The Gluten-Free Vegan: 150 Delicious Gluten-Free, Animal-Free Recipes

by Susan O'Brien

From the author of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Cooking comes a cookbook featuring simple, delicious recipes that are both vegan and gluten-free.

The Gluten-Free Vegan is a groundbreaking cookbook, combining both special diets for healthier, allergy-free eating. Millions of Americans have health conditions like celiac disease, fibromyalgia, or food allergies that require a gluten- and/or dairy-restricted diet. In addition, going vegetarian/vegan is fast becoming mainstream, and many vegans are also looking to cut gluten from their diet. The Gluten-Free Vegan offers solutions for anyone seeking a tasty approach to healthier eating. Quick, easy, and delicious Written by a food-allergy sufferer and gourmet cook, this collection includes more than 150 healthy recipes for a wide range of dishes that are both gluten-free and vegan. The cookbook also includes guidelines of each dietary restriction, information on sugars, raw foods and organic foods, advice on ingredient preparation, quick-cooking tips, and resources for easily finding ingredients.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Vegan, Nonfiction, Own, Vegetarian

208 pages, Paperback

First published December 24, 2007

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly gluten-free, vegan cookbook. No spelt flour or honey in here! Awesome. I have already made the following recipes:

1. Betcha By Golly Bean Salad .. good, but needed doctoring up for more flavor.
2. Fruit and Nut Salad ... DELICIOUS!!! People LOVED IT at our bbq party.
3. Mexican Quinoa Salad ... good.
4. Super Antioxidant Salad ... DELICIOUS (have made it twice already).
5. Carrot Salad ... good.
6. Cucumber Salad ... good.
7. Sweet Potato Salad ... awesome, it was the RUN-AWAY hit of the party, and I have made it three times now, for two different parties and once just for us. :) Everyone keeps asking for the recipe.
8. Quinoa and vegetable salad ... good and savory with cooked green beans.
9. Garden Salad ... good.
10. Waldorf salad ... so-so.
11. Zippity Do Da Coleslaw (made with pineapple). Was so-so / bland until I added crumpled up bits of Field Roast Frankfurters ... and then it was GOOD. Of course then it was no longer gluten-free. (As far as I know, I don't have a gluten allergy. I am learning to cook gluten-free, just so I know how, for friends / relatives, etc.)
12. Tofu Scramble. Good.

I have now made almost everything in the Salads chapter.
Next stop: the Desserts chapter. Hooyah!!! I've got my sights on the Awesome No-Bake Chocolate Cookies, Brownies, Carrot Cake, Crispy Rice Treats - Healthy Style (they sound like trail mix bars, to me; something I eat quite often; am hoping to save some money by baking them myself), Frozen Bananas (rolled in nuts and melted chocolate), Peanut Butter Cookies, Pear Torte, Raspberry Tofu Pudding, and Super-Duper Fudge.

I am also very curious to try some of the recipes from the Sauces & Condiments section, especially the almond butter, almond cheese, apple butter, cashew creme frosting (to go on the carrot cake), cashew gravy, and eggless mayonnaise (I want to try it with grapeseed oil; have never made my own mayonnaise before).

I have seen some criticisms of the book that said the recipes were too basic or not exciting enough. For whatever reason, this wasn't a problem for me ... in fact I read the entire cookbook, word for word and cover to cover, and don't recall being bored. :) I don't have a lot of time to spend time in the kitchen or in the grocery store hunting down exotic ingredients, so this cookbook was pretty much "just right" for me. Basic, good-tasting, healthful food is what I am after. Some of the recipes WERE more exotic and time consuming, and those are the ones I will definitely NOT make. I believe I'd like to make about 80% of the recipes in this cookbook.

Also, although I believe the author is from the Pacific Northwest, most of the recipes in the book, have a solid Midwest / good ole American type of feel ... there are recipes for gluten-free vegan versions of meatballs, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, that sort of thing. This is the kind of food I grew up with, so for me, it feels quite normal and comforting. Maybe it's not too exciting, but it's the kind of food I like to make.

So if you are looking for simple and easy gluten-free vegan recipes (American style and not too exotic), I think you'll like this book. :)

[Sarah Kelsey]

I don't know what it is about the Pacific Northwest, but we have some amazing alternative foods cookbook authors up here. Susan O'Brien, I gather, lives out on the Islands in the Sound, a magical landscape where she cooks up some magical foods. I have written notes all over this book and it has the tell-tale sticky notes protruding from every side. I'm not vegan, but I am a dairy-free eater, and by being both vegan and gluten-free, this author's recipes fall into the category of foods I can eat.

