I’m often just sent vegan cookbooks to review. But when I heard about Eat Like You Give a Damn, I got in touch with the publisher right away. I had to have a copy and mine was provided for free by The Book Publishing Company.
The authors, Michelle Scwegmann and Josh Hooten, run Herbivore Clothing. That’s a vegan store in Portland and online. I have a few of their stickers on my car, including one that reads “Only Kale Can Save Us Now”. Besides selling way too many awesome t-shirts, they have a huge vegan cookbook collection and are big supporters of vegan authors. I was delighted that they decided to write their own cookbook.
I recommend Eat Like You Give a Damn to people new to eating vegan and those who have been vegan awhile. Unlike many entry-level cookbooks, these recipes are fun, full of flavor and will impress your friends. Plus the recipes are straight forward and a great way to learn about some of the “special” vegan ingredients like vital wheat gluten, cashew cream and nutritional yeast.
This cookbook is geared towards ethical vegans, so in the beginning there’s some information about why you want to go vegan in addition to the usual how to go vegan tips. If that’s your thing or not, you will still find dozens of delicious recipes to try.
With a few small substitutions here and there, most of the recipes would work into a plant-based diet as well. Just water saute instead of using oil to make many recipes oil-free. Most of the baked goods would do well with applesauce or pumpkin puree substitutions. I would tend towards using all whole wheat flour in the places that all purpose is called for. But I’m just like that.
Many of the recipes are already low-fat and they all contain nutritional information. I wish all beginning vegan books were this inviting with recipes that jump to life, right off the pages.
Photo by Michelle Scwegmann and Josh Hooten
These Roasted Beet Burgers from Eat Like You Give a Damn are just the thing to serve at your next bbq.
Roasted Beet Burgers
From Eat Like You Give a Damn by Michelle Schwegmann and Josh Hooten: Everything about these burgers is delicious. We’ve fine-tuned them that way through months of enjoyable recipe testing. Roasting the vegetables and tofu makes them taste incredible, and beets make the meatiest-looking veggie burger ever. There is no need to chop the vegetables uniformly or in small pieces, because you’ll be using a food processor to make the ground “meat,” so the prep work is super easy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups quartered crimini mushrooms
- 11 ⁄2 cups coarsely chopped beet, see tip
- 1 ⁄3 cup coarsely chopped onion
- 4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 pound super-firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, farro, or brown rice
- 1 ⁄4 cup nutritional yeast Sakes
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground
- black pepper
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the mushrooms, beet, onion, and garlic in a large bowl.
- Using your hands, crumble the tofu into the bowl, making sure to break up the pieces well, and stir to combine. Add the oil, tamari, and thyme and mix well. Spread the mixture on the lined baking sheet so it covers the whole sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir and spread out the mixture again. Bake for 25 minutes longer, until the beet is tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Transfer to a food processor. Add the quinoa, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Pulse eight to ten times, stopping occasionally to scrape down the work bowl, until all the ingredients are well chopped and stick together. Return the mixture to the large bowl.
- Form into 6 paIies, puIing each paIy on waxed paper as it’s shaped.
- Mist a large skillet (cast iron if you have one) with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. When hot, cook the paIies until crispy (in batches, if necessary), about 5 minutes per side.
- Tip: Use a beet about the size of a baseball. Scrub it well so you can leave the skin on.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 888Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 2mgSodium 1429mgCarbohydrates 134gFiber 40gSugar 58gProtein 66g
Nutrition information is provided from nutritionix.com as a close estimate. If you have specific health issues please put the recipe information, including the exact ingredients you use, into the nutritional calculator your Dr. recommends.
Have you pre-ordered your copy of The Easy Vegan Cookbook yet?
Tricia says
UGH, leave the tofu OUT!
Soy, unless it is long fermented, is NOT healthy!
Soy contains phytic acid which blocks the uptake of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and especially zinc.
Kathy says
It is not entirely true that soy blocks minerals enough to compromise healthy nutritive uptake – any more than oxalic acid found in raw spinach, chard and many of our favorite, most nutritious vegetables do. You can review this excellent article from Bon Appetite which includes loads of research results on soy over the past several decades:
Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen says
I would totally try these! Might have to convince the meat-eating husband though 😉 Pinning for “Meatless Monday”!
Kathy Hester says
I bet he’ll love them. I live in a mixed household and Cheryl loves veggie burgers!
JoAnn M Lakes says
Thanks for the book review and recipe. I just ordered their book and went over to their site to order their bumper sticker. I also bought their “the world use to be cooler’ tote. I plan to make these burgers for my girlfriend when she next comes over. She’s not vegan, but she eats healthy (for a non-vegan ) and no one on this earth loves beets more.
I love your site and I’m really enjoying your new facebook group page! You go, Girl!!!!
Nalini says
Was wondering if I can skip the nutritional yeast in this recipe?
Kathy Hester says
It’s not my recipe, but it should be ok if you skip it.