It's been a big year for plant-based eating, as more and more everyday people try things like Meatless Mondays and turn to vegan food in an effort to eat healthier and greener.

Veganism's increasingly mainstream appeal has created a cookbook boom, with publishers releasing an impressive number of titles aimed at a wider audience than hard-core plant eaters.

In the last year, dozens of terrific vegan cookbooks have crossed my desk, and I've had a great time discovering creative new recipes that have kept dinnertime anything but routine. Looking back on all those tasty meals, I'm struck by how many hearty and comforting entrees combat the perception that plant-based fare is skimpy and unsatisfying. And I'm struck by the interesting ways cookbook authors are transforming vegetables into complex, flavorful dishes.

After a bit of hand wringing, I've culled through the best of 2013's vegan cookbooks, narrowing it down to this list of five favorites. Any of these titles would make an excellent Christmas gift for someone on your list – or a lovely gift to give yourself.

"Bake and Destroy," by Natalie Slater.

5.

by Natalie Slater:

This is quite possibly the year's most unconventional cookbook. Natalie Slater has been described as "Martha Stewart meets Iron Maiden," and punk rock, slasher films and heavy-metal fashion inspire her recipes. She even got a tattoo-covered pro-wrestler to write the book's introduction. At first glance, her "good food for bad vegans" approach seems like a gimmick. But then you get into the recipes, which make the case for vegan cooking being a rollicking party where anything goes. Slater morphs cuisines with no restraints, creating things like Taco Lasagna, Pizza Cupcakes French Fry Tacos, and Green Bean Casserole Pizza, which transforms the Thanksgiving monstrosity into something actually worth eating. And she tosses pop-cultural icons into the ring, too, with Honky Tonk French Toast, which takes day-old banana bread and gives it a peanut butter twist that's equal parts Elvis and wrestler Honky Tonk Man. No one will confuse this for health food, but it sure is fun.

Recipe to try:

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"Vedge," by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby.

4.

by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby:

Philadelphia's Vedge is one of the nation's best-regarded vegetable-focused restaurants, and is known for creating modern dishes that appeal to vegans, omnivores and everyone in between. This collection of 100 recipes makes their visionary approach to vegetables accessible to home cooks willing to try new ingredients and techniques. There are a number of multi-step recipes that are more of a weekend project than a weeknight supper. But the best recipes are what they call "The Dirt List," featuring seasonal vegetables that are cooked quickly and simply, yet embellished with garnishes that add clever twists. Shaved Brussels Sprouts With Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce, for instance, gives the wintertime cruciferous vegetable a contrast of creamy and tangy tastes that make you think of a warm Caesar salad. Combine it with two or three other small plates, and you've got a meal with layers of flavors. And there are plenty of cocktails, desserts and baked goods to round things out.

Recipe to try:

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"Vegan Chocolate," by Fran Costigan.

3.

by Fran Costigan:

It used to be challenging to find satisfying vegan desserts, much less recipes you would really want to invest the time to make at home. But pastry chef Fran Costigan, the doyenne of vegan desserts, has mastered creating crave-worthy cakes, cookies and truffles with this stunning collection of 120 recipes designed with chocoholics in mind. Costigan is a seasoned culinary instructor, and it shows with easy-to-follow explanations of techniques and ingredients. There are plenty of show-stopping desserts like Buche de Noel and Chocolate-Hazelnut Six-Layer Cake that are designed for special occasions. There are also plenty of less-complex pies, tarts, puddings and cookies to give chocolate lovers their daily fix. Her Chocolate Pecan Cranberry Coffee Cake would make a perfect treat for Christmas morning, since it can be made a day in advance and warmed before serving.

Recipe to try:

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"Vegan Pizza," by Julie Hasson.

2.

by Julie Hasson:

Portland chef Julie Hasson made my favorite cookbooks list a couple of years ago with "Vegan Diner," a collection of American comfort classics. Now she's returned with this wonderful collection of pizzas that depart from the standards in creative and appealing ways. Gone are the mountains of cheese and meat. In their place are ingredients from some of her favorite dishes -- like all-American barbecue and Korean bibimbap -- adapted into pizza form. While old-fashioned purists may balk at the idea of putting broccoli, barbecue sauce or peanut butter on a pizza, her approach makes it possible to customize to individual tastes. I can't get enough of her Smoky Wild Mushroom and Potato Pizza, which is made with a Smoky White Cheese Sauce that gets its intensity from liquid smoke. It's a great way to use the wild mushrooms that are available right now. And here's a bonus: There's enough of the sauce leftover to toss with noodles the next day. Leftovers have never been this good.

Recipes to try:

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"Isa Does It," by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

1.

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz:

Hands down, the vegan cookbook of the year. Isa Chandra Moskowitz does it again with this collection of easy and delicious recipes designed for everyday cooking. When I got my copy, I started flagging recipes with little Post-It notes, and before I knew it the top of her cookbook was a sea of yellow stickies marking dishes I couldn't wait to cook. Moskowitz created her recipes using everyday ingredients, including ingredients most people already have in their pantry, and many of the dishes come together in less than 30 minutes. She also emphasizes what she calls "the three Cs" – char, creaminess and complexity – which set off endorphins and help satisfy the palate. A good example of the three Cs in play is her Tofu-Mushroom Stroganoff, which has sautéed strips of browned tofu providing char, a mushroom-studded sauce delivering creaminess, with hints of white wine, thyme and tomato paste giving it all complexity. It's a recipe I'd make over and over – if it weren't for all those yellow sticky notes calling out to me.

Recipe to try:

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-- Grant Butler

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