JUICE: Recipes for Juicing, Cleansing and Living Well By Hayden Slater, Carly de Castro and Hedi Gores

Hayden Slater, Carly de Castro and Hedi Gores are the founders of Pressed Juicery, an idea they had in 2010 that was grounded in a simple belief: in order to live well and feel healthy, people need to be armed with a set of tools that are simple, convenient and adaptable to the modern lifestyle. In their case, this set of tools came in the form of juicing. Four years later, their business has evolved and their team has managed to heighten what has become known as the “cold-pressed process.” Taking their initiative one step further, the health and wellness trio will be launching their first book at the end of the July 2014, aptly titled Juice: Recipes for Juicing, Cleansing, and Living Well.

Thoughts: I use this book quite a bit for inspiration. It’s well organized by Greens, Roots, Citrus, Sweet, etc so I often select a theme and go from there.

Clean Green Drinks: 100 Cleansing Drinks to Renew and Restore you Mind and Body By Candice Kumai

Cleanse. Sculpt your body, boost your health, renew your mind, and improve your whole outlook on life. Clean Green Drinks is not just a recipe collection, but also a guide to a leaner, happier, and more fulfilled you. With more than 100 perfectly balanced, delicious drink recipes that can be made in a minute, Clean Green Drinks will help you sip away extra pounds as you sip away stress. Health journalist and chef Candice Kumai reveals the new science behind her enticing, refreshing flavors; and shows how easy it is to get fit, healthy, happy, and glowing! Thoughts: I like this book because I’ve also begun to incorporate protein smoothies into my diet post workout. I also use the juice recipes to inspire my own.

The Blender Girl By Tess Masters

The debut cookbook from the powerhouse blogger behind www.healthyblenderrecipes.com, featuring 100 gluten-free, raw, vegan recipes made quickly and easily in a blender. On her wildly popular recipe blog, Tess Masters (aka, The Blender Girl), shares easy plant-based recipes anyone can whip up fast in a blender. In The Blender Girl, Tess offers healthy whole-food concoctions that rely on natural flavors and sweeteners; all are gluten-free and many are also dairy-, egg-, nut-, soy-, and corn-free. Recipes for drinks, smoothies, and soups are a given, but this surprisingly versatile collection also includes dishes with a blended component, including appetizers, snacks, salads, and desserts; staples like sauces, spreads, and condiments; plus details on sprouting, food combining, acid versus alkaline, live foods, and more.

Thoughts: I haven’t used this book as much as JUICE and CLEAN GREEN DRINKS because it’s also recipe-based, but I plan to spend more time delving in during these fall and winter months.

The Juice Generation: Fresh Juices, Green Drink and Superfood Smoothies for a Brighter, Lighter and More Energized Life By Eric Helms

Get ready to live juicy with The Juice Generation. Fresh juices and superfood smoothies will help you feel energized and invigorated with glowing skin and a clear mind. The revitalizing recipes and tips will make you feel lighter and brighter, inside and out.  Featuring more than 100 refreshing, health-boosting, spirit-lifting recipes, The Juice Generation offers practical, down-to-earth instructions for making restorative and great-tasting vegetable and fruit juices, smoothies, and tonics.

A Change of Appetite: Where Healthy Meets Delicious By Diana Henry

Dieting deprivation is certainly not on the menu in this beautiful cookbook. A Change of Appetite is inspired by a range of cuisines as diverse as the Middle East, the Far East, Georgia and Scandinavia. It is perfect for those craving a different kind of diet – less meat and starchy food, more vegetable, fish and grain based dishes. The recipes are cateregorised by season, showcasing particular ingredients and flavours. Diana’s bright and informative writing style is thoughtfully presented alongside indispensable tips and colourful, mouth-watering photos.

Vibrant Food: Celebrating the Ingredients, Recipes and Colors of Each Season By Kimberley Hasselbrink

Kimberley Hasselbrink, photographer and creator of the acclaimed blog The Year in Food, invites you to look at ingredients differently and let their colors inspire you: the shocking fluorescent pink of a chard stem, the deep reds and purples of baby kale leaves, the bright shades of green that emerge in the spring, and even the calm yellows and whites of so many winter vegetables. Thinking about produce in terms of color can reinvigorate your relationship with food, and in this collection of recipes, Hasselbrink employs aesthetics, flavor, and texture to build gorgeous yet unfussy dishes for every season.

Brassicas: Cooking the world’s healthiest vegetables – Kales, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts and More (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan) By Laura B. Russel

For a long time, brassicas had a mixed reputation. While a small group of people staunchly adored them, most Americans were not as fond of the vegetables formerly known as “cruciferous” (who doesn’t remember a plate of stinky boiled cabbage or President Bush’s condemnation of broccoli?). But in recent years, a transformation has occurred. Kale has taken the world by storm and there’s hardly a restaurant left that doesn’t have cauliflower on the menu. The rising popularity of brassicas is not only due to their extraordinary health benefits and “superfood” status, but also the realization that they can taste delicious when properly prepared. Brassicas shows home cooks how to bring out the flavors of these vegetables without death-by-boiling or burial under a blanket of cheese. When roasted, Brussels sprouts reveal an inherent sweetness. Watercress and arugula add a delightful peppery punch to salads. Caramelizing cauliflower in the sauté pan brings out its best attributes. Celebrating natural flavors rather than masking them, Brassicas both inspires cooks as well as arms them with appetizing new ways to increase their vegetable consumption.

