Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on October 24, 2019

 

 

Filled with more than 80 simple and seasonal recipes for dishes you can make in the oven 

Every week, Yvette van Boven develops a new oven recipe for her magazine column. The recipes are seasonal, delicious, and most importantly, really simple, and now, they’re collected in her latest cookbook: Home Made in the Oven.

What is van Boven serving up fresh from her oven this time? How about autumnal stuffed Portobello mushrooms, a freshly baked plum pie, or cabbage rolls with caraway and hazelnuts. Alongside the more than 80 recipes are van Boven’s annotated illustrations and photographs of finished dishes. For van Boven, everything belongs in the oven: vegetables, meat, fish, pizza, stews, and of course, sweets! The recipes are sure to provide you with plenty of tips, tricks, and inspiration for cooking in your oven.

Indigo * IndieBound * Abrams Books

 

Review

 

This is the second cookbook from Yvette Van Boven that I have had the pleasure of enjoying.  And when I say pleasure, I mean that!  This book is more than just a cookbook, it is a feast for the eyes with the illustrations that accompany each recipe.  Take a look

 

 

The recipes are pretty easy to make from what I have eyeballed for future meals.  There are three sections that cover everything – vegetables, fish & meat, and baking.  There is an Index that is by chapter and by ingredient.  I love looking to see what recipe could be made from whatever ingredient I have on hand and then taking it from there.

The recipe I have made so far is called Cupboard Cannelloni and can I saw this is one of those recipes that most people will have everything on hand, well if you cook a lot you will most likely have everything on hand!  I was looking for something a little different when it comes to a pasta dish and this recipe reminds me of lasagna roll-ups but with less cheese.  My husband raved over the dish and leftovers the next day were just as good.  I must have put more red pepper flakes in the dish because it had a little kick to it…not burn your mouth hot, just a bit spicy.

So here is the recipe so that you can try it yourself at home.

Cupboard Cannelloni

 

12 sheets of lasagna noodles (I used 8 and after softening them broke them in half

2 onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced (I think I used 5 because more garlic is good!)

Splash of olive oil

2 links sausage, casing removed (I used a mild Italian sausage but use what you have on hand)

8 1/2 oz spinach (frozen is ok) – I don’t think I used enough so would increase that next time

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Sea Salt

3T tomato paste

1/2 glass of red wine

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

Chunk of cheese for grating – as long as it melts, use it!  I actually had a lot of shredded cheese so I used a Zesty Ranch Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses on top

 

Preheat the over to 350°.

Slide the lasagna sheets into a pot of boiling water (3 at a time) and cook until soft (several minutes).  Remove the sheets when they’re just about soft.  Separate and let them dry spread out on a clean dish towel.  Reserve the cooking liquid.

Saute half of the onions and two-thirds of the garlic in some oil and add the sausage meat in pieces.  Fry until the meat is cooked through, then spoon in a ladleful of pasta cooking liquid.  Add the spinach and cook until the liquid is reduced.  Season with red pepper flakes and salt if needed.

In a saucepan, saute the remaining onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add the tomato paste and fry.  Douse with the wine and tomatoes.  Reduce the sauce somewhat and season with red pepper flakes and salt.

Put 1 tablespoon of the sausage-spinach filling on a short end of a lasagna sheet and roll it up.  Place in an oiled baking dish. Repeat until everything is used.  Pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with the cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes.

 

This was really easy to make and the prep time took the longest.  I will say that I did everything in one deep skillet, from cooking the noodles to making the sauce.  Made for a little faster cleanup that way.

Here are two photos I took but mostly all you can see is the cheesy goodness!

 

 

This cookbook has so much to offer and I look forward to trying many more recipes with my family!

 

About the Author

Yvette van Boven is a critically acclaimed cookbook author, freelance recipe writer, and illustrator. She is the host of Holland’s popular cooking show Koken Met van Boven, and is also the culinary editor of Holland’s largest women’s weekly magazine and writes and illustrates a weekly column for the popular arts and culture publication Volkskrant magazine. She lives in Amsterdam and Paris.

