Find Your Bliss with Vegan Whole Foods

Yes, it’s true that VegWeek 2012—an exciting week of veg-friendly events and restaurant specials—is over, BUT whether you’ve been veg for 30 years, or just since you took the VegWeek VegPledge last week, here’s something new to get excited about:

Chef Christy Morgan’s new book, Blissful Bites! This gorgeous collection suggests simple, beautiful, delicious meal ideas using mainly whole foods—you know, all the stuff that comes from the produce department and in those bulk bins at the grocery store! With this book you can finally:

• Impress your friends with your amazing cooking, while you say (truthfully) how easy it was.
• Stop letting produce rot in the bottom of your fridge while you eat cereal for dinner.
• Make good on all those healthy-eating promises you made to yourself 4 months ago.

Not yet convinced? Scroll down to the soup photo and recipe below. Salivate over how delicious it looks. Next, count how many steps it takes to make. Imagine a whole cookbook like this. Order it now.

We caught up with Christy on her recent US book tour so you could get a sneak peek of what’s in store while you’re waiting for your copy to arrive in the mail.

Want
a chance to win Christy’s phenomenal new book, Blissful Bites? Just
tweet us why being veg makes you feel blissful by midnight on Sunday, May 13 and you’ll be entered
to win a FREE copy!

COK: When and why did you become interested in vegan cooking?

Christy: It wasn’t until I went vegan 9 years ago that I got interested in cooking at all. When people go vegan they usually incorporate a few new ways of cooking, but I never grew up cooking so it was all new to me. Back then there were only a few vegan restaurants in LA, and no handy veg-friendly restaurant guide like the one COK puts out now! So, I got online—thank goodness the Internet was around back then—and found websites that had vegan recipes and taught myself to cook!

Then I went to vegan potlucks and started connecting with the community. Sharing food with others gave me such an amazing feeling, so I decided to move back to Austin to go to The Natural Epicurean, and now here I am!

COK: What inspired you to write this book?

Christy: After having a meal delivery service, being a personal chef, and then teaching cooking classes, I wanted to share my food and philosophy with the world. I’ve studied many different natural food approaches like macrobiotics, raw foods, vegan, ethnic cooking, and Chinese Medicine. So, I’ve incorporated all the things I’ve learned into Blissful Bites, because I wanted to show that healthy food can be beautiful, delicious and accessible to anyone. Plus, since we eat with our eyes, there are over 100 color photographs in the book, which spotlight all the delicious vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, and whole plant foods that I eat everyday as a vegan.

COK: What 5 things do you always have in your fridge?

Christy: Greens, Vegenaise, miso, unsweetened almond milk, and mustard.

Editor’s note: She wasn’t lying—look at this photo:

COK: If you could cook one meal for a not-yet-veg friend, to show them how incredibly delicious and satisfying vegan food is, what would it be?

Christy: I really love ethnic food because it enlivens the senses and taste buds. So, if they had a favorite type of ethnic food I would make them a feast using spices and foods from that country, but in a healthy way. I’ve traveled all over the world, so I love sharing those experiences with others.

COK: If there is one thing that you want people to take from cooking with your book, what would it be?

Christy: To cook with more whole foods ingredients that are hopefully organic and seasonal. Making food from scratch is so much more healthy and nutritious than eating out. So, get in that kitchen and start experimenting. Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore—equip yourself with good tools and organic produce and go wild!

Chilled Mango Spiced Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chopped yellow mango
• 1 cup chopped Hothouse cucumber, peeled
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• Small handful cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• Dash cayenne
• Sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until soup is smooth and creamy. Season to taste.
2. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes, then serve garnished with cilantro.