I recently read a quote and found it quite amusing and relatable: “Who knew the most taxing part of being an adult is figuring out what to cook for dinner every single night for the rest of your life until you die.” After reading it and laughing, I thought, Yes! I’m not alone. I have a feeling this idea resonates with many of you, too, because one of my most frequent recipe requests is for more plant- based main course meals. I hear you, I really do. And that’s exactly why I created this cookbook— to inspire you to cook these nourish-ing plant- based meals and to help solve your “What the heck is for dinner?” dilemma, as well as provide oodles of tips and time- saving tricks to make the process as streamlined as possible.
It’s safe to say that life is getting busier and moving at a faster pace for all of us, and the time we have available to cook seems to be diminishing. In my own life, I’ve found that I really need to make cooking a priority and deliberately carve out time for it in my day, or else it just doesn’t seem to happen. As much as I wish it would, a magic cooking fairy isn’t going to appear in my kitchen and do all the work for me (that is, until I teach my kids how to cook?). As a busy parent, I know how hard it is to try to juggle it all, which is why I love to provide as many helpful tips and tricks in my cookbooks as I can. I want my recipes to work for you.
I write my recipes as if you were here in my kitchen with me and I was walking you through each one, showing you exactly how I cook them. That’s why they are so rich with detail. I, along with my incredible group of recipe testers, test everything we can think of to help make these recipes practical for “real life.” I share tips for things like how long a recipe can be stored in the fridge or freezer, directions for reheating (I’m on #teamleftovers, especially when their flavors get better the next day), how to make a recipe allergy- friendly, how to transform a dish’s flavor profile, how to make a meal kid- friendly, what to serve with a dish to make it into a heartier meal, or whether something is a reliable “on the glow” packable lunch or travel option. I’ve also added a new section called “Up the Glow” in some recipes. Up the Glow appears whenever I have a fun way to amp up the recipe (whether it’s adding ingredients for a flavor boost or a suggested recipe pairing). Because I like to keep my ingredient lists concise, these Up the Glow suggestions are not essential— rest assured that if you skip them, the recipe will still pack a flavorful punch!
For Oh She Glows for Dinner, I’ve created over one hundred practical, crowd- pleasing, and helpful recipes that are streamlined as much as possible without sacrificing one bit of flavor or texture. Inside, you’ll find a nice mix of weeknight- friendly recipes, as well as weekend and special occasion recipes. I share my go- to speedy weeknight dinners like Fast Family Fajitas, Glow Green 30- Minute Pesto Pasta, Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Salad, and Weeknight Tex- Mex Quinoa with Cashew Sour Cream. And, when time is a bit more plentiful, try recipes like my Ulti-mate Creamy Salt- and- Vinegar Scalloped Potatoes, Cheesy Lentil Bolognese Casserole, and O Canada! Spiced Maple Cream Torte with Warm and Gooey Apple Pie Compote.
I also include meal plans and menus in this cookbook. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked by my readers, family, and friends for strategies to help speed through meal prep on the weekend or suggestions for which recipes to serve for a special occasion. I know from personal experience that the hardest part is often figuring out which recipes to combine or how to get started with meal prep. I knew that I had to create these helpful guides for this book. You’ll find more info on my meal plans and menus!
It’s not an understatement to say that the plant- based movement has been absolutely booming in recent years. When I started experimenting with and sharing vegan recipes in 2008, there wasn’t nearly as much acceptance for this way of eating as there is today, and I never anticipated how much growth would happen in just a decade. In 2019 alone, the US saw a whopping 600 percent increase in the number of people identifying as vegan, and the UK saw a 350 percent increase, according to Ipsos and Globaldata.com. Canada is seeing a lot of growth, too, with about 10 percent of Canadians reporting in 2018 that they follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, and the updated Canada’s Food Guide has shifted to a largely plant- based focus. It’s been truly exciting to see such immense change happening due to so many passionate people and organizations all over the world. It seems like every single day I hear about a new athlete, celebrity, CEO, or eighty- two- year- old grandpa talking about how much a plant- based diet has changed their life for the better. I can often relate to these stories, because forgoing animal products and embracing a plant- based diet has been one of the best commitments I’ve made in my life. When I eat a balanced plant- based diet, it gives me loads of energy and a sense of well- being. Not only do I feel in tune with my body’s needs by eating this way, but I feel so grateful to have the platform to share my journey and my favorite recipes with my family, friends, and this incredible community. It’s one thing to try out this way of eating and enjoy the delicious food, but to see so many people around me get hooked, too, is just the best feeling, especially being able to help the environment, animals, and hopefully our health in the process. It’s truly an exciting time for plant- based- curious home cooks and professional chefs alike. Plant- based cooking is endlessly inspiring once you really dig in and start experimenting with ingredients and flavors.
When I first tried plant- based eating over a decade ago, I started at ground zero— I had no cooking experience to speak of (unless being a pro at baking a boxed cake mix counts?) and had to teach myself all the things I now do with ease in the kitchen. I’m so pleased I didn’t give up, and glad I gave those veggies a fighting chance! After years of daily practice creating and writing recipes, playing with plant- based ingredients and flavors, and learn-ing as much as I could, cooking now feels downright intuitive to me (well, most days). Now I have so much confidence when I create dishes on a whim . . . and I can tell you that this culinary passion has been one of the biggest surprises of my life (if not the biggest). If you aren’t there yet, please don’t get discouraged. I didn’t even know how to roast a pan of veg-gies when I started out. I truly started from scratch. If you are new to plant- based eating, take it slowly if you need to, one day at a time. Try one or two new Oh She Glows dishes a week (a lazy weekend afternoon when you aren’t in a hurry is a great time to try out a new dish!) and keep it simple until your confidence grows. You will get there! I want to make this journey as delicious and fun as possible for you.
Oh She Glows for Dinner is going to provide you with tools, tips, and tricks to help you get more plant- based meals on the table, and in the process, you’ll hopefully fall in love with so many vibrant, balanced, and downright irresistible recipes. I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this collection of recipes, which has been years in the making— it’s the true culmination of everything I’ve learned through creating Oh She Glows over the past decade.
Copyright © 2020 by Angela Liddon. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
