"Happy Cooking" by Giada De Laurentiis Review with Recipe 'Chicken Marsala Meatballs'

Happy Weekend!  Hope your week went well!  It's getting really busy around here, and I  am loving all the hustle and bustle this time of year  brings! With all the Holiday Cheer, warm feelings spending time with the ones we love dear! Hot chocolate, marshmallows, and fresh  baked Christmas Cookies! Katelyn had her Christmas Concert  (it was titled Winter, but I'm old school, back in the day it was Christmas), I'm halfway done with Christmas decorations. Lindsay and I had fun, decorating the staircase and  the banister above the living room!

Tonight we're going to a Christmas party, and
I said I'd make an appetizer!
For the Holidays, I'm trying to eat a little
healthier!

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy, and I haven't even had a chance to browse through,
Giada's new Cookbook, (affiliate link)
 "Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count ... Without Stressing Out "!

I was excited to get her new book. Giada's someone I feel is a kindered spirit of mine.

She says in her book, that "she is happiest when she is in the kitchen."

I feel the exact same way! 

{except for cleaning up the dishes}

There were more than several recipes that caught my attention, and keep in mind,

I quickly browsed through it, and I really loved seeing what she's been cooking up!

My favorite recipes included, a Gluten Free Lemon-Cumin Chicken and Pesto, Monte Cristo sandwhiches {left over turkey}, and 

it was a toss up between Key Lime Panna Cotta or Limoncello Parfaits! 

3 Things I like About this Book

• There are several reasons why I choose my cookbooks, and it's not only just for the recipes, but a cook book must have provocative food photographs, that inspire me to make a recipe. The photos in Giada's cookbook, are absolutely lovely, the ingredients look fresh, and the food looks amazing!

• The book  is divided up into chapters, breakfast, pasta and risotto of course, Holiday, there is even a healthy eating chapter, and what better way to end a meal than with a sweet tempting dessert!
• What I really enjoyed about this book  is Giada's passion for sharing her love of cooking. from explaining what the different names of pasta are, how to well stock a pantry to help take out the stress of cooking, to how to host a party!

The recipe I chose, looked healthy to try.

A light elegant antipasti,

Chicken Marsala Meatballs with a Red Wine Crimini sauce 

{adapted from Happy Cooking}

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

2 Tbls. milk

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbls. Marsala wine {I used Cabernet}

1 pound ground chicken breast

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg, beaten

2 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. sea salt divided

pinch of black pepper

2 Tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Canola oil for frying

8 oz. Cremini mushrooms, I used Portabellas

1 large shallot minced

1 1/2 tsp. flour

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, milk, and 1 Tablespoon of the wine. Let the crumbs soak for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, parmesan, egg, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I used a spoon to mix the ingredients together. Do not overmix, and set in refrigerator for 2 hours. I probably should have, because the mix wasn't cold enough to hold the shape of a meatball, they turned out a little wonky.

In a medium skillet, add enough oil,to come up 1-in on the side. Heat oil to medium low. Working quickly scoop 2 Tbls. of mix out and shape mixture into a ball, using your hands. Gently drop meatballs, one at a time into the hot oil, being very careful not to splash the very hot oil. Fry the meatballs, rotating them with a wooden spoon until they are a golden color. I cooked mine about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

In another medium skillet, heat 1 Tbls olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and 1/2 tsp. sea salt and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the shallot begins to soften.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the flour and 1 Tbls. olive oil to make a paste or roux. Add 1/3 cup of wine, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the chicken broth and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with more parmesan cheese.

To read more reviews on {affiliate link}

Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count ... Without Stressing Out ;

 via Amazon, click the photo below.

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Pam Krauss Books; 1St Edition edition (November 3, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-0804187923

Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 1 x 9.8 inches

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Until next time!

xo,

 

Please Follow Me Here! Thank you!

Twitter | Bloglovin | Google+ | Facebook | Pinterest

Disclaimer: I received my copy of Happy Cooking for review purposes from

 Blogging for Books but all opinions are my own.

