Straight From the Earth: Irresistible Vegan Recipes For Everyone by Myra and Marea Goodman

This book was written over a year ago and is the third book from Myra Goodman of Earthbound Farms in Carmel Valley.

 

But this book is different from Myra Goodman’s other cookbooks because it’s a mother/daughter collaboration. It is different from the traditional style of previous books. First, it is a book written by two non-vegans. Myra Goodman was surprised at how delicious vegan food can be and the book’s recipes reflect a variety of everyday recipes that even carnivores will love. Second, the two cooks have different cooking styles that complement each other perfectly. Myra is more traditional and has authored two cookbooks. Her daughter, Marea is more adventurous. The result is a unique collection of tried and true dishes with a surprising element or two to really spice it up or add unexpected flavor.  For example, the eccentric Caesar is a traditional Caesar with a twist – adding curry to the dressing. In the intro, the author talks about how their styles ‘pushed their creativity to new heights.”

 

What can you expect? I’ll list a couple of recipes from each category. (I don’t want to reveal too much information).

Breakfast

• Quinoa-Banana Skillet Bake
• Crispy Potato and Tempeh Stir-Fry

Salads:

• Colorful Garden Cobb Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
• Grilled Hearts of Palm Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado

Soups:

• Rustic Potato-Leek Soup with Quick Garlic Croutons
• Sweet Summer Corn Soup

Entrees:

• Plantain Tacos with Pureed Black Beans and Mango Salsa
• Four Bean and Sweet Potato Chili with Skillet Corn Bread

Desserts:

• Banana Coconut Cake
• Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

 

They included nutritional information to show that animal products aren’t necessary to get appropriate amounts of protein and calcium.

 

This is a well-structured book with definitions, kitchen equipment explained, and an index with Theme Menu Ideas like a Vegan Valentine Dinner. Most recipes yield more than you need so you can store for future use. For example, a salad recipe will yield twice as much dressing as is needed for the meal. This is easy to do on your own, but so helpful to include. Most of the recipes are for beginners to intermediate with readily available ingredients, but there are some recipes that are labor-intensive. If you plan ahead (and the book tells you how) you can prepare many of the recipes ahead of time.