Plant-Based Cooking Class with Chad Sarno

Last week, I was invited by my friend Katie to a cooking class with Chad Sarno at Whole Foods in Wellesley. The class was called Entertaining with a Healthy Twist, and everything Chad cooked and served that evening was vegan.

Smoked Portobello Satay with Almond Chile Sauce.

Jackfruit Carnita Tacos.

If you're not yet familiar with Chad, he is a chef, consultant, speaker, and plant activist. He is currently the Lead Culinary Educator at Whole Foods, and his latest project - which is what he was promoting on this particular evening - is Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution. Chad teamed up with New York Times Best Selling Author Kris Carr for this cookbook.

Chad did more cooking than promoting, however, during his class. He even took the time to walk around and meet attendees before starting his demonstration. The class itself was really informative, and Chad clearly has a lot of fun in the kitchen. His passion was infectious.

Some noteworthy things I learned during this class:

• You don't need oil to caramelize onions. If you place chopped onions in a non-oiled pan and stir them constantly, their own juices will be released and will caramelize the onions on their own.
• Jackfruit is perfect for vegan tacos, as it takes on the texture of pulled pork once it's cooked.
• Cashew sour cream is extremely easy to make. It's basically soaked cashews, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and water blended together in a blender. (Or am I the only one who thought it would be more time-consuming than that?)

Oh, and apparently I should put a smoker on our wedding registry. 

Chad showed us how he smoked the portobello mushrooms for his satay, and it was awesome. 

Everyone who attended the class was lucky enough to leave with a Whole Foods goodie bag as well as a copy of Crazy Sexy Kitchen. After flipping through the book, there are a slew of recipes I want to try. Here are some on my list:

• Squash Pasta with Sage Pesto
• Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Burger
• Sage Polenta with Nana's Marinara
• 24 Karrot Cake
• Basic Nut/Seed Milk 

Crazy Sexy Kitchen is chocked full of healthy, plant-based recipes, and also has some delicious-looking juice and smoothie recipes - as well as a whole section devoted to vegan-friendly sauces and condiments. The text throughout the book is also delightfully witty, flirty, and sarcastic.

But the best part about this book? The author, Kris Carr (who's also the author of Crazy Sexy Diet, among others), supports a plant-based diet because it helped save her life. She was diagnosed with a rare and incurable stage IV sarcoma in 2003, and after turning to a diet rich in raw, whole foods, she's not only surviving...but she is thriving. 

P.S. Whole Foods Wellesley has free cooking classes every week. Contact the store for more details.

Don't forget: Today's the last day to enter my Easter giveaway with Lake Champlain Chocolates! I'm picking a winner tomorrow morning. 

Habanero-Cheddar Bread Pudding

I love having breakfast for dinner. Actually, I could easily have breakfast foods at every single meal (and on somedays, I do). So when Quirk Books asked me if I'd like to review a copy of Lindsay Landis' and Taylor Hackbarth's (of Love and Olive Oil's) new cookbook, "Breakfast for Dinner," I quickly said yes.

The cookbook itself is beautiful - a hardcover chocked full of gorgeous photos, featuring innovative and more traditional breakfast dishes. Recipe variations and cooking tips are also provided along the way. Some recipes that immediately caught my eye were the Pizza Over Easy, Savory Lentil & Carrot Stuffed Crepes, and the Rosemary & Olive Oil Scones. The book also features some drink and dessert recipes, including Grapefruit Herb Sodas and a Bananas Fosters Crepe Cake.

I also love how the cookbook devotes a page to the authors' three favorite ways to poach eggs. As someone who has yet to attempt the intimidating task, their tips made the process seem much easier. 

Last weekend, my family came over for brunch, and I knew I wanted to make something from Breakfast for Dinner. Since I was cooking for a crowd, I decided to go with the Habanero-Cheddar Bread Pudding, but changed a few ingredients to use up what I already had on hand (see revisions in recipe below).