The New Sugar & Spice by Samantha Seneviratne and Cazuela Cookie Bars with Maple Whipped Cream

Happy day before Fri-Yay! I'm wondering if some of you have noticed that I have been in a little baking rut. It's been almost two weeks since I posted a mouth watering baked good. I did bake a banana bread, because I had three overly riped bananas that were screaming at me, to use them, and my husband has been asking me to make some for awhile now, ok he's been asking for a long while. Did I ever mention, that I'm not particularly fond of bananas, hence my procrastination. Other than that, I just haven't felt inspired to bake anything. Never fear, with my most favorite time of year approaching, {I absolutely love baking for the holidays}, I feel the banana bread was giving me a little nudge, and then it was the day I received the book I am excited to share with you today, (affiliate) The New Sugar and Spice: A Recipe for Bolder Baking , that boosted my baking morale.  It was just the kick I needed to get started back on the baking track! The two main reasons why I was overjoyed to receive this book, was it is focused on spicing your baking up, literally with aromatic spices like Peppercorn & Chili, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove & Cardamom, Vanilla, Ginger, and Savory Herbs and Spices, and every recipe looked absolutely yummy!

In Puerto Rico, cazuela is a traditional pie usually made during the Christmas season. It is similar to a pumpkin pie but uses sweet potato, pumpkin, and coconut milk and usually contains no pie crust. This may also come as a surprise to you, but another food that I really am happy with a simple bite, is Pumpkin Pie. I don't know if it's the texture, or the flavor, but plain pumpkin pie isn't at the top of my list, but Pumpkin Cheesecake is. I chose this recipe for not only the pumpkin lovers, but {and I know I am not alone} for those of us who don't dislike pumpkin pie, but I'm just not that thrilled about it. I don't know if it was the coconut milk, the sweet potato or the nutmeg, but after only one bite, I wanted more. The combination of the coconut milk and heavy cream, layered with the sweet potatoe and nutmeg flavor, really enhanced the flavor of this almost pumpkin pie dessert. It's amazing how a few simple ingredients can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary!

3 Things I like About this Book

 

• There are several reasons why I choose my cookbooks, and it's not only just for the recipes, but a cook book must have provocative food photographs, and it must have stories that accompany the recipes that inspired them. I like to read the stories behind the recipes, it forms a connection, when I can picture why the recipe came to be, then it becomes engrained in my memory, causing the recipe to become a very memorable one for me. Take for instance the story associated with Casuela Cookie Bars, Samantah writes,

"When my father was growing up in Sri Lanka, he had a garden that sounds like something out of a fairy tale, complete with a wild pumpkin patch. The curly pumpkin vines grew with such vigor that space became an issue. The only solution was to train them to grow up the sides of the garage and onto the roof. The bright orange orbs would swell and sweeten on the roof, which I imagine was quite a sight! His prolific pumpkins were the inspiration for these bars."

• Each chapter is divided up into a Spice category like Peppercorn & Chili, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove & Cardamom, Vanilla, Ginger, and Savory Herbs and Spices. There isn't a recipe I wouldn't want to miss making because of their tantalizing flavors, for instance Sour Cherry Cheesecake Bars (fresh ground cloves), Cinnamon Hazelnut and Date Buns, or an exotic recipe like Fig and Fennel Seed Biscotti, I'm not a huge fan of black licorice, but I do however love Anise. After the introduction to the chapter, Samantha gives a brief history and description of each spice, as well as where to buy it and how to store it.
• What I really enjoyed about this book are the photographs are easy on the eyes, giving the reader a sensual visual of the recipes, that you can almost smell the fragrant spices, and taste how delicious each one is. The photographs are both very pretty to look at, and clean, not too distracting that showcase the ingredients in their simple and pure state! Very important to me as well as how easy it is to access the ingredients. Most of them I have in my pantry already, or an ingredient I would enjoy adding to it!

To read more reviews on (affiliate link) The New Sugar and Spice: A Recipe for Bolder Baking ; via Amazon, click the photo below.

Hardcover: 240 pages

Publisher: Ten Speed Press (September 8, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1607747464

ISBN-13: 978-1607747468

Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 1 x 10.3 inches




Cazuela Cookie Bars with Maple Whipped Cream (adapted)

Shortbread Cookie Base

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Filling

1 cup cooked or roasted sweet potato flesh
 (about 12 oz. from 1 med. sweet potato)

1 cup pumpkin puree
(not pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
4 large eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 13x9 baking pan.

2. In a stand up mixer, cream butter and sugar  on medium speed until fluffy, for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and flour and beat just until the four is evenly moistened and the mixture is the texture of a coarse meal. Pour the crumbs into the pan and press down into an even layer. Bake until golden brown and set for 20-24 minutes. Let it cool, while you prepare filling.

