I am a pescatarian, and if you haven’t heard that before it basically means I am a vegetarian who also eats fish. I go through fazes where I am a pescatarian, a strict vegetarian, and also times when I am vegan. I tend to switch around depending on what is convenient for me or if I hear about some be-all-end-all diet. I will admit I am not a serious dieter, I don’t hear about trends like paleo and automatically jump on the band wagon, but I will subtly change my diet based on fads. For example, when green juice cleanses became popular, I didn’t go on a cleanse and forgo all substances that didn’t come in juice form, instead I added green juices to my diet a few times a week. I am not an all or nothing kind of person when it comes to my health because I find that I am healthier when I have a realistic diet and routine that works for me.

Although I will admit when I find a cookbook that makes me passionate I change my life drastically (for at least a month). This happened to me when I found Thug Kitchen ($25 retail, on sale at Amazon). Thug Kitchen is a vegan cookbook that has swearwords left and right. Somehow the cussing adds a light charm to this book that makes it an amusing read. When I found this at the bookstore the cover made me curious, and when I opened it I started to laugh. I am not much of a cook and I rarely enjoy myself when I do, yet this book inspires me. I don’t know if it is from the delicious vegan recipes or the fact that it swears nonstop, but this cookbook has been a life changer.

The recipes in this book have a lot of thought put into them, they have everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, and desserts and I have yet to find a recipe that I didn’t like. The flavor of everything is outstanding and the instructions are fairly easy to follow and to complete. Some of the recipes taste so creamy that no one would believe they are eating a vegan dish. And if you want even more inspiration they have a blog that you can read here.

Whether you are a vegan or carnivore you will love this book!

Spiced Chickpea Wraps with Tahini Dressing (Makes 4 Large Wraps):

4 large wraps or flour tortillas

Spinach

Cucumber Sticks

Carrot sticks

Tahini Dressing:

1/4 cup of Tahini

3 tbs warm water

1 1/2 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp soy sauce or tamari

2 cloves garlic

Spiced Chickpeas:

1 tbs olive oil

3 cups cooked chickpeas

2 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp soy sauce or tamari

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1. To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a small glass until it is smooth and creamy. Set it in the fridge.

2. Now get the chickpeas going. Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and fry them until they start to turn gold and pop around a bit. This will take 3 to 5 minutes. In a small glass, mix together the lemon juice, maple syrup, and soy sauce. When the chickpeas look right, pour the lemon juice mixture over them and stir. Let that evaporate for about 30 seconds and then add all the spices. Stir and let them all fry together for another 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.

3. Serve this in a wrap with some spinach leaves and thinly sliced carrot and cucumber sticks. Drizzle some dressing over it and wrap it up.

I hope you enjoy!