New York: Countryman Press, 2019. 304pp. 

Welcome to another cookbook review, Booksmarters! My primary motivation in bringing this book to your attention is the chapter on Portable Snacks. My go-to protein snack is a handful of peanuts or pistachios, which can get a little boring. It is a nice change to make up a batch of one of the many little protein ball recipes included in High Protein Vegan. They rely on various combinations of oats, nut butter, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, and other yummies. I have made them all – there are at least ten to choose from – including Peanut Butter Chocolate Seed Balls, Protein Power Pistachio Bites, and my favorite Cherry Chocolate Hemp Balls. There are recipes for bars too (although I have had some trouble getting those to hold together, they taste good) and a variety of high protein cookies, which I haven’t investigated too much as they often include more added sugar than I’m interested in. People that aren’t as concerned about that might love them. 

Of course there is more to this book than snacks: it has suggestions for appetizers, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I would rate this book vegan Beginner, so If you are new to plant-based eating or you just need to provide a couple of meals for a visiting relative, you may find some good ideas here. The recipes rely on simple ingredients, techniques, and familiar flavors. I haven’t had too much luck with the appetizers section. The breakfast section has been more fruitful.  The Chocolate Banana Hemp Smoothie Bowl is really easy and has become a morning regular. The Multi-Layered Avocado Toast is tasty and a good place to start if you want to try your hand at a tofu scramble. (It does require black salt though. I am currently working on a tip about that ingredient). I eat the Overnight Muesli several times a week – oats, oat bran, wheat bran, wheat germ, nuts and seeds – you get the picture – although I keep it dry in a jar and add oat milk and fresh fruit right before I eat it. It’s a filling and satisfying homemade cereal without all the sugar in the store-bought brands.  Wanna stretch yourself a bit? Try the Chocolate Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding.  Different and interesting and full of Omega-3’s. 

Lunch includes a number of simple salads – the Smoky Tempeh Buddha Bowl is worth making – as well as a couple of basic chili recipes. You can make them in a hurry, because you already have all the stuff, or use them as a jumping off point if you’re a little more experienced. Dinner offerings are also basic but serviceable such as Fried Hoisin Tofu with Peanut Sauce-Touched Udon.  Some others, like Artichoke Flatbread with Crumbled Seitan didn’t work for me.  Sounded good, but just end up having a very pleasing texture. 

The recipes in this book each come with a breakdown of cooking time as well as protein content, which is a nice feature. Other than that, this is a straightforward guidebook without a lot of commentary, and not the kind of book that conveys the personality and backstory of the author. It’s not a source of recipes you’d serve at a dinner party, but it can serve as a basic source. Conclusion:  the snack balls are worth the price of admission and will be the reason you keep reaching for this book.  

Note: I did not receive any form of compensation in exchange for mentioning any products or links in this post.