3.Add the sweet potato, pumpkin, coconut milk, heavy cream, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt to mixing bowl. Mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and mix just until combined. Pour the sweet potato mixture onto the prepared crust, and bake until filling is set with a slight jiggle in the center 35-45 minutes. Cool for about an hour, and then cover and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours. Serve with a dollop of Maple Whipped cream.

To make Maple Whipped Cream.

In a stand up mixer fitted with a wire whisk, begin whipping 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, until fluffy 3-4 minutes. Add 2 Tbls. Pure Maple Syrup, and 1-2 Tbls. sugar. Whip to combine. Do not overwhip.
 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Until next time!

xo,

 

Please Follow Me Here! Thank you!

Twitter | Bloglovin | Google+ | Facebook | Pinterest

Disclaimer: I received my copy of The New Sugar and Spice for review purposes from

 Blogging for Books but all opinions are my own.

Apartment Therapy Review

Happy Weekend! Hope your weekends are going great! It's a fun and relaxing weekend over here. Today I am out in the yards. Now that Summer is over I can finally plant some color. Both the yards  were bare here when we moved in, except for 1 gorgeous shade tree out front, 2 queen palms, and 2 half dead sage bushes. I'm planting some lantana, a coral bush, a yellow bells bush, and a red Bottlebrush bush. I'm sure I won't be able to finish today, but hopefully get them planted by next weekend.

Today I am so incredibly excited to share with you the book I am featuring today (affiliate link) 

Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home by Maxwell Ryan, Janel Laban, and Melanie Acevedo (Photographer).. Do not let the title fool you, this book isn't just for apartments, townhomes or condos, but it really does encompass your home, whether it be a seaside cottage, ranch home, or studio, it covers your complete home. It is filled with gorgeous ideas about decorating, organizing, cleaning, and even repairs, to help make your home a happy one. Since we just moved about 4 months ago, I've found this book very helpful in turning my new house into a home for my family.
From choosing the right colors, we'll be putting in new flooring after the holidays, so this book couldn't have come out at a more perfect time! This is one book I would definitely have out on my coffee table for all my guests to look through.

Over the years I've enjoyed reading Maxwell Ryan's blog Apartment Therapy, and was curious to know how he came up with the name for his blog. You really can learn so much about a blogger from their About (Me) page. Maxwell is not only a decorator, but personal life coach, as to earn him the nick name the "Apartment Therapist". His goal is to help his clients and us how to make our home happy and healthy. That is how his blog began with him sending out newsletters to his clients, and now he reaches out to help all of his readers through his blog, and now his books.

3 Things I like about this Book:

• The photography is amazing. There are pictures of every room and style, color you could ever dream of, even neutrals (black, white, grey), even outdoor living spaces is covered. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know how much I love pops of color, and this photo just leaped out at me. It isn't just a book for inspiration, it is full of wonderful tips and ideas to help you create the home that suits you and your lifestyle.
  

  
• The book is divided into sections, from finding the home of your dreams, styling your home with color, the right flooring, lighting, even plants. One section is completely devoted to each room of the home, including outdoors. The final section is a helpful home repair section and resource listings. If there is a design, I just love, turning to the back I can find the resource to help me recreate that look
• It has a monthly cleaning schedule and quick cleaning tips that I found very helpful. I've often wondered when the best time and how many times a year I should be cleaning, say my drapes, as well as learning and enjoying something new each month, from menu planning to visiting a new place, to becoming a mixologist. Also, several 8 hints for a happier home are given. My favorite tip about trends, "Ture style is about confidence, so following your heart whether something is "on trend" or not, is always going to yield the most powerful results".

To read more reviews on (affiliate link) Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home  via Amazon, click the photo below.

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Potter Style (September 15, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1607747227

ISBN-13: 978-0770434458

Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 1.1 x 10.3 inches 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Until next time!

xo,

 

Disclaimer: I received my copy of Apartment Therapy for review purposes from

 Blogging for Books but all opinions are my own.

Everyday Detox by Megan Gilmore and Cheesy Jalapeno Casserole

Happy Wednesday! How is your week going? My week has been going pretty good so far! Today I am excited to share with you a book on a subject that I'm learning more about; Detoxifying my body, with a cleaner eating lifestyle.

