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The Engine 2 Cookbook Review & Giveaway!

January 17, 2018 by Epicurean Vegan

Engine 2 Cookbook -- Epicurean Vegan

CONGRATS TO TIYA WHO WAS OUR RANDOMLY CHOSEN WINNER! Thank you to everyone who commented!

I had the opportunity to review The Engine 2 Cookbook by Rip Esselstyn and his sister, Jane Esselstyn. You probably recognize Rip Esselstyn as the former firefighter and triathelete featured in the 2011 documentary, Forks Over Knives. He is also the son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a plant-based physician and author.

So what’s Engine 2? In 2003, one of Rip’s co-workers at the Engine 2 station in Texas discovered he had high cholesterol, so Rip convinced the entire team to switch to a plant-based diet in order to help his colleague. And it worked. One chapter in this book is dedicated to discussing what’s killing over 50% of firefighters a year. It’s not fire-related. It’s heart disease, something that can be reversed, with a “plant-strong” diet.

Chapter two covers the guidelines of The Engine 2 diet: no animal products and added oils, sweeteners, and sodium. It also gives readers the essentials for a plant-based kitchen from pots, to pans to produce to spices.

The book, which is full of high-quality photographs of many of the recipes, offers the following recipe categories:

Breakfast
Sauces, Spreads, Salsas, Dressings, Dips, and Hummus
Appetizers and Sides
Salads and Croutons
Soups and Sandwiches
Suppers and One-Bowl Meals
Desserts

I tried several recipes and I have to say, they were all delicious.

Folded Chickpea Omelets, page 50. Delicious! However, learning to flip the omelet without destroying it, is going to take some practice. The batch is said to make 2 large omelets, but I found that to be a bit too much. I think 4 smaller omelets is ideal. The Husband went rogue and made a scramble out of his. Overall, a winner. I’d make these again for sure.

Engine 2 Cookbook -- Epicurean Vegan

The OMG Walnut Sauce, page 57. It lives up to its name. Used it as a dip for crackers. So garlicky, but delicious and incredibly simple to make.

Thai Peanut Butter Sauce, page 64. I made this for a get together with friends and we enjoyed it with veggie dumplings. A big hit with everyone!

“Kale, Caesar!” Salad, page 136 + Sandy’s Caesar Dressing, page 92. Outstanding! It’s probably my new favorite Caesar dressing and the cooked onions are an excellent touch.

Engine 2 Cookbook -- Epicurean Vegan

Green Lightening Bowl, page 199 + Lightening Dressing, page 91. Another flavorful winner. I really liked how easy this was to make and the dressing is tangy with some zip–perfect.

Engine 2 Cookbook -- Epicurean Vegan

Mac-N-Cash, page 235. I made this version of mac-n-cheese with the broccoli, but not the optional collard greens. The flavor is really great and The Husband and I agreed, that the more we ate it, the more we liked it. We both also thought it would have been better to steam the broccoli first, not add it raw as the recipe says. It just didn’t soften enough in the baking process. We loved the corn in it though–a fabulous combo with the pasta.

There are so many other recipes I’m anxious to try such as, Raspberry Pudding Crumble Parfait, page 253; Big Hit Waffles, page 32; Texas Armadillo Tater Tots, page 108; and Sweet Potato and Shiitake Soup, page 161 (to name just a few).

All in all, I highly recommend this cookbook. The recipes are accessible with easy-to-find ingredients, and will probably impress the pants off of any meat-eater. It is available on Amazon for around $18, but you can win one here!

Simply leave a comment by Sunday, January 21 and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win a copy of The Engine 2 Cookbook! Good luck!

Disclosure: Although the cookbook was provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my opinion.

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Filed Under: Product Reviews Tagged With: cookbook review, Engine 2, Engine 2 Cookbook, Giveaway, Rip Esselstyn

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Comments

  1. Ashley Holbrook says

    January 17, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    Yum! I would love to try the Folded Chickpea Omelets! Thanks for the review. 😀

  2. Lesli Cohan says

    January 17, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    This looks awesome, especially as someone who is trying to have less fat and oil in our vegan recipes!!

  3. Tiya says

    January 17, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    I want to try a plant-based diet and would love to read this book and try the recipes

  4. Evelyn says

    January 17, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    I would love to try those dishes they sound yummy!

  5. Evelyn says

    January 17, 2018 at 8:31 pm

    I would love to try the dishes in this book! They sound yummy.

  6. Sharon Gjertsen says

    January 17, 2018 at 8:43 pm

    I would make the Texas armadillo tatar tots, since I live in TX.

  7. Janice Spiess says

    January 17, 2018 at 9:00 pm

    This is a cook book I can really use! Can’t wait to read it! Thank you.

  8. sweetonnh says

    January 18, 2018 at 6:29 am

    I’d love a copy of this book!

  9. sweetonnh says

    January 18, 2018 at 6:30 am

    I’d love to win a copy!

  10. Adri says

    January 18, 2018 at 7:50 am

    This looks super awesome.

  11. Deborah says

    January 18, 2018 at 10:59 am

    The recipes look amazing. I’d love a healthier vegan cookbook!

  12. Alison says

    January 18, 2018 at 11:01 am

    Looks like a great book! Would love to win a copy! Thank you for offering a giveaway!

  13. Stacey S says

    January 18, 2018 at 1:57 pm

    The dishes you mentioned sound great! Always looking for more plant based recipes! Thank for the chance to win

  14. Lydia Claire says

    January 18, 2018 at 11:28 pm

    I’d love to win!

  15. Cindy Murrell says

    January 20, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    We have the Forks over Knives Cookbook, and we’d love to try the recipes in this one!

  16. Anne Robertson says

    January 21, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    I’ve just started my Vegan journey for health reasons. Glad to have found your blog!

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The Epicurean Vegan is devoted to those wanting to eat healthy, save animals, and reduce their carbon footprint. My decision to go vegan started out as a quest to get healthier, but the more I learned about veganism, the more I realized how damaging the meat and dairy industries are to the environment and, of course, the animals. And it is for these reasons, that I would never go back to eating or wearing animal products. Ever.
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