Habanero-Cheddar Bread Pudding

Yields: 6-8 servings

From Breakfast for Dinner (my revisions are marked in parentheses)

-1 (10-12 ounce) loaf day-old French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 9 cups)

-1 poblano pepper, cored, seeded, and quartered (I used two small Anaheim chilis)

-1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

-1 large yellow onion, chopped (I used a white onion)

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-4 slices of prosciutto, chopped in 1/4-inch pieces (I obviously skipped this ingredient altogether)

-1 habanero pepper, cored, seeded, and minced (I used 8 jarred jalapeno slices)

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces), divided

-5 large eggs

-2 1/2 cups whole milk

-1/2 teaspoon salt (I also added black pepper)

-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

1.) Preheat broiler to high. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. (I used the same baking sheet, to cut down on dishes). Broil, 1 sheet at a time, until bread is toasted and lightly golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with second sheet. Transfer toasted cubes to a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
2.) Arrange poblanos (or Anaheim chilis) on a baking sheet, skin side up. Broil until skin starts to blister and darken. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle, and then roughly chop.
3.) Turn oven temperature to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add prosciutto (if using) and habaneros (or jalapenos) and cook until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Finally, add roasted poblanos (or Anaheim chilis) and toss to incorporate. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
4.) Sprinkle onion mixture evenly over bread cubes, followed by 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt (and pepper), and oregano and pour over bread mixture. Toss to combine. (I also added a little extra salt and pepper to the pan after tossing). Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top.
5.) Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until top of pudding is puffed and golden brown and center is set. Remove pan from oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

My brother, who rarely admits my cooking is good, admitted he liked this dish. The small variations I made were probably not enough to make a big difference from the original recipe, either. This will definitely become my new go-to brunch recipe for when we have a larger group over!

Plus, what can be bad about baking cheese, bread, and peppers together? Absolutely nothing.

Do you like having breakfast for dinner?

I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook, but the opinions expressed in this post are 100 percent my own.

Lemon Tofu with Creamy Asparagus Sauce

I spent most of last night flipping through The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook my older sister gave me yesterday. If I haven't mentioned it before, I love Ina Garten. She is actually one of my biggest culinary idols. I just adore her dedication to simple, seasonal, quality food - she is one of the main reasons why most of my recipes have only a handful of ingredients, and take only a few steps to prepare. Ina has definitely helped me to see over the years that simple is always better, when prepared correctly. 

I recently was sent a review copy of The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe, and I have to admit that, at first glance, a lot of the recipes seemed a bit overwhelming. But as I read more closely, I realized that the recipes in this book could still provide me with inspiration to try new recipes that I may never have though of before. Like, for example, serving tofu with a creamy asparagus sauce.

The original recipe calls for 16 ounces of tempeh, but tofu was much cheaper at the grocery store this week, so I used that instead (and it worked out fine). I also omitted the pine nuts, which were meant for the asparagus sauce. Pine nuts are crazy expensive, but I can see why they would work here (the cheese and butter I added helped to make the sauce creamier, but nuts would have been preferable). Each recipe in the book thankfully recommends alternatives for certain ingredients, and this one does mention that pine nuts can be swapped out with cashews or macadamia nuts.

As I went through this recipe, I was relieved to find that - although the ingredient list and directions were long - this really wasn't that difficult or time consuming to prepare. And, in the end, we had a new-to-us dinner that was light, flavorful, and packed with fresh lemon flavor.

Lemon Tofu with Creamy Asparagus Sauce

Yields: 4-6 servings (in our house, it yielded about 3)

Adapted from The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe

Tofu Marinade:

-1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1/4 cup white wine

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

-1 garlic clove, minced

-14 ounces extra firm tofu, sliced into eight 1/4-inch-thick cutlets

Creamy Asparagus Sauce:

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-3/4 cup thinly sliced white onion

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-1 pound asparagus, ends removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 1/4 cups)

-1/2 cup white wine

-1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock or water

-1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

-2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

-1 tablespoon dried basil (original recipe used 2 tbsp. chiffonaded fresh basil)

-1 tablespoon dried parsley (original recipe used 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley)

-2 tablespoons butter

-1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place all of the marinade ingredients, except the tofu, into a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and mix well (I used a slightly smaller dish, which worked fine). Add the tofu and allow to sit for 5 minutes, flipping once to ensure an even coating (I marinated mine for 30-40 minutes; the longer the better!). Bake for 20 minutes. 

2.) Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus sauce: Pour the olive oil into a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently (in the future, I'd add the garlic after 1-2 minutes, as mine began to brown too quickly). Add the asparagus and white wine and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vegetable stock and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients, except the basil, parsley, butter and cheese, and mix well.

3.) Transfer the contents of the saute pan to a strong blender (I used a food processor, in batches) and carefully blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the saute pan. Add the basil, parsley, butter, and mozzarella cheese. Mix well.

