In Plant Magic, Desiree shares approachable ways to incorporate plants into your meals, along with how to dial up your pantry and tricks for coaxing the best out of simple foods like beans, grains, and vegetables. Plant-based cooking doesn’t have to be expensive, time consuming, or restrictive.

Whether you’re craving morning things, stuff on bread, one pot (or pan) dishes, salads, tasty noodles, really good sweets, or everyday tonics and potions, Plant Magic makes cooking and eating joyful. Full of tips and tricks, stories and easy ingredient swap-outs, Desiree shares delicious recipes for some of your favourite dishes that just happen to be plant-based. Celebrate the joy and pleasure of eating well and enjoying nourishing food.

Get ready to make Earl Grey Breakfast Loaf; An Easy, Cozy Lasagna; Lemony Chickpea and Potato Stew; Cumin Lime Black Bean Burgers; Sunshine Panzanella; Black Olive and Za’atar Focaccia; Tempeh Nachos; Rocky Road Blender Brownies; Carrot Cake with Cashew Frosting; and Hibiscus Lemonade.

Featuring gorgeous photography throughout, Plant Magic shows you just how delicious plant-based food can be and that sometimes, healthy eating looks like a kale salad and sometimes, it looks like cake.

Author Bio: DESIREE NIELSEN is a registered dietitian and the bestselling author of Good for Your Gut and Eat More Plants. She has been featured in publications such as Best Health, Washington Post, Chatelaine, Family Circle, SELF, Hello! Canada, People, Parade, Prevention, Eating Well, and on The mindbodygreen Podcast. Desiree regularly appears on local and national television including The Social, Breakfast Television, and is the host of The Allsorts Podcast. She lives in Vancouver, Canada

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Sumac-Roasted Eggplant with Maple Tahini Drizzle

Serves 4

Gluten-Free

Low-FodMAP option nut-Free

Vegan

Every recipe I create for my books reflects a facet of how I like to eat in real life. I cannot write a cookbook without an eggplant recipe (or two!) because I love this vegetable so much. I will happily gobble up all four servings of this eggplant—roasted until its flesh is creamy, sprinkled with citrusy sumac and fresh mint, and drizzled with maple syrup–spiked tahini—with zero complaints.

Sumac-Roasted Eggplant

4 Chinese eggplants

2 tablespoons (30 mL) avocado oil

1¼ teaspoons (6 mL) ground sumac, plus more for serving

½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Maple Tahini Drizzle

2 tablespoons (30 mL) tahini

1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon (15 mL) water

⅛ teaspoon (0.5 mL) salt

For serving

Flaky sea salt

1⁄3 cup (75 mL) packed fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

1. Roast the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, score the halves diagonally, spaced ½ inch (1 cm) apart. Place the eggplant cut side up on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Brush the eggplant with the avocado oil. Sprinkle with the sumac, salt, and lots of pepper. Turn the eggplant halves over so they are cut side down on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast until soft and golden brown on the cut side, about 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the maple tahini drizzle: In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, water, and salt.
5. To serve, pile the eggplant on a serving platter. Spoon the maple tahini drizzle over the eggplant. Sprinkle with a bit more sumac, flaky sea salt, and mint. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. (I like to chop and fry the leftover eggplant, then add a bit of water and any leftover maple tahini drizzle until warmed through.)

Swaps + Stuff

1 cup (250 mL) of eggplant is a low-FODMAP serving.

Excerpted from Plant Magic by Desiree Nielsen. Copyright © 2024 Desiree Nielsen. Photography and illustrations by Gabriel Cabrera. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.