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Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking on October 19, 2019

 

An indispensable new cookbook from James Beard Award-winning food writer Michael Ruhlman 

From Scratch looks at 10 favorite meals, including roast chicken, the perfect omelet, and paella—and then, through 175 recipes, explores myriad alternate pathways that the kitchen invites. A delicious lasagna can be ready in about an hour, or you could turn it into a project: try making and adding some homemade sausage. Explore the limits of from-scratch cooking: make your own pasta, grow your own tomatoes, and make your own homemade mozzarella and ricotta. Ruhlman tells you how.

There are easy and more complex versions for most dishes, vegetarian options, side dishes, sub-dishes, and strategies for leftovers. Ruhlman reflects on the ways that cooking from scratch brings people together, how it can calm the nerves and focus the mind, and how it nourishes us, body and soul.

 

My Thoughts

I love to cook and trying new dishes (as you know if you have followed me for any length of time!).  There are some things I have never done like roasted my own chicken in the oven.  I’ll admit it, it is easier to purchase a rotisserie chicken then figure out how to roast a chicken.  That was until I read this book and realized that it really isn’t that hard to do at all or at least not according to Michael Ruhlman’s directions.

Besides the chicken, I have discovered many new twists to some dishes I already make, like risotto.  I also learned a new way to make slow-roasted ribs.  I usually put them in my crockpot and they meat just falls off the bones, but I’m going to give his method in the oven a try next time.

I do wish that there were more photos but Michael Ruhlman does a great job of describing everything so you have a feel for what the dish should look and taste like when it is done.

This book covers so much that it would be a great starter cookbook for a new cook or one that has some basic skills and looking to perfect a few basic dishes.

Here is the recipe for what I made so go out and buy a whole chicken and try it out, you won’t be sorry!

Roast Chicken with Jalapenos, Lemon, and Garlic

1 3-4 lb whole chicken
Kosher salt to taste
2 jalapenos, cut into 1/4 rounds – seeds and all
1 lemon cut into 8 wedges (I actually used 2 lemons)
10-15 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole (you can never use too much garlic)

Preheat your oven to 450° degrees or 425° if you are concerned about smoke (I cooked it at 425°).

Salt the chicken aggressively and put it breast side up in an oven-safe skillet (I used a stoneware but will try our iron skillet next time).  Scatter the jalapenos, lemon wedges, and garlic around the chicken.

 

Roast for 1 hour, basting the chicken several times during the last 30 minutes of cooking.  **I have to note that I cooked my chicken for 1 1/2 hours.  I guess I read it wrong and thought it was cook for 1 hour and then baste over the next half hour.  My chicken still came out very moist so I’m not sure if it was the lower temperature or what!  Also, my bird didn’t put off a lot of juices so I added some chicken broth to the pan during the last half hour so the flavors could meld with the garlic, jalapenos, and lemon.**

Remove the bird from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes before carving (I actually left it in the pan).  After carving, serve with the juices and pepper/garlic/lemon over the top.

 

So in the photo above, I asked my husband to baste the chicken with the juices and he decided to put EVERYTHING on top of the bird.  He is a bit nuts but hey it still tasted divine!  And we enjoyed the leftovers for several days.  So much that I have already bought another whole chicken and the other items needed to make this again.

I also made the Quick Sauteed Brussels Sprouts recipe but had to add garlic and red onion to spice it up.  Plus I cooked it in a garlic olive oil and to me, it was just perfect.

 

 

About the Author

Michael Ruhlman (born 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American writer. He is the author of 11 books and is best known for his work about and in collaboration with American chefs, as well as other works of non-fiction.

Ruhlman grew up in Cleveland and was educated at University School (a private boys’ day school in Cleveland) and at Duke University, graduating from the latter in 1985. He worked a series of odd jobs (including briefly at the New York Times) and traveled before returning to his hometown in 1991 to work for a local magazine.

