Alisa Fleming ~ Two of my all-time favorite vegan cookbook authors, Celine and Joni, want no man (or woman) to go hungry. Their latest cookbook, Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites, was created to dispel any myths about veganism being “unfulfilling,” while dishing up some good-tasting grub.

Everything about this cookbook is generous: the amount of recipes, the portion sizes, the hefty weight of this relatively compact tomb, and even the tagline (There was no way I could fit “Lip-Smacking, Belly-Filling, Home-Style Recipes Guaranteed to Keep Everyone-Even the Meat Eaters-Fantastically” in the title of this post!).

The introduction is short and sweet, as the authors move briskly into the recipes, fitting as many in as possible. The recipe chapters in Hearty Vegan Meals include: Down-Home Breakfasts; Mean and Mouthwatering Mains; Over-the-Top, Totally Tantalizing Sides; The Bottomless Bread Basket; Condiments, Sauces, and Other Staples; and Ooey, Gooey, and Downright Sinful Sweets.

Hearty Vegan Meals could easily win awards for innovative and enticing recipe titles. Just a few that I immediately had to bookmark included:

• Salty Sweet Oats
• Real Men Eat Quiche-Lorraine
• Super Streusel-Y Muffins
• Sweet Potato Po’ Boys
• Savory Cheesecake
• Cheesy Chili Bake
• Home Fries With Chipotle BBQ Seasoning
• Chestnut Cream Spread
• Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies
• Pineapple Ginger Lassi

Oh, and did I mention that there are amazing recipe photos throughout Hearty Vegan?!  Not all, but about half of the recipes are accompanied with a gorgeous full-color photo … like these …

Chocolate Pecan Muffins

Brussels Sprout and Chestnut Pot Pie

Apple Pie with Pecan Crust
(Want a taste of this cookbook? See the Apple Pie recipe here!)

Some quick dietary notes about Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites … Celine and Joni lean toward the healthy side with their recipes, and they don’t shy away from any ingredients. Variety is key with these two recipe creators, which is why you will find some recipes use soy, others use gluten, several contain nuts, some are nothing but veggies, and a generous amount use alternative whole grains. For those who have no dietary restrictions (beyond being dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, or vegetarian) the sky is the limit with this book. But, I don’t love the cookbooks from these two authors because I can make absolutely every recipe in them (we do have some additional diet restrictions in my house, and don’t use meat soy- or gluten-based meat alternatives), I love them because the flavors and ideas are so creative, the recipes are so easy to adapt, and there are still so many amazing recipes that I can choose from!

Bottom Line: This is a very filling and attractive cookbook for under $20 (retail; much less on Amazon), and you can't beat the imaginative ideas from these two authors.

Where to Purchase: Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites is available to purchase on Amazon, along with the other delicious titles from the authors, Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman.

This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets.

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