Christmas is not over yet, folks! 😉 You may remember me hinting earlier this month about a future giveaway to happen here on the blog. Well…[insert drumroll] the time has come!
One of my favorite cookbook authors, Lindsay Nixon, the author of The Happy Herbivore and Everyday Happy Herbivore just recently released her third cookbook, Happy Herbivore Abroad. In celebration of the cookbook release, Lindsay is conducting a month-long blog tour during December. I was lucky enough to be selected as a stop on Lindsay’s tour. Below you will find Lindsay’s responses to my interview questions, links to my reviews of some of Lindsay’s recipes posted here on the blog (p.s. I LOVE them all! ;)), and details about how to enter the giveaway to win your very own copy of Lindsay’s new release, Happy Herbivore Abroad.
My interview with Lindsay:
1. If you had to pick one dish, what would you select as your favorite meal that you have eaten while abroad?
Probably the German Lentil Soup — it’s in Happy Herbivore Abroad 🙂
2. Which countries have you found to be the most vegan-friendly while traveling abroad? Which countries are less vegan-friendly?
Overall I think they’re all probably about the same. I find it’s always easier to find vegan (plant-based) fair in the larger cities, and more trying in the smaller towns or villages – just like in the United States. It’s not impossible, just sometimes more patience is required.
3. How do you write about adopting a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle without feeling like you are forcing it onto others? As a blogger, I often wonder about the best way to approach this.
I find the best approach is to lead by example and not be judgmental. I figure, if someone is reading my blog, they must be interested, so I’m not forcing it on them. If they don’t want to hear it, they can find another post or another blog that is interesting to them.
4. Is there a recipe or recipes in Happy Herbivore Abroad that you found especially challenging to make vegan?
Some recipes were challenging to recreate in a healthy way. I’m not just making the recipes vegan (that’s easy) but healthy too — no oils, butters, fake meats, etc. That was often the challenge, but eventually I found a way to capture the flavor 🙂
5. I used to always find the idea of eating tofu to be scary. Since adopting a healthy, vegetarian (sometimes vegan) diet, I have tried tofu and love it (especially in the eggless salad recipe from Everyday Happy Herbivore!). Are there any foods that you at one point were scared of or uncertain about eating, but now love to cook?
Tofu and mushrooms.
6. What are some go-to vegan travel snacks that you bring with you when you are traveling abroad?
That’s It! brand fruit bars and instant oatmeal.
7. What are your top three must-visit countries in regards to their vegan cuisine?
I don’t travel to eat so I don’t really have a good answer for this. Eating is such a low priority for me when I travel — I’m busy taking in the sights, experiencing the culture, working on speaking the native language… sometimes a meal with be fruit and vegetables from a farmer’s stand, or jam with toast. I do like to have a nice meal — don’t get me wrong, but it’s not how I define my travel.
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I have cooked several of Lindsay’s recipes from all three of her cookbooks and have yet to find a recipe that I did not absolutely love! They are simple but flavorful, contain minimal ingredients, are healthy, contain whole and natural foods, and most importantly…are delicious! Oh, and did I mention that all of her recipes are vegan? I know that sometimes this label turns people away from recipes, but I am here to say that her cookbooks are absolutely perfect for everyone- vegan, vegetarian, meat-eater, etc. Another thing that I love about her cookbooks are that a lot of the recipes are intended to make 1-4 servings so I can make a small batch, or can double the recipe to serve more. I always make enough to have leftovers, though, because I never want the food to end ;).
I have talked about several of Lindsay’s recipes here on my blog, including:
Eggless Salad – I think this is my all-time favorite, so far!
Sweet Potato Dal
Fire-Roasted Chana Masala
Quick Black Bean Burgers
Maple-Kissed Pumpkin Muffins
Cauliflower Pumpkin Curry
Vegetable Korma
Spicy Mustard Chickpeas
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary copy of the cookbook from the publisher, and have already starting digging right in and cooking some of the recipes. The Vegetable Korma and Spicy Mustard Chickpeas (featured above) can both be found in the Happy Herbivore Abroad cookbook. I have also made the African Jollof, pictured here:
All three of these recipes were very tasty. I cannot wait to continue making my way through the cookbook!
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Now here is your chance to win your very own copy of Lindsay’s new cookbook, Happy Herbivore Abroad. In order to enter the giveaway, please respond to one of the following questions in the comment section below:
1. What is your favorite dish that you have eaten while traveling abroad?
OR
2. Where is one place abroad that you would like to travel to in the future?
Entry for the giveaway is now open and will close Monday, December 31st at 11:59 p.m. CST. I will announce the winner on Tuesday, January 1st! This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only. Good luck! 🙂