While working at the magazine, Ruhlman wrote an article about his old high school and its new headmaster, which he expanded into his first book, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education (1996).

For his second book, The Making of a Chef (1997), Ruhlman enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, completing the course, to produce a first-person account — of the techniques, personalities, and mindsets — of culinary education at the prestigious chef’s school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, The Soul of a Chef (2000) and The Reach of a Chef (2006).

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Posted in cooking, Giveaway, memoir, nonfiction on October 16, 2019

 

Synopsis

America’s most prominent Latino chef shares the story behind his food, his family, and his professional journey 

Before Chef Aaron Sanchez rose to fame on shows like MasterChef and Chopped, he was a restless Mexican-American son, raised by a fiercely determined and talented woman who was a successful chef and restaurateur in her own right—she is credited with bringing Mexican cuisine to the New York City dining scene. In many ways, Sanchez, who lost his father at a young age, was destined to follow in his mother Zarela’s footsteps. He spent nights as a child in his family’s dining room surrounded by some of the most influential chefs and restaurateurs in New York. At 16, needing direction, he was sent by his mother to work for renowned chef Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans.

In this memoir, Sanchez delves into his formative years with remarkable candor, injecting his story with adrenaline and revealing how he fell in love with cooking and started a career in the fast-paced culinary world. Sanchez shares the invaluable lessons he learned from his upbringing and his training—both inside and outside the kitchen—and offers an intimate look into the chaotic and untraditional life of a professional chef and television personality. This memoir is Sanchez’s highly personal account of a fatherless Latino kid whose talent and passion took him to the top of his profession.

 

My Thoughts

 

It is always interesting reading the back story of chefs and how they came to be in the position they are in, where they learned to hone their craft, and what it took to get to the top because let’s face it, being a chef is a hard job!

This new book about Latino Chef, Aaron Sanchez, gives us an in-depth look into his life – from his struggles to his successes.  This book covers it all!  I have to admit that I don’t watch many cooking shows…mostly because I’m sure I would become addicted but mostly because we cut the cable cord so just don’t have those channels.  I am curious about the Masterchef Jr because I love that kids are learning to cook and more than just a poptart or grilled cheese sandwich.  I love when role models take younger children under their wings and encourage them to fly high.

Peppered throughout the book are some of his favorite dishes that cover a wide range of dishes from chili to etouffee to hominy and to salmon.  Many of these dishes have my mouth watering!  So while this book may be mostly about his life you’ll be able to find a new recipe or two to add to your repertoire.

But I’m not going to be selfish and I’m going to share this book with a lucky follower.  Just enter below and you just might be the winner.

 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on October 1, 2019

 

 

 

Erin Gleeson, New York Times bestselling author, returns with a gorgeously illustrated cookbook that will transport you to the Mediterranean coast For years, Forest Feast readers have been transported to Erin Gleeson’s picturesque cabin in the woods through her stunning photography of magical gatherings and vibrant vegetarian cooking. Now, Gleeson transports readers to Europe, with recipes inspired by her exploration of the cultures and cuisines of France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy during an extended family trip. Reimagining the flavors and signature dishes of this part of the Mediterranean, Gleeson presents 100 vegetarian recipes for creating effortless, unforgettable meals. Filled with atmospheric images of coastal villages, charming watercolor illustrations, and mouthwatering food photography, The Forest Feast Mediterranean is an irresistible escape from the everyday, no matter where you might live.

 

 

Review

I love being a part of Abram’s Dinner Party and all the fun cookbooks we get to experience and The Forest Feast is definitely an experience!  It is a cookbook but the pages are like looking at artwork and are such a change from a standard cookbook.  I could easily look at this book for days and find something new each time I open it up.

The beginning of the book follows their three month journey in Europe and the towns they discovered and the foods they enjoyed.  This alone made me want to drop everything and experience my own journey.