4.) To serve, place a liberal amount of sauce on each plate, add the tofu cutlets, top with a small amount of sauce, and garnish each serving with a lemon wedge. We enjoyed our cutlets with some egg noodles, which resulted in a great combination of textures.

Although I tweaked the recipe a bit, I could seriously eat this creamy asparagus sauce with a spoon (it also helps that I'm a big fan of asparagus). I have to admit, though, that this dish wasn't super filling. I think next time, I'll also serve some sort of vegetable side dish to help "beef up" the meal. Either way, it was fun to try a new recipe, and to eat something we wouldn't normally eat during the work week.

Which do you most often prefer: simply prepared food or more elaborate dishes? 

*My copy of The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe was complimentary, but, as always, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

Caramelized Onion and Tomato Relish with Chickpea Fritters

A few weeks ago, the kind folks at Robert Rose Inc. offered to send me a copy of the new "cook" book, "Eat Raw, Eat Well" by Douglas McNish. McNish is a Certified Red Seal Professional Vegan Chef, cooking teacher and raw food consultant.

I'm not a big proponent of the raw food diet - which is a diet made up of raw foods, or food that cannot exceed 118 degrees Fahrenheit, if heated - but I am intrigued by its health benefits. With that being said, I was eager to dive into this book and try a few of its recipes - but by putting my own, non-raw twist on them.  

"Eat Raw, Eat Well"  is chocked full of 400 raw recipes for smoothies, sauces, dips, entrees, desserts and salads, and even has tips on stocking a raw food kitchen. Some noteworthy dishes in the book include Coconut Water Strawberry Jam, Avocado Spinach Dip, Basil and Spinach 'Cream' Sauce, and Creamy Ranch Kale Chips. 

My dinner last night was a variation of the book's Caramelized Onion and Cherry Tomato Relish, as well as the Chickpea and Zucchini Fritters.

Caramelized Onion and Grape Tomato Relish

Yields: About 1 cup

Adapted from Eat Raw, Eat Well

-3 tbsp. olive oil, divided

-1 yellow onion, sliced

-1 tbsp. sugar

-1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced

-2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.) In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Add sugar, and stir again; let onions cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, sticky and caramelized.

2.) In a separate saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over low to medium heat. Add tomatoes, and let cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Remove from heat, and add to a bowl with the onions.

3.) Add vinegar, salt and pepper; stir. Let sit in fridge for a half hour to meld flavors.

Chickpea Fritters 
Yields: 6 fritters
Adapted from Eat Raw, Eat Well
-1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-2 tsp. cumin
-1/2 tsp. turmeric
-1/2 tsp. curry powder
-1 tsp. dried parsley
-1/4 tsp. Ajwain seeds (optional)
-2 tbsp. olive oil
Squirt of lemon juice

Directions:
1.) Place all ingredients above in a food processor and pulse until mostly smooth. Form chickpea mixture into 6 small patties.
2.) In a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium to high heat. Once hot, place chickpea fritters in the oil and cook on each side for about 2 minutes, or until brown and crispy.
3.) Serve with Caramelized Onion and Tomato Relish.

The onion and tomato relish was a fun condiment for me to make, and something I can use on several dishes over the next few days. The spicy chickpea fritters came out a tad bit dry, but with the relish, it was hard to notice. I loved using this cookbook as an inspiration for my meal, prepared in the way I prefer.

The average retail value in the U.S. for "Eat Raw, Eat Well" is $24.95.

Would you ever switch to a raw food diet? Why or why not?

Disclaimer: Although I received a copy of this book for review, free of charge, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

Summer Squash Burger

Making burgers at home is economical, simple and – well, an all-around great idea. Burgers, whether they are vegetarian or not, are extremely versatile – I love the endless possibilities of toppings, fillings, cheeses and condiments.

With all that being said, you can imagine how excited I was when the folks at Dalyn Miller Public Relations contacted me about reviewing The Best Vegetarian Burgers on the Planet cookbook. Why did they even bother asking?

I’ve had this book in my possession for a few months now, so I was ecstatic when I found myself with some time last night to finally try one of the innovative recipes from the book. Priced at $19.99, The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet is chocked full of creative burger (and sauce/condiment) recipes, including a Jalapeno Cornbread Burger, Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Burger, and Deli-Style No-Tuna Melts. In the spirit of the season, I decided to make their Summer Squash Burger, which sounded light and satisfying. I only changed a few things from the original recipe, and my revisions are marked below.