For me, the word diet does not mean cutting calories, or any other fad eating meal plans, that promise you will lose weight if you eat more protein, or eating less carbs, and I'll be honest, the idea of eating only fruits, vegetables, soups and salads all day does not appeal to me either.It's funny that I received this book, and my brother in law was looking for more information on detoxifying. I'm only slightly skeptical on the whole idea of clean eating for as little as three days. I did try Dr. Oz's 3 day Detox and I did feel better it's just that going to school for my Nutrition's degree, I lean more to eating a well balanced diet, cutting out all the chemicals out of the food we eat, eating less sugar, and I'm so happy to see that Organic food is not only becoming readily available, but I've noticed it's not as expensive to eat organic as it used to be, as more people become aware of GMOs and are creating a demand for eating a healthier lifestyle.

First I want to start by saying I am not a doctor, this post is only my review on ( affiliate)
Everyday Detox: 100 Easy Recipes to Remove Toxins, Promote Gut Health, and Lose Weight Naturally !

Here's what I liked about Everyday Detox; even though this book is written with a focus on clean eating, it also gives the options for the recipes to substitute, omitting or adding certain items to make them Gluten Free, Vegan, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, or Omnivore friendly by adding a high quality meat to a dish.

The core of this book, is based on my belief as well, that Megan Gilmore points out, "Short term cleanses and detox programs are just another form of procrastination allowing you to avoid the real task at hand~ making lasting life style changes!"

There is a 7-Day Detox menu to jumpstart your detox, full of fresh fruits, vegetables and salad, one day for dinner is a Maple and Mustard Grilled Salmon, personally, I'd be adding more high quality proteins and Gluten Free recipes to the menu. There are some delicious sounding recipes on the Detox menu, like Banana Coconut muffins, Go-To Greek Salad, and Dark Chocolate pudding. Megan also suggests for those with a sweet tooth, that it is ok to indulge in a few pieces of Dark Chocolate with at least 70% cacao.

What I liked best is Megan Gilmore, makes it easy to understand and how to customize each meal, with fruits, non- starchy vegetables, starches, proteins, including nuts, seeds and dried fruit, as well as neutral items, picking one item, except non-starchy vegetables which you would use to fill the rest of your plate. It is very general, but easy to follow, especially when I really don't like cauliflower, or walnuts, what type of high quality meats to use and starches are good for me and my digestion.

Three Things I liked about this book:

• Simple, easy and quick recipes to follow. No complicated steps or ingredients I don't know the names of. Most ingredients I already had on hand.
• The photographs are bright, clean and although they are minimalistic, almost rustic and earthy looking, they are very beautiful pictures, that are easy to look at.
• I love that you can customize your approach to detoxifying, without having to follow a set plan.

To read more review of (affiliate link) Everyday Detox at Amazon via the picture link below

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: Ten Speed Press (June 2, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1607747227

ISBN-13: 978-1607747222

Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.6 x 9 inches

One of the recipes in the book reminded me of  a comfort food, I would love when my mother made it , was spaghetti squash. She'd always top it with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Here I added, jalepenos, goat cheese and cheddar cheese. The jalepenos really gave the squash a kick and the goat cheese calmed it down. My family loved it, and some of you may know, that both my son and husband are Type 1 Diabetics, and some of you may know of someone that is too. In all the years, I'd known that squash is very good for you, I had no idea, just how good. For my son and husband, they pay attention to the amount of carbs, and it's really hard because I am addicted to pasta and fresh baked breads, I could eat them at every meal and every day, when I found out that 2 cups of spaghetti squash has the same amount of carbohydrates that a slice of bread has, I was thrilled. It's easily digested and helps managing their diabetes so much easier.

Cheesy Jalepeno Casserole (adapted from Everyday Detox by Megan Gilmore)

1 tsp. of unsalted butter
1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
1 small jalpeno, seeded and diced
1/4 cup soft goat cheese or chevre
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 (3 1/2) pound spaghetti squash, halve and seeded,
baked for 45-60 minutes in a preheated 400F oven

1 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound of chicken breast, cooked and diced

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Melt the butter in a 10-in skillet, over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapenos and sauté until soft and the onion becomes translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the chevre, yogurt, and salt. Add the sautéed onion and jalapeno and stir well. Using the times of a fork, scrape the cooked spaghetti squash flesh, and cooked chicken into the bowl and stir well to mix.
4. Transfer the mixture to a 3 1/2 quart casserole dish and top with the Cheddar cheese until the edges are golden 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.

