Vegan Mofo- Hard to Mess Up

As promised, here is my list of 5 recipes I make over and over again, with delicious, crowd-pleasing results every single time.

5.)  Pizza Crust- Joy of Cooking

Sure its a non-vegan cookbook, but its got a lot of hits, and often contains the most simple baseline recipe for something you've heard of but never cooked. That makes it great for veganizing. This recipe, however, needs no alteration, and I've made perhaps 100 times, always with phenomenal results. A no-frills classic.

4.)  Venezuelan Black Beans- Viva Vegan

Once you try Terry Hope Romero's recipe for simple black beans, you may feel tempted to throw away all of your other cookbooks. Resist. Man cannot subsist on black beans alone. However, this is the perfect recipe with which to attempt that feat.

3.) Minimalist Tagine (from moi)

I came up with this streamlined take on the classic Tagine in Brussels and ever since I've made it at least once a month, always a little differently. Sometimes its mushrooms and eggplant, sometimes I throw in some chickpeas, the nuts depend on what I have around... in other words, its flexible. But the cinnamon and cumin spiked sauce, with golden apricot bits, is exotic enough to feel like a feast, even when you just throw it together. Its also a good centerpiece to a Moroccan themed dinner party.

2.) Eggplant Potato Moussaka- Veganomicon.

Isa and Terry might be over-represented on this list, but there is a reason for that.  I've served this impressive casserole to everyone, from my parents, to a bunch of omni Germans on Passover. Its always a hit. The filling- layers of potatoes and eggplant with a toothsome tomato sauce- perfectly compliments the custardy pine-nut cream topping that no one ever believes is vegan. Its simple enough to make, but everyone will think you are a star vegan chef when you serve this.

1.) Banana Flapjacks- Vegan Brunch

I have plenty of pancake recipes that I love and enjoy, but let's not kid ourselves- Vegan Brunch's version are the sine qua non of pancake recipes.Without them, there is no breakfast. I get so many compliments on these babies that I feel like I should send a royalty check to Isa every time I make them. But then I'd really have to be a millionaire. Try them once, and watch as your attachment to all other pancake recipes fades away....

What recipe or cookbook can you not live without?