bettina Campolucci

Bordi’s cookbook is here to show you it doesn’t have to be like that. If you’ve got the swing of plant-based cooking and want to impress your friends with something a bit more special, this is the book for you. Expect everything from vegan canapés to Christmas meals, as well as dinner party dishes.

One Pot: Three Ways

by Rachel Ama

Food writer and Youtube sensation Rachel Ama keeps things simple in her latest book: she takes one centrepiece dish, then gives you three different ways to eat it. As a new mum, she was keen to save time in the kitchen – without scrimping on flavour. It’s all about making batch-cooking a bit more exciting – for example, on day one you could whip up a few portions of sticky cauliflower bites and serve it with rice and sesame seeds, on day two you could use it in a crunchy salad, then finish up the leftovers in a Chinesestyle pancake dish.