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The best cookbooks to kick-start January

by Malou Herkes

published on 23 November 2019

We all know that January is about making new resolutions to live our lives a little bit better, but whether that’s saving money, eating more sustainably or healthily, embracing more veggies, going vegan or you cutting your food waste, big changes can feel daunting. We’ve rounded up the cookbooks that will help you make meaningful changes in your daily lives that you can stick to all year round, and we promise it’s delicious.

Eat Green

Are you resolving to eat greener this year? Melissa Hemsley’s latest cookbook, Eat Green, is a flexible approach to planet-friendly eating, showing you how to champion more seasonal veg at the centre of your plate, eat less but better meat and fish (although every recipe can be made veggie if you’d rather), and how to cut your food waste. Alongside Melissa’s bold, feel-good and vibrantly delicious recipes, you’ll get tonnes of flexi tips, ingredient swaps, advice on how to eat with the seasons, batch-cooking ideas and freezer tips to get you cooking and eating in a more planet-friendly way – without compromising on flavour!

Eat Green

Eat Green

Feel-good food that helps the planet and saves you money

Feel-good food that helps the planet and saves you money

Full of clever tips on seasonal ingredients and sustainable cooking

Full of clever tips on seasonal ingredients and sustainable cooking

With flexitarian recipes to suit vegans, veggies, and omnivores

With flexitarian recipes to suit vegans, veggies, and omnivores

Simply Good For You

by Amelia Freer

Amelia Freer is back with a pragmatic, family cookbook of unashamedly easy cooking for real life, showing that you don’t have to change everything to eat well, and you certainly don’t need rigid diet plans. “With a little knowledge, a meal bursting with goodness is easily within everyone’s grasp”, she says. We’re in love with the Za’atar Chicken, Aubergine and Squash Traybake.

Simply Good For You

Simply Good For You

Delicious and unashamedly straightforward dishes for everyday life.

Delicious and unashamedly straightforward dishes for everyday life.

Full of simple, fresh, and uplifting recipes to suit every dietary need.

Full of simple, fresh, and uplifting recipes to suit every dietary need.

From healthy breakfasts to weeknight dinners.

From healthy breakfasts to weeknight dinners.

The Quick Roasting Tin

Want to cook more from scratch this year? Rukmini shows that it can be quick, easy and delicious with this revolutionary traybake recipe book. All 75 recipes take no longer than 10 minutes to prepare and a maximum of 30 minutes in the oven, and are easy to adapt depending on what you have in the fridge and cupboard, so you won’t have long ingredients lists to shop for either. Perfect stuff for midweek cooking. 

The Quick Roasting Tin Jacket

The Quick Roasting Tin

75 fast and simple one dish recipes to revolutionise the way you cook

75 fast and simple one dish recipes to revolutionise the way you cook

Leave the hard work to the oven with minimal prep and less washing up

Leave the hard work to the oven with minimal prep and less washing up

From fast dinners to simple desserts

From fast dinners to simple desserts

The Self-Care Cookbook: Easy Healing Plant-Based Recipes

The Self-Care Cookbook

by Gemma Ogston

A recipe and self-care book rolled into one, this plant-based cookbook is packed with vibrant, flavour-first recipes that will help you take care of yourself and feel good both inside and out. This is a great cookbook for anyone seeking to get more veg-centric, wholesome meals into their diet.

Elly Pear’s Green

by Elly Pear

Anyone taking up Veganuary this January? Elly Pear’s latest cookbook will help you crack meal prep with her inventive, fuss-free vegan and vegetarian recipes. With easy-to-find ingredients, bulk-cooking and meal-prepping ideas, chapters on freezer food and 20-minute meals Green is all about making it easier to eat vegetarian and vegan every day of the week. 