The Kitchen Ecosystem: Integrating Recipes to Create Delicious Meals By Eugenia Bone

Seasoned cooks know that the secret to great meals is this: the more you cook, the less you actually have to do to produce a delicious meal. The trick is to approach cooking as a continuum, where each meal draws on elements from a previous one and provides the building blocks for another. That synchronicity is a kitchen ecosystem.

For the farmers market regular as well as a bulk shopper, for everyday home cooks and aspirational ones, a kitchen ecosystem starts with cooking the freshest in-season ingredients available, preserving some to use in future recipes, and harnessing leftover components for other dishes. In The Kitchen Ecosystem, Eugenia Bone spins multiple dishes from single ingredients: homemade ricotta stars in a pasta dish while the leftover whey is used to braise pork loin; marinated peppers are tossed with shrimp one night and another evening chicken thighs and breast simmer in that leftover marinade. The bones left from a roast chicken bear just enough stock to make stracciatella for two. The small steps in creating “supporting ingredients” actually saves time when it comes to putting together dinner.

Delicious food is not only a matter exceptional recipes—although there are an abundance of those here. Rather, it is a matter of approaching the kitchen as a system of connected foods. The Kitchen Ecosystem changes the paradigm of how we cook, and in doing so, it may change everything about the way we eat today.

Straight from the Earth: Irresistible Vegan Recipes for Everyone By Myra Goodman & Marea Goodman

As environmentally healthful and thoughtful eaters pile on the vegetables and fruits and push animal protein off their plates, the desire for more recipes showcasing fresh produce has gone sky high.

So, who better than the folks at Earthbound Farm to deliver those vegetable-centric recipes? From their humble beginnings as a 2½-acre raspberry field, Earthbound now grows and distributes organic produce nationally. Co-founder Myra Goodman and her daughter Marea are skillful home cooks, and the proximity to their fields of fresh vegetables and fruits made it easy to develop creative—and definitely delicious—dishes that are not only heavy on the produce, they just happen to be vegan!

The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Gret, Losing Weight and Saving the Planet By Alicia Silverstone

In The Kind Diet, actress, activist, and committed conservationist Alicia Silverstone shares the insights that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever, and outlines the spectacular benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, from effortless weight loss to clear skin, off-the-chart energy, and smooth digestion. She explains how meat, fish, milk, and cheese—the very foods we’ve been taught to regard as the cornerstone of good nutrition—are actually the culprits behind escalating rates of disease and the cause of dire, potentially permanent damage to our ecology.

Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi By Yotam Ottolenghi

Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi By Yotam Ottolenghi

The hotly anticipated follow-up to London chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s bestselling and award-winning cookbook Plenty, featuring more than 150 vegetarian dishes organized by cooking method.

Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the world’s most beloved culinary talents. In this follow-up to his bestselling Plenty, he continues to explore the diverse realm of vegetarian food with a wholly original approach. Organized by cooking method, more than 150 dazzling recipes emphasize spices, seasonality, and bold flavors. From inspired salads to hearty main dishes and luscious desserts, Plenty More is a must-have for vegetarians and omnivores alike. This visually stunning collection will change the way you cook and eat vegetables.

Jerusalem: A Cookbook By Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

A collection of 120 recipes exploring the flavors of Jerusalem from the New York Times bestselling author of Plenty, one of the most lauded cookbooks of 2011.

In Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi explore the vibrant cuisine of their home city—with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Both men were born in Jerusalem in the same year—Tamimi on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi in the Jewish west. This stunning cookbook offers 120 recipes from their unique cross-cultural perspective, from inventive vegetable dishes to sweet, rich desserts. With five bustling restaurants in London and two stellar cookbooks, Ottolenghi is one of the most respected chefs in the world; in Jerusalem, he and Tamimi have collaborated to produce their most personal cookbook yet.

The Thrive Diet: The Whole Foods Way to Losing Weight, Reducing Stress and Staying Healthy for Life By Brendan Brazier

This title helps to: reduce body fat; diminish visible signs of aging; boost energy and mental clarity; enhance mood; increase productivity; eliminate junk food cravings and hunger; build a stronger immune system; lower cholesterol; improve sleep quality; and, stay healthy for life. The Thrive Diet is a long-term eating plan that will help you achieve optimal health through stress-busting plant-based whole foods. It’s an easy-to-follow diet that will help you understand why some foods create nutritional stress and how other foods can help eliminate it, giving you a lean body, sharp mind and everlasting energy.Fully researched and developed by Brendan Brazier, professional Ironman triathlete, “The Thrive Diet” features: the best whole foods; over 100 easy-to-make recipes with raw food options that are all wheat, gluten, soy, corn, refined sugar, and dairy free, including exercise-specific recipes for pre-workout snacks, energy gels, sports drinks and recovery foods; and, an easy-to-follow exercise plan that compliments “The Thrive Diet”.