This is one of my top 5 gluten-free cookbooks. I frequently pull this one off the shelf for ideas. It doesn't have pictures, but it has great inspiration.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Neither bad nor great. Like many other reviewers I sadly was not wowed. And worst of all there were NO pictures. D’oh!

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not impressed with the egg substitutes, soy, and xanthan gum in a lot of the recipes. I found a few keepers, but most were not within my set diet or were nothing new/different from all the other cookbooks I have viewed.

[T Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes sound tempting and promising - NO PHOTOS!

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but really anyone could put a book together on how to cook potatoes and make them wheat and gluten free. It really wasn't what I expected.

[hissi · Rating 1 out of 5]

the recipes didn't wow me

[Faye Mcarthur]

I have only just found this book .But it is exactly what I have been looking for.As I am celiac with no tolerance to lactose plus I have heart problems and an allergy to both chocolate and caffeine . And find it increasingly no longer enjoyable to eat meat ,I only will eat a small amount of chicken, I have years ago gave up red meats much to my doctors horror so I lie to him and say I still eat a little bit.I can't stand the smell of it . As for the chicken that's only at the nagging of my family saying I must get protein , I have found other places now to get that so it will be gone too. My celiac diet shows me plenty of substitutes.Thank you for this book I will enjoy reading it for sure.

[Jukka]

Gluten Free Vegan - Susan O'Brien

This is a good general recipe book, with easy prep basic stuff often with some zing. Well laid out with lots of pictures. Everything from appetizer to desert. Sometimes it's a little simple and obvious, like the smoothies, yet they're there in case you need the inspiration. I like the bake section especially. I'll be looking at Baby Cakes: Vegan Gluten Free by Erin McKenna soon so i'll review that when i get a chance to prep some of the things there.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been vegan before, for many of the recipes, it was an 'oh yeah' but having just had to take my family gluten free for health reasons this book has been a great addition to our shelves.
I've used the entree section mostly for guidance and idea generation and the baking section to learn how to use alternative flours etc.
The recipes are easy to follow and so far I haven't had any issue finding any of the ingredients. Not all the recipes are favorites of my twin toddlers, but at 2 not many foods are favorites.

[Alia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to drop gluten for a week, just for the heck of it. I'm on day three and I'm out of ideas already. I need to read this!

Just got this from the library and there's lots of good ideas for meals here. The side dish section seems a little bland. Um, I don't really need a recipe for a vegetable saute! But the main dishes sound yummy. Recipes I'm excited about include Herbed Beets and Onion Gratin and Yam Enchiladas with Pomegranate Sauce.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a great book for any Celiac with intolerances to casein as well. Great recipes from a variety of ethnic backgrounds help you find new and interesting flavor combinations to help keep your diet spiced up and never boring. My favorite recipes include the curried coconut squash stew, spicy quinoa pilaf, chocolate pudding, sauteed spinach and pine nuts and slavonian style green beans.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, as it had some nice dressing recipes. But nothing really that was extraordinary. Maybe I have read too many Raw food recipe books, and the recipes are in each book more or less the same. This book just didn´t add any totally new ideas. Also some ingredients seem to be very exotic and difficult to obtain.

[Katey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and uncomplicated recipes that manifest as they should, for the most part. In other words, easy recipes, which is what I look for more often than not. A good place to start for ideas for meals sans wheat, meat, and dairy- a must when cooking for all members of my family (including me!).

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing ground-breaking or all that interesting. There were a few good desserts I'm going to try (coffee cake, brownies, pear torte - yum). Definitely more quinoa flour than you usually see in recipes which is awesome.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, so good...

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book, but I tend to not love recipe books in general. Nothing seems to beat the Internet in terms of finding nice simple recipes.

[Pemberley Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this cookbook on a whim, and I have not been disappointed. I have enjoyed all the results from my kitchen using this book. Highly recommend!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't made anything from this cookbook yet, but the recipes looked so delicious that I bought my own copy.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't need gluten free recipes, but I found many delicious sounding things in this book that I have on my "to make" list.

[A.C. Bauch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've already made several dishes from this book, and they have all been easy and delicious. This cookbook is perfect for someone like me, who is just beginning a vegan, gluten-free diet.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good ideas for high protein dishes that are light on sugars and heavy on vegetables.

[Renee Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may actually buy this one!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best collection of tasty, easy to prepare, easy to adapt healthy recipes. Love this book.