I always love finding new recipes and I tried two and used hubby as a guinea pig.  I do have to be careful about what I chose to make because he is picky when it comes to vegetables.  The first dish I tried was the Orzo Risotto.  I figured this was an easy one to try out as a side dish to the pork chops I made that evening.  I forgot to take photos and the only difference between this recipe and what I made was that I left the asparagus out.  One, because hubby doesn’t like it, and two, because it isn’t asparagus season.  But trust me that I’ll be giving that a whirl next spring.

These are all of the recipes that I have tagged and want to make.  I might have to share some with stepson (who eats anything) since some of the dishes hubby won’t like.  I am planning to make the Ricotta Gnocci very soon!

The second dish I made was a Carrot-Pistachio Couscous.  I never would have thought about this combination but let me tell you it was divine!  It was also very easy to make which is my kind of recipe!

 

And my dish

 

 

This is a fantastic cookbook and one you should consider adding to your library very soon especially if you are a vegetarian or would like to add vegetarian dishes to your rotation.

We give it 5 paws up!

 

 

 

About Erin

Erin Gleeson is the New York Times best-selling author of The Forest Feast, a vegetarian cookbook based on her blog of the same name, www.theforestfeast.com. Erin worked as a food photographer in New York City for several years before moving to a cabin in the woods near San Francisco in 2011 which inspired her blog and books. The Forest Feast is a unique cookbook/art book blend, featuring simple, colorful, vegetable based recipes that are presented visually, with minimal text. Erin’s own photography, watercolor illustration and hand-lettering guide you through the steps to make each dish. The Forest Feast noterie line was released in 2015 with stationery items like journals and art prints (available on Amazon), featuring Erin’s watercolors and photography. She is currently creating two more cookbooks that come out in 2016, The Forest Feast for Kids and The Forest Feast Gatherings. Erin also teaches photography at the college level and works as a freelance food photographer and illustrator.

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Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on September 15, 2019

 

 

With only six ingredients or less per recipe, making dinner has never been easier.

Six Sisters’ Stuff is one of the most popular blogs for quick and easy cooking and entertaining at home for families. In their eighth cookbook, they tackle how to master meals for any cook with any skill level with more than 100 easy recipes made with incredible flavor combinations from just six ingredients or less.

From beginning cooks learning the basics to busy parents looking to save time in the kitchen, this cookbook is loaded with entrees, side dishes, and desserts. Whether it’s a one-pot wings dish or a no-bake peanut butter bar this cookbook is a fool-proof solution to meal planning and features “Kid Favorites” recipes.

 

Review

I love the cookbooks from Six Sisters.  I have never had a “fail” from any of their cookbooks and they all call for normal ingredients and nothing too crazy.  I have used some recipes over and over again and expect that to happen with this cookbook as well.

There are 100+ recipes from main dishes, sides, and desserts.  I like that they even include a pantry staples list for what you would need to make their recipes (sans the meat if it is the main dish).  Getting to the recipes there is a beautiful color photo of what the dish should look like when finished. I always like to see photos that way if mine dish has gone awry I can potentially figure out what happened.  Now with only 6 ingredients that shouldn’t happen, but when it comes to desserts I have had some fails – like a lemon pie not setting up correctly.  Another good use for the photos is to start your mouth watering while trying to figure out what to make!

I was happy to see a few slower cooker recipes to round out any that you cook in the oven.  Some days I need to have something started in the morning because it is going to be a late night and this way dinner is ready when I get home.  Perusing the recipes it looks like most take 30 minutes at the most to prepare and then add cooking time.  That really isn’t too bad because while it is baking in the oven, that gives me time to make a side dish and a salad.  There are even suggested side and dessert pairings with the main dishes.

We give this book 5 paws up and if you are looking for a cookbook that brings good dishes to the table fast, this is probably the one for you.

