Being vegan on a budget: cookbook review

Article written by Shelby Gibbs

Most people assume that leading a plant-based lifestyle is expensive and that as a student it is not feasible to live as a vegan. Well, Katy Beskow’s latest cookbook is here to debunk this myth for you. I have only recently become vegetarian and I try to choose vegan alternatives and make vegan meals where I can. More and more people are adopting vegan diets for ethical, environmental and health reasons, and with the growing importance of climate change making small changes to your lifestyle diet could have a tremendous impact on the planet.

Beskow’s book titled ‘15 minute vegan on a budget’ is ideal for students. When you come home from a long day of lectures the last thing you want to do is cook anything, especially when you are conscious of omitting the animal products. It is so easy to just have a bowl of cereal and leave it there (I know I am guilty of doing this on more than one occasion) but these recipes are mostly quick and easy to prepare. My grandparents treated me to this book when they came to visit and I have been dying to try it’s recipes since I got it, reviewing it seemed like the perfect excuse to eat a few treats.

 

15 minute vegan on a budget by Katy Beskow

 

The book begins with a note from the author, Katy Beskow, about her journey to becoming a vegan which actually began as a student. Throughout the book, Beskow leaves tips on how to keep the prices down on the ingredients and she also advises you on how to store the leftovers so you can make the most out of them. There are chapters for family favourites, sweet treats, and from-the-cupboard dishes. Over 100 recipes covering all your vegan meal needs from root vegetable bhuna to peanut butter melt-in-the-middle chocolate pudding.

 

Sample Recipe

 

I decided to test out a sweet and savoury recipe for myself. I tend to get snacky but I try to avoid buying too many snacks so I chose to make cinnamon sugar tortillas as a study snack for myself and I wasn’t disappointed in the results. I had used a fajita kit a few days previous and was unable to use all the tortilla wraps so this was actually a great recipe as it reduced the waste and the method was so simple. These sugary snacks are simple and require just 4 ingredients that you are likely to already have, the only thing I will say is that you must keep an eye on them whilst they are in the oven as mine came out quite crispy. The savoury dish I decided to cook was Patatas Bravas, a tapas staple and a personal favourite of mine. I was interested to see how it compared to the dish at my beloved La Bobina. This dish is surprisingly simple and true to its title didn’t take very long at all. The hearty chunks of potato coated in a rich tomato sauce made for a delicious lunch but I think it would also be great at as side. My only grievance was that it was perhaps less saucy than I am usually used to but delicious nonetheless.

 

Patatas Bravas with Vegan Recipe Book

 

If incorporating more vegan dishes into your meal plans is something you are interested in, then this book is certainly the way to go. It definitely achieves its aim of being budget-friendly, quick and vegan which is ideal for us students! If you like the sound of this book it retails at around £11.99 and is one of 3 in a collection.

Photo Credits: Shelby Gibbs