McConnell Adele. - The Vegan Cookbook: Feed your Soul, Taste the Love: 100 of the Best Vegan Recipes

Writing this book has been the most exciting project Ive ever taken on, and it is the result of years of experimentation based on my passion for good, healthy food. I have been blogging on my website, Vegie Head, since 2010, and my recipes have been enjoyed and recreated by tens of thousands of people all over the world, in their homes, in restaurants and in cafs.

There is nothing more satisfying to me than the varied aromas of the food I love: a Mediterranean soup simmering on the stove on a cold day; the fresh smell of homebaked banana bread, still warm from the oven; curry spices being dry-fried, releasing their fragrance, and toasted sesame oil sizzling in a wok.

I was a vegetarian at 17, and I didnt eat eggs or dairy, so after ten years it was an easy step to give up the final few animal foods and become vegan. When I first moved away from home, I wanted to ensure that I was eating and enjoying a wide range of food, so Id spend my time blending healthy smoothies and making a mess in my yellow 1960s kitchen in Melbourne. I wrote new recipes, amended old recipes to make them vegan, and changed vegan recipes to make them healthier by using coconut oil instead of margarine, homemade almond milk instead of soy milk, and by making green smoothies instead of chocolate milkshakes.

The raw-food movement happened slowly in Australia, but I was hooked immediately. I discovered a whole new way of cookingor not cookingand have been excited by the challenge of trying the same foods made in a different way or clever remakes of classics that were enhanced by the health benefits of eating foods raw. Some of my first experiments were with raw cacao powder that I had bought in bulk because I had heard of its health benefits. As a chocolate lover, I have particularly enjoyed trying out new desserts, snacks and smoothies using it.

I dont want to miss out on exciting flavors just because I dont eat animal products, so I focus on delicious food from different cultures. Whether its Indian, Moroccan, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese or Mexican, Ive done them all, and I love them all. I adore the earthy spices and the layers of heat in Indian food, and the surprising bursts of sweetness when you bite into a dried fig or a date in Moroccan cuisine. I enjoy the creamy coconut, tangy lemongrass and that zing from kaffir lime that create the signature flavors of Thai dishes. The contrasting textures of Japanese food with its crisp tempura-batter fried vegetables, and the combination of mint and sesame in Vietnamese dishes are all part of my food experience. And then theres the food of Mexicomy beloved. Not the oily, cheese-laden Tex-Mex that is so often passed off as Mexican cooking, but real Mexican foodlight, flavorsome and designed to share.

In this book I offer you a fresher, healthier approach to plant-based foodone where you will never have to lose out on flavor and variety. Whatever reason it appeals to youyour concern for animals, consideration for the Earth, or your healthyou will find that a plant-based diet is easy and tastes good. You wont be told what you cant eat, but you will probably be introduced to new foods. As you adopt a new diet, you can be an example to those around you. You can change peoples perspective on veganism and vegetarianism without scaring them away with statistics, facts or disturbing images, or by listing what they cant do or eat. Instead, you can show them what they can eat and that eating vegan food is an adventure in taste and ingredients.

I mentor hundreds of people all over the world on how to eat a plant-based dietfrom athletes and celebrities to your neighbor down the road. They all ask me what they can eat, and they are always surprised by the variety. There is no feeling of deprivation. There is only an abundance of healthy, filling, incredible food.

My way of showing love to those around me is to cook. To be able to bring people together around a table and look into their faces as they savor a mouthful of food made for them is the ultimate act of giving.

For now, feed your soul and taste the love.

Variations of Herbed Almond Cheese () clockwise from top left: black pepper, apricot, chive, chili.

A diet based on plant foods is not one of restriction or denial. You will find that there is a wide range of healthy and incredibly tasty foods that will make you feel nourished and satisfied after your meals. In the following chapter I explain the benefits of a plant-based diet and how to incorporate plant foods into your daily life. With any change of diet there will be some planning, but when you start on the recipes in this book you can use the more commonly available ingredients. You can then begin to build up a range of healthier alternatives as you become more inspired by this new way of eating.