Summer Squash Burger

Yields: 4 burgers

-1 cup shredded yellow zucchini

-1 cup shredded green zucchini

-2 cups all-purpose flour

-6 ounces plain soy or other non-dairy yogurt (I used 5.3 ounces of Oikos Greek Yogurt)

-1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for frying (I used olive oil)

-1/4 cup soy or other non-dairy milk (I used Lactaid)

-1/4 tsp. paprika (I used chili powder, and also added cumin)

-Salt and pepper

-Oil, for frying

Directions:

1.) In a mixing bowl, combine the zucchinis, flour, yogurt, 1/4 cup oil, milk chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper, mashing it together with your hands until you get a nice uniform mixture.

2.) Form into 4 patties. Line a plate with paper towels.

3.) Preheat 1/4 inch oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when a piece of dough dropped into it sizzles immediately. Carefully add the patties, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and crispy. 

4.) Transfer to the plate to absorb the excess oil.

The end result was a moist, fresh-tasting burger that – when served with a simple side salad - was perfectly light (yet filling) after my post-work workout. Next time, though, I will definitely add some more spices, as the flavor fell a little flat. The greek yogurt was a welcome change from the original recipe, however, as it added an extra punch of flavor that otherwise would have been lacking.

Are you a burger person? What are your favorite burger toppings/condiments? 


Disclaimer: I received this cookbook for free from Dalyn Miller Public Relations. Despite their generosity, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own. 

Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites

I may have recently become a vegetarian, but that doesn't mean I don't crave hearty, satisfying meals. There's nothing worse than being hungry after eating dinner. So, when the kind folks from Dalyn Miller Public Relations asked me if I wanted to review this book:

Source: cn1.kaboodle.com

...I didn't hesitate to say yes.

Priced at $19.99, this cookbook features 200 comfort food recipes that are 100% vegan. With a glossary, pantry recommendations, and cooking/baking tips to boot, this cookbook is perfect for any hungry vegetarian/vegan like myself - or for anyone trying to persuade their friends/significant others/families to eat a satisfying, meat-free diet. With recipes like Peanut Butter Rocky Road Pancakes, Orange Seitan Stew, and Sweet Potato Po' Boys, Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites can make any meatless meal comforting and substantial.

The first recipe I made from the book: Crispy Burritos Con Carne. Originally made with TVP granules, I revised the recipe a tad, but basically stuck to the original. Despite the slight revisions, this dish was fairly quick to make, and served alongside some homemade guacamole, it was downright delicious (and hearty).

Crispy Burritos Con Carne

Yields: 4 burritos

Adapted from Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites

-1 cup crumbled tempeh

-1 tsp. granulated sugar

-1 tsp. ground cumin

-1 tsp. garlic powder

-1 tsp. chili powder

-10 slices jarred jalapenos, finely diced

-1 medium-size yellow onion, finely diced

-1 cup water

-Salt and pepper, to taste

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-1 cup sour cream

-4 whole wheat tortillas

-Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

1.) In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil. Add the onions, and saute until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Then, add the crumbled tempeh, sugar, spices and jalapeno slices. Pour the water over the mixture, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

2.) Mix in the sour cream.

3.) Divide the mixture evenly among the four tortillas and roll by first tucking in the ends, then rolling up.

4.) Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet or frying pan over high heat. Place one burrito, seam side down, in the oil and fry for 10 to 20 seconds, until golden and crispy, then flip and repeat on the other side. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Serve immediately (preferably with homemade guacamole and Skinny Girl Margaritas). 

Although I am terrible at rolling up burritos, the end result was crispy on the outside, and warm and "meaty" on the inside. I also loved how the sour cream (which was non-dairy in the original recipe) made it taste like the filling was coated in melty, gooey cheese. My only gripe: The recipe wasn't spicy enough. Next time, I'll probably add some cayenne or hot sauce to spice it up a bit. 

Could you ever go vegan? Why or why not? Or, if you're already vegan, how do you ensure your meals are hearty and satisfying? 

Cookbook Review + a Father's Day Giveaway!

Growing up, when my Dad cooked dinner, it was a special treat. Mom was the main cook of the house, but my Dad's specialties were homemade French fries and anything cooked on the grill. Hot dogs, fish, burgers, chicken, pork, vegetables - everything that touched my Dad's grill always tasted delicious.

So when Make-A-Difference Public Relations contacted me about reviewing a newer cookbook all about grilling, I was immediately intrigued.