 

 

About the Authors

The Six Sisters—Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra—started their blog in 2011 as a way to keep in touch after they moved out of their house and started lives and families on their own. In just a few years, their blog has become one of the top blog sites for women, with millions of visitors each month enjoying the Sisters’ family stories, recipes, and tips for running a home. The sisters live in California, Texas, and Utah.

Facebook * Pinterest * Website/Blog * Twitter

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Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on June 17, 2019

 

Throughout his acclaimed career, chef Michael Schwartz has been celebrated for his skilled use of quality ingredients, and with his pizzas, this talent is on full display. Genuine Pizza is Schwartz’s vibrantly illustrated guidebook for creating unforgettable pies at home. His cookbook makes the pizza process approachable and fun, giving the reader the tools they need to make better pizza and then run with them. First providing a clear and simple view of the fundamentals—with detailed step-by-step methods for making the best pizza doughs—Schwartz then empowers home cooks to mix and match ingredients, playing with different sauces, cheeses, meats, vegetables, and more, to build pies both classic and innovative. Pizza is just the beginning—it’s a jumping off point to colorful, delicious meals.

 

Review

This is the last cookbook I have to review from the great folks at Abrams Books.  I was blessed to be chosen for the Abrams Dinner Party and able to try new and exciting recipes covering a wide variety of foods.

I think of all of the cookbooks this one is my favorite because it is so versatile.  It may seem like the focus is on pizza, but there is so much more to this cookbook.  There are salads, beverages, desserts, all sorts of dishes to round out your meal.

While I haven’t made a pizza yet (I’m a little nervous about making the dough but a fellow dinner party blogger said her kids made the dough so surely I can too!), my husband and I have made several of the recipes that are definitely keepers.

My husband actually made the first recipe from this cookbook, a Rosemary Crema.  This is such a versatile sauce as you can use it on chicken wings (which is what he did) or dip your pizza crusts or many other uses I haven’t thought of yet.

 

Another recipe I made was the Strawberry Basil Syrup.  This was great to make martinis or even just add it to some lemon (or flavor of choice) seltzer water.  To make the martini, I took 1.5 oz of the simple syrup, 2 oz of fresh lemon juice (lime juice works too), and 2 oz of Lemon Vodka (or flavor of choice).  Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with some ice and then pour in a martini glass rimmed with sugar if you so choose.  This makes a little more than 1 martini but I like to keep refilling my glass.

 

 

The last thing I made from the cookbook was Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  I think this was the recipe that many of the bloggers made and I think we all had the same comments – this makes way more than 12 cookies (unless they are as big as your plate) and we all stuffed them with something different.  I was shopping at Aldi and saw these Dark Chocolate and Chocolate & Caramel squares and thought these would be perfect in the center.  I will admit I am more of a dark chocolate fan so those were my favorite plus the caramel seemed to ooze out of the cookie.  I made these for a church gathering and they were quite a hit especially when they reached the surprise center!  I think next time I would make the cookies a little bit smaller so whatever is in the middle is more pronounced.

 

We definitely give this cookbook 5 paws up and this one will be staying in my collection.

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Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Giveaway, Review on June 16, 2019

 

Synopsis

Bacon is Peter Sherman’s North Star. In 2014, he opened BarBacon, a bacon-themed gastropub in New York City, to immediate critical and financial success, and he has become the go-to bacon guru for the world. Sherman has a nearly religious devotion to bacon, and in his tome, The Bacon Bible, he shares more than 200 recipes that show you how to incorporate bacon into nearly any meal you can imagine.

There are the classics, like BLTs, wedge salads, and mac and cheese, but the book really encourages you to cook with bacon in unexpected ways with recipes like Bacon Ramen, Chipotle Bacon Tacos, and Bacon Bourbon Oatmeal Pancakes. Peter also teaches you the basics, like how to cure simple bacon from scratch. He has a mad-scientist approach to bacon and is a firm believer that it should be a part of every meal. With this cookbook, you’ll never think of bacon the same way.

