vegan junk food

A really fun book landed on my desk a few weeks back, Vegan Junk Food  by Lane Gold.  First off I think the title is a bit of a misnomer.  Grilled Portebello Mushroom Sandwich with Garlic Horseradish Mayonnaise, or Tofu Lettuce Wrap with Peanut Sauce, hardly fall under the junk food category.  While Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip and Sausage Puffs are all junk all the time.  This book is chock full of recipes, some junky, some not, all tasty.

Many of the recipes use fake meat products such as vegan chicken nuggets or vegan bacon. If you are OK with that, you will find everything you are looking for, from buffalo wings to corn dogs.  My favorite chapter may be Dips For All Seasons.  Dip, oh how I love dip.  I can not begin to explain the many ways in which I miss ranch dip and nacho cheese sauce.  Lucky for me, those two recipes are in the book and they are the first things I tried.

Many of the dip recipes rely on processed foods, vegan cream cheese, vegan sour cream and the like.  As a rule I avoid these products for many reasons, but for an every so often treat they really help bring some old fashioned comfort to the table.

Chapter 1-Breakfast of Champions: Something Savory, Lots of Sweets...

Chapter 2-Deli Favorites: Sandwiches, Wraps, Burgers, and Sliders...

Chapter 3-Comfort Food Meets Takeout: Tempting No-Meat Entrees...

Chapter 4-Crusts and Carbs: Pizza Pies and Badass Breads...

Chapter 5-Festive Grub: Vegan Party Essentials...

Chapter 6-Dips for All Seasons...and All Reasons...

Chapter 7-Savory Treats: With a Touch of Sugar and Spice...

Chapter 8-Cakewalk (Pies, Too): Who needs butter...

Chapter 9-Candy and Cookie Fix: For the Ultimate Sweet Tooth...

Chapter 10-Grab 'n' Go Sweets: Sinful Bars, Brownies, and More...

As you can see by the chapter list, the dishes presented are quite varied and include heaps of sweet things.  Some of the recipes are very simple and meant to get you from the kitchen to the couch as fast as possible.  Others take some time and would be appropriate to serve a guest you are looking to impress. 

While reading I could not help but think what a great first apartment gift this would make.  Even if the new apartment dweller is not vegan, they are almost certain to have friends who are.  A thoughtful and most welcome way to begin a cookbook collection.