Source: dealnay.com

"Dadgum That's Good!" by John McLemore (with a forward from Paula Deen) is chocked full of 125 recipes for grilling, smoking, frying, boiling and steaming. Despite the slightly goofy cover, the author of this book is no joke - McLemore has a long history of cooking, and even shares his story about his family-owned business that started in his family's backyard in this cookbook.

Normally $24.95, this paperback cookbook shares mouthwatering recipes to please any palate or diet, including the Smoked Potato and Green Chili Casserole, Balsamic Pork Chops, Herbed Tuna Burgers with Olive Spread, and Crab Hush Puppies with Honey-Mustard and Curry Sauce. In addition to recipes, McLemore also includes a list of pantry essentials, recipes for a slew of different sauces (including North Carolina BBQ Sauce), as well as tips on selecting cuts of meat and seafood. 

Personally, I think my Dad would love this book, especially for the grilled and smoked recipes. I feel this cookbook is geared more toward the male audience, due to few healthy recipes and only a handful of desserts - making it the perfect Father's Day gift for just about any male cook.

In honor of Father's Day, I'm giving away one copy of "Dadgum That's Good!" to one lucky EE reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post about what makes your Dad/the Dad in your life special. 

For extra entries, simply "like" The Economical Eater on Facebook, and comment below saying you did so. 

I will pick a winner on the morning of Thursday, June 9th. 

Good luck!

The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches + a Giveaway (Coming Soon!)

"Too few people understand a really good sandwich." -James Beard.

I could easily eat nothing but sandwiches until the day I die. I am a carb-crazed psychopath, so anything involving at least two pieces of bread is A-OK in my book. With that being said, when the publishing company Quirk Books got in touch with me a few weeks ago to see if I'd review The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches, I happily obliged.

www.goodreads.com

The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches is written by Susan Russo, who writes for NPR's Kitchen Window, and is also the blogger behind the popular food blog, Food Blogga. Russo's Encyclopedia of Sandwiches includes everything from recipes to history to trivia for "everything between sliced bread."

The book contains loads of recipes for simple staples, such as Grilled Cheese, Lobster Roll and even the Spamwich, but more adventurous palates will be pleased with recipes such as the Croque-Monsieur, Banana Split Sandwich and Fried Green Tomato B.L.T. There are a number of vegetarian-friendly sandwiches in the book (i.e. Falafel Pita and Ice Cream Sandwich), but this is definitely more of a meat-heavy book.

The original price for this book is $18.95, and I think it is worth every penny for fellow sandwich lovers. It's a great resource to have on hand, especially for a quick dinner or work week lunch, or even leisurely weekend brunches and lunches.

What's the best part about all of this? Starting Monday of next week, I will be giving away a copy of The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches on The EE's Facebook page. All you have to do is "like" the page, and you're entered! Already "like" it? Then you're already entered.

What is your all-time favorite sandwich? Mine is definitely any variation of a grilled cheese!

Disclaimer: The folks at Quirk Books were generous enough to send me a copy of The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches free of charge. Despite their generosity, the opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. 

Cookbook Review: Delicious Simplicity

Barnesandnoble.com

Delicious and simple - those are two adjectives I believe can almost always be used to describe great food. That's why, when Anna Tourkakis, author of Delicious Simplicity, asked me to review her cookbook, I gladly accepted the task.

The book contains a variety of recipes with - you guessed it - simple ingredients, yet every recipe is packed with amazing flavors, without getting overly complicated. The Table of Contents at the beginning of the book clearly states how the book is categorized. Categories include Starters and Appetizers; Soups; Salads; Meat and Poultry; Fish; Grains; Vegetables and Desserts. Omnivores and vegetarians on a budget can easily find a slew of recipes to make on the fly, or even for more relaxing, indulgent meals.

If you're looking for more innovative, "newer" recipes, this isn't the book for you. You won't see many never-before-seen recipes here, but this is a great resource that includes every recipe every cook should have under one cover. Familiar dishes include Pumpkin Gnocchi; Creamy Tomato Soup; White Bean Dip; and Carrot Cake. More creative recipes include Warm Cannellini Salad with Proscuitto; Chickpea, Tomato and Eggplant Spread with Herbs; and Spicy Lamb Meatballs on Skewers.

The best part? This great resource for simple, go-to recipes costs under $20 on Amazon (or, under $10 for the Kindle).

What are some of your favorite go-to cookbooks?

'The Real Food Diet' Cookbook Giveaway

Courtesy of http://blog.joshaxe.com.

Let's start the week with a giveaway, shall we?