Green: Veggie And Vegan Meals For No-Fuss Weeks And Relaxed Weekends

Green: Veggie And Vegan Meals For No-Fuss Weeks And Relaxed Weekends

Inspiring vegetarian and vegan recipes

Inspiring vegetarian and vegan recipes

Quick and easy ideas for weeknights

Quick and easy ideas for weeknights

Laid-back feasts and batch cooking tips for weekends

Laid-back feasts and batch cooking tips for weekends

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats

Another great cookbook for those of you signing up to Veganuary, this time from YouTube sensation and vegan cook, Rachel Ama. Taking inspiration from her Caribbean, West African and British roots, we’re in love with her bold, fiery and colourful dishes – think Caribbean Channa, Peanut Fried Rice and All-Greens Chunky Butter Bean Soup and Lemon Drizze Cake. 

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats: Tasty plant-based recipes for every day

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats: Tasty plant-based recipes for every day

Tasty vegan food inspired by Rachel's Caribbean, West African and British roots.

Tasty vegan food inspired by Rachel’s Caribbean, West African and British roots.

With bold, mouthwatering recipes, fresh twists on old favourites, and delicious bakes.

With bold, mouthwatering recipes, fresh twists on old favourites, and delicious bakes.

Full of clever tips and hacks to help you create exciting, flavourful vegan dishes.

Full of clever tips and hacks to help you create exciting, flavourful vegan dishes.

Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone

“This book is not just for vegetarians: everyone is welcome” says Jamie. For all of you meat-lovers who want to get more veg in your diet, Jamie’s VEGis all about satisfying, delicious, flavour-forward food that just happens to be without meat or fish.

Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone

Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone

Easy veg-packed recipes everyone can enjoy

Easy veg-packed recipes everyone can enjoy

Jamie's clever tips, tricks and twists for meat-free meals

Jamie’s clever tips, tricks and twists for meat-free meals

Substantial recipes from one-pan wonders to family feasts

Substantial recipes from one-pan wonders to family feasts

Eat Well For Less: Every Day

by Jo Scarratt-Jones

January is a time for tightening the purse strings but don’t let that mean you cut back on eating well. This cookbook will give you flavour-packed and budget-saving recipes so that you can cook and eat nourishing, delicious food everyday. With plenty of tips on saving time and money along the way, it’s a great one to get you through January. 

Eat Well For Less: Every Day

Eat Well For Less: Every Day

Budget-friendly family favourites

Budget-friendly family favourites

Easy recipes from the hit BBC series

Easy recipes from the hit BBC series

Quick and simple midweek meals

Quick and simple midweek meals

Fakeaway

by Chris Bavin

Chris Bavin is back with another of his brilliant, everyday cookbooks that will show you how to recreate a lighter version of your Friday night favourite. Healthy, easy to make and with everyday ingredients, recipes include Easy Jalfrezi, Quick Cheat’s Lasagne, Healthy Scampi, and the Ultimate Chicken Burger. Yum. 

Fakeaway: Healthy Home-cooked Takeaway Meals

Fakeaway: Healthy Home-cooked Takeaway Meals

Healthier, tastier versions of popular takeaway dishes.

Healthier, tastier versions of popular takeaway dishes.

Recreate everything from your favourite curry to a classic diner meal.

Recreate everything from your favourite curry to a classic diner meal.

With healthy ingredient swaps and budget-friendly shopping tips.

With healthy ingredient swaps and budget-friendly shopping tips.

Feel Good

Punchy, vibrant flavours combine with accessible, simple recipes in Melissa Hemsley’s Feel Good. These recipes are bound to leave you feeling soothed, supported and energised whether cooking up a midweek meal or hosting for friends and family. Many of the recipes can be made in under 30 minutes and with readily available ingredients.

Feel Good: Quick and Easy Recipes for Comfort and Joy

Nourishing and flavourful recipes to make you feel good

Fast and simple ideas for every occasion

From midweek meals to celebrations, breakfasts to desserts

Rainbow Bowls

Rainbow Bowls

by Niki Webster

Talented food writer and photographer Niki Webster, the force behind Rebel Recipes, shares 40 accessible, tasty and colourful one-bowl meals packed to the brim with all the good stuff. Created to help you eat the rainbow, these simple fruit and veg bowls are layered with goodness and make healthy plant-based cooking easy for all.

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