 

Review

In honor of Father’s Day, I decided to post my review today since most men love bacon and while it might be a little late to get it and give to them today, nothing wrong with buying it for them and giving it to them as a late gift!  I am sure your bacon-loving man (or woman for that matter) will eat up this cookbook!  And then you can thank Abrams Books for putting out this cookbook, sending it to me to review as part of the Abrams Dinner Party and then sharing it with you.

The saying goes that everything tastes better with Bacon (which is actually a fact!) and this cookbook is a great way to find new ways to use bacon that you might never have thought about before.  After all the rest of the title of the book is “More than 200 recipes for bacon you never knew you needed”.

This cookbook has it all – recipes for everything from beverages to appetizers to desserts and everything in between.  I loved flipping through the pages and discovering new and inspired ways to use bacon.  I have previously put it on sandwiches, in pasta dishes, and on top of salads but this cookbook opened my eyes to many more opportunities like Bacon and Bourbon cornbread – who would have thought to combine those?  Not me, that’s for sure.  Or what about Bacon Caramel Popcorn or Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies?  Is your mouth watering yet?

Being a part of Abrams Dinner Party, one of the best things is chatting with other bloggers and seeing what they choose to make and what works or doesn’t work or what their family raves about.  I think one of the biggest hits is the Apple-Bacon relish that could be eaten almost any way – on a burger, with tortilla chips, in soup, or even by the spoonful.

I decided to try the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin and let me tell you, you can never go wrong with adding more pork to pork!  I have to admit I didn’t quite follow the cooking instructions but that was because I didn’t have rendered bacon fat (and definitely not 4 cups worth) so I cooked it in the oven after wrapping the tenderloin with bacon and searing it to crisp the bacon.  It came out delicious and there wasn’t any left at the end of the meal.  I served it with a Lemon Pea Risotto from another Abrams cookbook that I received this year.

 

We are giving this cookbook 5 paws up and suggest you rush out and pick up a copy for yourself or you can enter the giveaway I have for my copy of this book.

 

Giveaway

I am giving away my copy of this book (US Residents only) and all you have to do is visit this post and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on June 10, 2019

 

As a follow-up to Layered, Tessa Huff returns with Icing on the Cake to dive deeper into dessert decoration and the presentation of layer cakes and other showstopping treats. Providing the confidence home bakers need to get creative, Icing on the Cake guides readers from cake pan to presentation to dessert plate. Organized by style, each dessert showcases a different decorative element, artistic pastry technique, or presentation idea. With hundreds of beautiful photos, including lots of step-by-steps, Icing on the Cake is a richly illustrated guide for creating delicious, beautiful desserts that will be the grand finale of any gathering.

Review

Icing on the Cake is part of the Abrams Dinner Party selections.  We have received so many wonderful cookbooks and I was excited to see one focused solely on desserts, and desserts that even maybe I could make in my home.  I enjoy baking but it is not my main forte so finding a book that has a little bit of everything is exciting!  Icing on the Cake has desserts from cupcakes to cheesecake to gorgeous cakes and of course pies.  Several other bloggers have tried the Slab Pie and several cakes and frosting techniques.  I was going to try the Caramel Apple Pear Pie for Memorial Day but didn’t have time that weekend.  But the pie looks delicious and I want to try a lattice top since there are very easy to follow instructions that even the novice will be able to complete the crust.

This cookbook has a lot of gorgeous photos to step you through various processes or to see what a finished dessert should look like (assuming directions were followed and you don’t incorporate your own twist).  There is even a section on using piping tools and tips and even various frosting recipes with adaptations for small, medium, and large receipes…no need to dig out the calculator to divide it out!

So if you are a baker, definitely look for this book in your local bookstore or buy it online.  So many gorgeous cakes and you can mix and match techniques and flavors to create your own masterpieces.

