Atlas - 5-ingredient vegan: 175 simple, plant-based recipes for delicious, healthy meals in minutes

As a longtime vegan, it has been incredible to watch this way of eating and living grow from a trend to a mainstay. Vegan options are blossoming from urban centers to country corners, staking a permanent place in the culinary landscape.

Case in point: Back in the 1980s, my husband and Ivegetarians at the timetook a driving tour of the southern United States and found it challenging to find a decent meal. Vegan wasnt even on the radar. Fast-forward to 2017, when I visited the Nashville area. Since I was staying in a place with a kitchenette, I was delighted to find well-stocked vegan sections in every supermarket where I shopped for supplies. Even in the land of barbecue, vegan eateries are now abundant! And on a recent visit to Icelandnot only in Reykjavik but in remote outpostsI found a veritable paradise of vegan options. I could go on, but that old question, Dont you have trouble eating out as a vegan? now has a one-word answer: No.

The concepts of vegan and plant-based are now firmly woven into the food vocabulary nearly everywhere. As wonderful as it is to travel and discover a growing vegan world, lets turn our attention back to our own kitchens. Many people tell me theyd like to enjoy more vegan meals at home, and thats exactly what this book aims to encourage and make as easy as possible. Theres still a stubborn perception of plant-based meals being time-consuming, complicated, expensive, and filled with esoteric ingredients. It doesnt have to be that way, and honestly, it usually isnt.

Since Im a prolific cookbook author, no one believes me when I confess how lazy Ive become in the kitchen. Meals that take thirty minutes or less to prepare have always been my preference, but now theyre practically a must. I still do love to cook, but life has become crowded. I think this is true for most people I know. Gone are the days, for whatever reason, when we can noodle around in the kitchen for a couple of hours, a glass of wine in hand.

Some years ago, when my family and I were still vegetarians (the concept of vegan was just coming on the radar), I wrote a book called The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet. Trust me, the word gourmet was used very loosely! It wasnt one of my best or prettiest bookstheres not a single photo in itbut it was one of my best-selling works. The reason is that it focused on ease and simplicity. To reiterate the books basic premise, simplicity doesnt imply mindlessness, but rather echoes Walt Whitmans view that Simplicity is the glory of expression. With a few well-chosen ingredients, a simple meal can be as delicious as a more elaborate one. And now, since vegan cooking is so popular, I decided to write another 5-ingredient cookbook, this one specifically for vegans, in which simplicity is key.

Simple recipes can be used as templates to build upon or embellish. I encourage you to take your favorites from this book and make them your own by adding or substituting ingredients you have on hand. Simple recipes are almost impossible to get wrong. They dont demand the kind of precision and techniques of more complex preparations in order to taste great.

When only five ingredients are used, shortcuts are inevitable. Ive always loved good-quality shortcuts, especially delicious ready-made sauces like teriyaki, peanut satay, marinara, salsa, and Indian simmer sauces. Stocking your pantry with them ensures that youre already partway to a tasty meal. The menu suggestions and pairings following many of the recipes show how to round out a meal. For the purposes of this book, the ingredients that dont count are salt, pepper, water, and cooking oilthe latter being because there are some oil-free folks for whom its use will be optional.

Im thinking of the many times Ive heard someone stand in front of a painting in a gallery or museum and say, My five-year-old could have done that. But your five-year-old didnt. Underlying that deceptively simple work of art that looks like anyone could have done it may be a great deal of thought and planning. That minimalist color field might contain big ideas about composition and balance. Besides, your kid didnt think to do it. Otherwise, museums would be filled with paintings by toddlers and children!

The same goes for certain recipeswell, kind of. Does anyone really need a cookbook to tell them to slather Baked Tofu and Green Beans with Teriyaki Marinade and serve it with store-bought sushi (as Ive done on )? For some people who desperately need ideas for meal plans, it could be a lifesaver. Maybe its a frazzled parent just coming home after taking three kids to ballet and soccer practice. Or someone who, after a long day of work and a crazy commute, is tired of takeout. What often trips up busy people who have every intention of eating well is that daily dilemma of planning meals that are healthy, taste great, and can be on the table in half an hour or less. Super-simple recipes and meals need thought and care to make them tasty and healthy.