YumUniverse

YumUniverse

More than 150 plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free recipes!

No matter where you land on the diet spectrum, more whole, plant-based foods can enrich your life and improve your health.

If you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet or you just want some ideas for preparing scrumptious veggie dishes, Heather Crosby provides a step-by-step guide to simply adding more delicious, health-boosting meals to your existing routine, whether you’re a meat-eater or a vegan.

YumUniverse: Infinite Possibilities for a Gluten-Free, Plant-Powerful, Whole-Food Lifestyle offers a creative collection of more than 150 craveable recipes without meat, dairy, gluten, or soy. But this is more than just a cookbook—it’s a treasure chest that will help you build health-promoting habits and recipes of your own for a lifetime. As a former veggie-phobe, Heather knows firsthand how overwhelming yet rewarding the transition toward a plant-powerful diet can be, so she offers expert advice for folks seeking to adopt and maintain a whole-food approach to what they eat.

Fans of YumUniverse.com, Heather’s inspirational food website, and new readers alike will discover recipe goodness like her Fig & Caramelized Onion Tart and Almond-Cardamom Cream Chia Pudding with Fresh Berries, as well as divine desserts like Mexican Unfried Ice Cream and Chocolate & Salted Caramel Stack Cake.

A plant-powerful, gluten-free lifestyle is delicious and doable. So, say “goodbye” to the dieting roller coaster and embrace a long-term wellness adventure with tasty, healthy, plant-inspired cuisine.

Maple Spice Cookies

Maple Spice Cookies

Lavender-Chia Lemonade

Lavender-Chia Lemonade

Individual Super Veggie Pot Pies

Individual Super Veggie Pot Pies

About the Author

Heather Crosby

Heather Crosby is a T. Colin Campbell Foundation certified plant-powerful wellness coach who has developed a unique and well-loved collection of over 500 gluten-free, plant-based recipes on her popular website YumUniverse.com. In an effort to kick medication and heal naturally from disease, she’s been fine-tuning the maintenance of this lifestyle for almost a decade, and sharing what she’s learned for years with thousands of folks all over the world.

She’s not interested in labeling you. Instead, she’s dedicated to helping folks incorporate more health-boosting whole, plant-based foods into their lives so we can all say “goodbye” to dieting and “hello” to building a healthful, inspired lifestyle for the long haul.

Learn more at yumuniverse.com.

Featured Recipe

Heck Yeah, Banana Pancakes

2-4 Servings | On Page 167

Download the Recipe
Heck Yeah, Banana Pancakes

These fluffy pancakes are delicious topped with classic maple syrup, but try taking them to the next level (adding antioxidants and rich flavor) with a Blueberry Compote (simply follow the adaptation for Cherry Rose Compote in the book).

Ingredients

Dry
½ cup chickpea flour (aka garbanzo flour)
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup almond flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch ground cinnamon*

Wet
1 ripe banana
1 cup water
1 tablespoon maple syrup*
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Set aside.

Mash banana into a smooth paste, then whisk or blend together all wet ingredients until ultra-smooth.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and whisk together.

Heat a skillet to medium-high and then add a dollop of oil. Using a ladle, pour batter into the hot pan. When the edges of the pancakes start to dry and the tops have bubbles, flip. Cook other side for 2–3 minutes and serve warm.

psst! For fun shapes, place cookie cutters down into your skillet and fill with batter (use a piping bag for precision). Let batter dry around edges and on top before lifting up the cutter. Flip and brown on the other side.

Publication Details

YumUniverse
  • Title: YumUniverse
  • Author: Heather Crosby
  • Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
  • Publication Date: 10/28/2014
  • Price: $19.95 US/$23.00 CAN
  • Format: Trade paper and ebook
  • Trim Size: 7 x 9
  • Page Count: 320 pages
  • ISBN: 978-1-940363-24-0
  • Ebook ISBN: 978-1-940363-59-2

Endorsements

While offering a cornucopia of outstanding recipes, YumUniverse offers a great deal more with an informed and informative commentary on why and how to live a plant-based dietary lifestyle. Exceptional and 'kitchen cook friendly', YumUniverse is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Midwest Book Review

Heather takes an often intimidating topic, and shows us that this lifestyle is absolutely possible. And her recipes are some of the most creative and delicious out there. The idea here isn’t deprivation or drastic measures. It’s about cumulative change—making incremental, deliberate health-boosting decisions until they stick, because true wellness is a life-long journey.

— Brendan Brazier, former Professional Ironman Triathlete and author of the Thrive book series

Heather's enthusiasm for healthy living will inspire you to get busy in the kitchen! It's hard not to fall in love with her fresh, vibrant, and accessible plant-based recipes.

— Angela Liddon, author of the New York Times bestseller The Oh She Glows Cookbook and creator of OhSheGlows.com

In YumUniverse, Heather shares recipes that will give you the very best of health without sacrificing any flavor or fun, proving just how delicious plants can be. If you’re interested in test-driving a plant-based diet, let Heather be your guide, and enjoy the journey!

— Neal Barnard, M.D., author, clinical researcher, health advocate and founder of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine

YumUniverse is a gorgeous cookbook filled with tasty, creative recipes that is perfect to kickstart a plant-powerful diet. Heather Crosby’s spirited and encouraging approach to ‘simply eating more plant-powerful foods’ leaves you feeling confident that you can make healthful changes, and keeps you excited about every step ahead.

— Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition and host of Veria's wellness talk show "What Would Julieanna Do?"

Heather Crosby is as glowing, beautiful and health-inspired as the plantiful, UnDiet-friendly decadence she creates in the kitchen. Her creativity using fresh, real-food ingredients makes this way of living effortless. I love having her join me as a crusader for the great life—and this book makes the great life so easy and delicious!

— Meghan Telpner, director of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, author of UnDiet

Heather is a creative recipe goddess…her recipes provide that 'yum factor' to inspire you to skip right into the kitchen and get cooking more whole, plant foods. I appreciate that her approach is nonjudgmental and embraces all types of plant eaters- even those who eat some meat.

— Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet

Heather Crosby's YumUniverse is a bold and beautiful tribute to plant-based, whole foods. These recipes will prove to you that there is no need to choose between food that will nourish your body and food that will delight your taste buds. Heather is a passionate and knowledgeable guide, and her culinary talent is only rivaled by the intelligence and common sense that she brings to healthy living.

— Gena Hamshaw, C.C.N. and author of Choosing Raw

Think plant-based, gluten-free food can't be exciting? Think again—with her inspired recipes, beautiful photography, and infectious enthusiasm for healthy living and cooking, Heather Crosby shows that fueling your body with whole, high-energy foods can be anything but boring.

— Matt Frazier, creator of NoMeatAthlete.com and author of No Meat Athlete: Run on Plants and Discover Your Fittest, Fastest, Happiest Self

So much more than just a cookbook, YumUniverse provides all the tools you need to thrive, beginning with ‘why’ you’ll benefit from eating more plant-based foods, to ‘how’ to implement baby steps toward change, and ending in a drool-worthy collection of what to ‘eat.’ If you’ve ever thought about moving toward a plant-inspired diet—or even if you’re already a long-term vegan—you’ll find something to love in this enticing, engaging, and educational culinary universe.

— Ricki Heller, RHN, PhD, author of Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free and Living Candida-Free

The strengths are in the chummy, supportive tone, appealing design, encouragement to be creative, and focus on being both gluten- and soy-free.

Library Journal

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