On Sundays during MoFo, I'll be reviewing vegan cookbooks. Today, in honor of college classes starting up, I'm reviewing PETA's Vegan College Cookbook. I initially purchased this book for my daughter, Mia, who started her junior year this year, but then also purchased it on kindle for myself.
Mia is not a vegan, but she is a life-long vegetarian, and enjoys vegan foods.
This is not a cookbook for a seasoned vegan, nor for anyone who understands what the broiler setting on their oven does, but it is a fantastic book for young folks who are living on limited means and with limited cooking options.
In my opinion, I would prefer not to use so many faux meats, nor use the microwave as much, but then again, I am not new to veganism, nor do I live I
in a dorm room! That being said, I think this book is perfect for the targeted audience!
I tried out the Faux Mac and Cheese recipe, which looked pretty simple. The original recipe made 4 servings, so I halved it.
The first step in this recipe was to cook the pasta in the microwave!
This was something I'd never done before! I used half the box, which was a little less than half of the suggested pasta (the recipe called for a 16 oz. package, but I'd purchased whole grain pasta which comes in 13.5 oz. packages).
After I drained the cooked pasta, I added 2 tbsp earth balance, 2 tbsp nooch, and about 1/8 c almond milk and mixed together.
It looked pretty good, but not very creamy. Kind of like the weird powdery mac that was the store brand growing up...
So, since I am an adult, and have those kind of resources, I added a large dollop of cashew crema. I generally keep a jar of this in my fridge. It adds class to EVERYTHING.
I served the Mac topped with chives with a salad Rob made of cucumbers and onions in vinegar. All in all, it was a meal classy enough for grownups, but on a college budget.
Want to take a minute to see the plates close up? I'm working on painting a whole series of vegan dishes!
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