 

*photos were taken from my copy of Icing on the Cake

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Posted in Cookbook, cooking, Review on June 1, 2019

 

Eat Clean, Play Dirty:

Recipes for a Body and Life You Love by the Founders of Sakara Life

by Danielle Duboise & Whitney Tingle

“Food should make you feel sexy,” say Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle, founders of the popular organic nutritional program, Sakara Life. 

In their debut book, Eat Clean, Play Dirty, the duo delivers delicious recipes and reinvigorating rituals to achieve nutritional harmony, a way to nourish the body and feed the spirit simultaneously. It’s about saying yes to kale and to dessert; to early-morning asanas and late-night dancing. It’s about prioritizing health without making sacrifices.

Since delivering their first meals by bicycle in 2012, Whitney and Danielle have changed thousands of lives across the country and garnered a long list of celebrity devotees including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and Oprah. With Eat Clean, Play Dirty, they have gathered the vibrant, delicious dishes that clients and fans crave and make it possible to recreate the Sakara magic in their own kitchens.

Changing the dialogue we have with our bodies and our plates, the cookbook empowers each of us to become our own chef and ultimate healer by using food as medicine. Each delicious recipe, from the Eat-the-Rainbow Wrap, Orgasmic Coconut Yogurt, Red Beet Burger, and the Everything Bagel with Garlic Schmear is designed to:

balance our body
heal our gut
flood our body with ample nutrients
shed excess weight
reduce inflammation
eliminate sugar cravings
balance our hormones and mood
give us the tools to create a body we love living in

Every recipe is backed by Sakara’s roots in nutritional science—honed over years of studying with doctors, scientists and healers of all kinds. Alongside the recipes, readers will learn about superfood ingredients from around the world, discover the phytonutrients needed for true vitality, unearth the secrets of the microbiome, and master tangible lifestyle tricks for balancing lifelong health with ultimate happiness. It’s Sakara’s signature blend of science, sexiness, irreverence, and light-filled intention.

The ultimate wellness cookbook has arrived. Celebrate abundance. Say yes to body love. And don’t forget to break some rules.

Review

I was hesitant on trying anything from this cookbook because it just seemed overwhelming!  If you are Vegan/Vegetarian then this is probably right up your alley.  But I have to admit the gorgeous photos drew me in and I was looking at the recipes to see if it was possible.  If you have seen any of my other reviews on the cookbooks I have received from Abrams Books through their Dinner Party program, you would know I have two massive meat eaters in the house and not many of these would go over with them very well.  However, I do have a friend that this is right up her alley, so after trying one of the recipes I passed the book on to her because this is her type of food.

Before I get into the recipes, the book does go into their 9 pillars of health and I have to agree that good health begins with your gut and the more colorful foods you eat that are clean and not saturated with the bad stuff, the better you will feel.  The book talks about each pillar and what the founders think you should try and achieve.  The pillars are listed below but you can read more details on this page of their website

Pillar 1 – No Calorie Counting

Pillar 2 – Plant Protein

Pillar 3 – Eat your Water

Pillar 4 – Greens

Pillar 5 – Good Fats

Pillar 6 – Eat the Rainbow

Pillar 7 – Nutrient Dense

Pillar 8 – Sulfur-rich Veggies

Pillar 9 – Body Intelligence

For Memorial Day, we met my family at my sister’s house for a cookout.  My sister is a Vegetarian and so I knew I should bring something she could eat as well.  Enter the Tumeric + Meyer Lemon Squares.  These are packed with whole foods and Turmeric which is a natural anti-inflammatory.  You could make these squares year round but they are perfect for summer.  I also decided to jazz them up a little bit and added chopped pistachios across the top.  I learned after the first time to do this right after you put the custard-like topping on the crust so that it firms up with the pistachios already in place.  These were a hit with all of my family and there weren’t many squares to bring home to enjoy later!

Overall, if you are a Vegan/Vegetarian or want to eat more plant-based meals then I suggest giving this cookbook a try.  Perhaps borrow from your library before purchasing to make sure it fits with how you cook.  There are some ingredients that I have not heard of and am not sure where to purchase, but there are plenty of recipes that would fit into our family’s lifestyle.