Thrive Energy Cookbook: 150 Plant-Based Whole Food Recipes By Brendan Brazier

Brendan Brazier, author of the international bestseller The Thrive Diet, changed the way millions of people eat.Packed with 150 plant-based, nutrient-dense, whole food recipes developed within the Thrive nutritional philosophy, the Thrive Energy Cookbook brings concepts that started the functional, plant-based nutrition revolution to life. Recipes are all allergen-free (or with gluten-free options) to eliminate wheat, yeast, gluten, soy, refined sugar, and dairy from your diet.Easy-to-make and performance-enhancing, these chef-created recipes merge purpose-driven functionality with mouth-watering appeal.

The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out By Angela Liddon

A self-trained chef and food photographer, Angela Liddon has spent years perfecting the art of plant-based cooking, creating inventive and delicious recipes that have brought her devoted fans from all over the world. After struggling for a decade with an eating disorder, Angela vowed to change her diet – and her life – once and for all. She traded the low-calorie, processed food she’d been living on for whole, nutrient-packed vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and more. The result? Her energy soared, she healed her relationship with food, and she got her glow back, both inside and out. Eager to share her realization that the food we put into our bodies has a huge impact on how we look and feel each day, Angela started a blog, Oh She Glows, which is now an internet sensation and one of the most popular vegan recipe blogs on the web.

Whether you are a vegan, “vegan-curious,” or you simply want to eat delicious food that just happens to be healthy, this cookbook is a must-have for anyone who longs to eat well, feel great, and simply glow!

The Green Kitchen By David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl Andersen

David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl Andersen are the new faces of exciting vegetarian food. Their Green Kitchen Stories blog has a cult following and inspires people around the world to cook super-tasty, healthy vegetarian recipes using only natural ingredients. In The Green Kitchen they will delight meat-eaters and non meat-eaters alike by sharing over 80 of their favourite recipes, which can be enjoyed by the whole family. Using everyday staples from their pantry and combining them with in-season produce, David and Luise tell the stories from their kitchen, and show how easy it is to create nourishing, well-balanced dishes on a daily basis. Whip up some Spinach muffins for breakfast, Warm faro salad for lunch, and Vegetable lasagne with lemon ricotta for a supper to share with friends. Have your cake and eat it too with Frozen pink cheesecake, Cherry and blueberry crumble, Licorice ice cream and more. As well as large dishes, they have an array of soups, salads, juices, small bites and picnic food that are uncomplicated to make but are bold in flavour and will have you wanting more. Start your love-affair with vegetables today with The Green Kitchen. Featuring stylish photographs throughout, this stunning book will show you how easy it is to cook delicious, sumptuous foods that taste great and are good for the body and the soul.

The Green Kitchen By David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl Andersen

David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl Andersen are the new faces of exciting vegetarian food. Their Green Kitchen Stories blog has a cult following and inspires people around the world to cook super-tasty, healthy vegetarian recipes using only natural ingredients. In The Green Kitchen they will delight meat-eaters and non meat-eaters alike by sharing over 80 of their favourite recipes, which can be enjoyed by the whole family. Using everyday staples from their pantry and combining them with in-season produce, David and Luise tell the stories from their kitchen, and show how easy it is to create nourishing, well-balanced dishes on a daily basis. Whip up some Spinach muffins for breakfast, Warm faro salad for lunch, and Vegetable lasagne with lemon ricotta for a supper to share with friends. Have your cake and eat it too with Frozen pink cheesecake, Cherry and blueberry crumble, Licorice ice cream and more. As well as large dishes, they have an array of soups, salads, juices, small bites and picnic food that are uncomplicated to make but are bold in flavour and will have you wanting more. Start your love-affair with vegetables today with The Green Kitchen. Featuring stylish photographs throughout, this stunning book will show you how easy it is to cook delicious, sumptuous foods that taste great and are good for the body and the soul.

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World By Michael Pollan

In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed reciprocal relationships similar to that of honeybees and flowers. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals By Michael Pollan

A national bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of the food chains that sustain us — whether industrial or organic, alternative or processed — he develops a portrait of the American way of eating.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto By Michael Pollan

Food. There’s plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it? Because most of what we’re consuming today is not food, and how we’re consuming it — in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone — is not really eating. Instead of food, we’re consuming “edible foodlike substances” — no longer the products of nature but of food science. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become.

The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food By Dan Barber

Dan Barber, an award-winning chef at Blue Hill, moves beyond “farm-to-table” to offer a revolutionary new way of eating. After more than a decade spent investigating farming communities around the world in pursuit of singular flavor, Barber finally concluded that–for the sake of our food, our health and the future of the land—America’s cuisine required a radical transformation.

Drawing on the wisdom and experience of chefs, farmers and seed breeders around the world, Barber proposes a new definition for ethical and delicious eating.

Barber charts a bright path forward for eaters and chefs alike, daring everyone to imagine a future for our national cuisine that is as sustainable as it is delicious.