The Vegetarian Student Cookbook - Hamlyn
This was a great help to me when I was starting out. It is meant for students so most of the recipes are relatively easy, not too time consuming, and are made of cheap ingredients.
Pros:
- Well laid out, easy to read, easy to find recipes
- Divided into sections such as Italian, Chinese, Indian, Breakfast, Desserts
- Each recipe has descriptors such as "quick", "easy" or "cheap" to help you find what you're looking for
- Doesn't use obscure ingredients
- Has a beginning section like the one Annia described above, giving basic cooking tips as well as some guidance on nutrition
- Wide variety of cuisines and dishes
- Everything I've cooked from there has been very yummy
- Easily veganised if you're cooking for vegan friends
- Focuses on using vegetables as the main part of the dish rather than mock meats. Some tofu recipes.
Cons
- The thing I really hate about it is that pretty much every recipe has eggs, cheese or cream. Even if you're not vegan, that amount of fat is just not good for you.
- Mentions fish sauce in a few recipes, although no actual fish. I think it's only two recipes, but it's still annoying.
I can't really think of any other bad things. I would definitely recommend it. Even as a vegan I still use it quite often, obviously making some substitutions.