 

 

Turmeric + Meyer Lemon Squares

 

For the Crust:

1 3/4 c almond meal
1/2 c tapioca flour
1/4 c melted coconut oil
1/4 c maple syrup (I happened to have bourbon barrel maple syrup on hand so that is what I used)

For the Filling:

1/3 c freshly squeeze Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemons if you can’t find Meyer lemons)
2T cornstarch
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/3 c maple syrup
2T coconut oil
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon or regular lemon
1/2 Meyer lemon, thinly sliced (I used the pistachios I mentioned)

 

To make the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350° and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond meal and tapioca flour until combined.  Stir in the oil and syrup and mix until combined.  Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake until the crust is lightly browned around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. (19 minutes worked in my oven).

To make the filling:

In a medium pot, whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch until no lumps remain.  Whisk in all the remaining ingredients except the lemon slices.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the filling thickens, about 8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the filling over the crust and refrigerate for 3 hours or until completely set.  Life the bars out of the pan and cut into 16 squares.  Top each with a slice of lemon and serve.

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Posted in 4 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on May 25, 2019

 

About the Book

Have you ever wondered if you can make good barbecue without a smoker, pit, or grill? If you need to use a rub or marinade? Not sure what a brisket is, whether you need to trim it, and if so, how? In BBQ&A with Myron Mixon, bestselling author and TV personality Myron Mixon answers the questions most frequently asked of him during his many live cooking demos, TV appearances, and private cooking classes. Myron’s lively, informative answers are paired with practical visuals and cover techniques and methods, flavors and preparations, recipes and formulas—all collected in one place for the first time by the winningest man in barbecue.

 

Review

When you live in Texas, BBQ and smokers are a big deal especially since we can grill/smoke nearly year round. (and some do it year round despite the weather!)  There are many different types of grills/smokers, methods, rubs, sauces, etc and it can be hard to navigate the best way to do anything.  Enter Myron Mixon, BBQ master.

I love to cook but have never smoked anything.  Grilled yes, smoked no.  The great thing about this book is if you want to learn some tips and techniques then Myron is here to fill you in on how to get the best out of your meats on a smoker.  Now you don’t have to have a smoker to prepare some of these recipes, a grill or the oven will suffice.

There are a couple of rub recipes and multiple marinade, sauce, and glaze recipes to help bring out the best flavors in whatever you are cooking.  I decided to try out the Chicken Rub that you can see below.  I made 1/4 of a batch since I was doing a few pieces of chicken and didn’t need quite a full batch.  I was unsure about the sugar since I have a rib rub that I use religiously and there is no sugar in that recipe.  However, after using this recipe I’m going to give the meat rub recipe a try.

 

 

Using the chicken rub, I made Oven Baked Barbeque Chicken recipe (pg 111),  I was going to make the Tangy Sweet Sauce but didn’t realize I had run out of apricot preserves.  Since I was making this on the fly I just used a bottled sauce that I had on hand.  I cut the cooking time because the recipe assumes you are using bone-in pieces of chicken and I had boneless skinless chicken breasts.  I butterflied the breasts and then coated them with the rub.  I cooked them for 15 minutes and then started applying the sauce.  I cooked for another 7 minutes and flipped the chicken and added some more sauce to the pieces.  Another 5 minutes and it was done.  And let me tell you, it was moist and quite delicious.  My husband even agreed.  I think this recipe will be going into the keeper file because it really doesn’t take long to put it together.  Here is a photo of the cooked chicken.

 

This cookbook also includes recipes for side dishes from baked beans to collard greens to mac & cheese.  There are even some dessert recipes – a few are even cooked in a smoker!

This will make a great gift for the griller in your family or even for the part-time griller.

Overall we give it 4 paws up.  I would have liked to have seen a few more recipes that could be done on the grill vs a smoker but I think there is something for everyone in this book.

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