Do you know what real food is? With all of the highly processed, dangerous foods on the grocery store shelves today, it's hard to know what's real and what's not real anymore. Dr. Josh Axe's cookbook, The Real Food Diet, strives to teach people how to eat healthy, real food with approachable recipes, including soups/stews, salads, main courses, side dishes, smoothies and desserts.

Dr. Josh Axe is a physician, speaker and radio show host - and was even named one of Nashville, Tenn.'s Most Beautiful People in 2010 (how could I not mention that?). His hardcover cookbook contains color photos of almost every recipe, plus over 50 pages on advanced nutrition, cooking, and even shopping tips. Most of the recipes also include icons to show if they're good for your immune system, a post-workout snack/meal, inflammation/arthritis pain, low energy and more.  

Recipes that I am dying to make in this book: Lori's Famous Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies, Greek Style Lamb & Quinoa, and Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes.

Want to a win a copy of Dr. Josh Axe's The Real Food Diet cookbook? Leave a comment here on what "real food" means to you. I will pick a winner Thursday morning!

Raw Food for Everyone

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend a book signing at the Brookline Booksmith featuring Alissa Cohen, author of Raw Food for Everyone: Essential Techniques and 300 Simple-to-Sophisticated Recipes. 

Courtesy of Amazon.com.

Going into the event, I knew next to nothing about a raw food diet - except, of course, that raw food means uncooked. After attending Alissa's book signing, however, it became very clear what a raw food diet entails - not to mention how surprisingly approachable such a diet can be.

Alissa talked briefly about her book and answered audience members' questions for a good 45 minutes before sitting down to sign everyone's copy of her cookbook. Some of the most interesting things I learned while listening to Alissa included:

-A raw food diet consists of fruits, vegetables, sprouts and nuts

-Protein does not create protein in our bodies. Amino acids do. So, leafy green vegetables are a much better source of protein for our bodies than nuts, meats, etc.

-Leafy green vegetables also possess a lot more calcium than milk 

-After going raw and figuring out what foods/meals work best for you, it can actually be a very affordable diet to live off of

Raw Food for Everyone even has a helpful list of essential pantry items all raw food dieters should have on hand. A lot of Alissa's recipes are also named after recognizable dishes, although they are made with completely raw ingredients. For instance, her Angel Hair Pasta and Marinara Sauce is made with zucchini cut into angel hair via a spiral slicer with marinara sauce. Alissa even substitutes salmon for papaya in several recipes, and uses nuts in a lot of dishes in place of cheese.

For the book signing, Alissa brought a tray of her Date Nut Torte (featured in her new book) to share, made with raisins, walnuts, dates and lemon juice. Thankfully, there was more than one sample for everybody.

The torte was incredibly chewy (due to the raisins and dates), and surprisingly light, despite the dense texture of the torte. It also tasted like a sweet, decadent dessert, although it was incredibly healthy and nutritious.

I was so intrigued by Alissa's sweet personality and passion for raw food that I decided to make a recipe lout of her cookbook for Z's family's dinner Sunday night. I was in charge of bringing an appetizer, and I knew Alissa's recipe for Curry Spinach Dip would be right up Z's family's alley. The alterations I made to Alissa's recipe are marked below.

Curry Spinach Dip
Yields: 2 cups

-4 cups packed spinach leaves (I only used 3 cups)
-1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
-1/2 tbsp.freshly squeezed lemon juice
-1/2 tsp. Herbamare Organic Herb Seasoning Salt (I just used regular salt)
-1/2 garlic clove

-1/4 tsp. curry powder

-1/8 tsp. freshly grated ginger (I used a dash of ground ginger)
-Dash of cumin

Directions:

1.) Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more seasoning salt, if necessary.

2.) Transfer the dip to a bowl and serve immediately.

I was in a rush, so I never snapped a photo of the spinach dip - but trust me when I tell you, it was green. Z's family loved how flavorful and healthy this dip was, and I served it with multigrain tortilla chips which ended up being a great complement to this dip.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed with Alissa and her cookbook, and was pleasantly surprised at how approachable and realistic a raw food diet can be. She makes it seem so effortless, and she even admitted to "falling off the wagon" for the first seven years of trying a raw food diet. At the end of the day, though, Alissa made it clear that a diet of nothing but raw food yields energy, improved mood, and a downright healthier lifestyle.

Would you ever go raw? Why or why not?

Also: Don't forget to enter my CSN giveaway! $30 to spend on yourself, or someone on your holiday shopping list.