Looking for more delicious and healthy recipes, Megan also blogs and Detoxinista, and has posted some Labor Day recipes.

Connect with Megan:

Facebook     G+      Instagram       Pinterest       Twitter

Wishing you all a beautiful week!
Until next time!
xo,

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

 

Pizza Bianco via Infuse by Eric Prum and Josh Williams

A couple of Summers ago, while Katelyn was over at a friends having a sleepover, her friend's mother made home made pizzas. This is something, I don't know why I haven't made before, maybe because and I know this may seem weird, but my husband and I aren't huge pizza fans, unless it's from a wood burning oven at an authentic Italian restaurant. Since my daughter thoroughly enjoyed herself, that night left a memorable impression on her, and I love to see my children happy, that I've been wanting to make home made pizzas with them!

Then I saw this one photo from my cookbook review of (affiliate link) Infuse: Oil, Spirit, Water  by Eric Prum and Josh Williams, caught my attention. It is a recipe for homemade Pizza Bianco, and my mouth instantly started to water. For one, I love creamy sauces, like alfredo sauce or any white sauce, hopefully with a ton of cheese, and what really interested me was the combination of the honey drizzled over it and an infused chili oil, and chives. 

This sounded seriously incredible I couldn't wait to make it. It turned out to be one of the funnest things for kids to help make in the kitchen. It was so much fun, we had a blast! The girls had fun shaping the dough, and putting on the sauce, cheese and pepperonis! While I made the Pizza Bianco for me and my husband. The recipe for the Pizza is grilled, but I didn't feel like standing out in the heat of mid-day, I simply baked mine.

I was initially going to adapt a pizza dough recipe from Bobby Flay, but when I was going to buy yeast, I noticed Fleischmann's  has yeast specifically for pizza dough. I simply followed the recipe on the back of the package. It was super easy to make, and it took a fraction of the time as using regular yeast, it was ready to use right away. No need for time to allow it to rise.

Pizza Bianco adapted from Infuse

1 recipe for Pizza dough

 (the recipe I used would make 4 thin crust pizzas or 2 thick crust)

1/2  cup ricotta

1 cup Mozzarella or Italian blend cheese 

1/4 cup of honey

*Chili Oil

1. Preheat oven 425F. Stretch pizza dough out onto a pizza stone or I used the bottom of a 10 in springform pan.

2. Top with ricotta and cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes for thin crust, or 20-22 minutes for thick crust.

3. Drizzle honey,  and chili oil. Garnish with chopped chives.

*Chili Oil- Infuse 2 Tbls. crushed red pepper flakes with 8 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil in an 8oz mason jar. Shake to combine. For maximum flavor, let sit in cool, dark place for 2 weeks. It will keep stored for 2 months.

I usually save a slice for you, but there wasn't any left to share. I am so very sorry!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Until next time!

xo,

 

 

Sharing this at these parties!

Infuse by Eric Prum and Josh Williams

Happy day before Friday! How has your week been going? Almost ten days and counting until my children go back to school! I'm just busy around here, getting them ready, organizing and painting away at my daughter's dresser. It's primed and painted, except the drawers, I'm painting and she's helping me stencil them today. The dresser is white lacquer with the drawer fronts painted in either a dark peach or sunset color, and stenciled with a white pearl. I want to paint the drawer knobs, but they seem to have gotten lost as well in the move, I'll find them.

Today I am excited to share with you, a wonderful book (affiliate link) Infuse: Oil, Spirit, Water  by Eric Prum and Josh Williams. It's fast becoming one of my favorite cookbooks by far. What I love most about it is, the recipes are super easy to follow, most of the ingredients you most likely have on hand, and while the photographs are mostly minimalistic, some with only three ingredients, they are all beautiful, almost zen like. Taking away the chaos of a complicated recipe, and making something pure to enjoy!

This Summer, I have for the first time, enjoyed flavoring my water, with not just lemon, but mint and cucumber. In the cookbook, there is a Grapefruit-Jalapeno infused water recipe I want to try, as well as Lavender Meyer Lemon Mint tea! Sounds lovely, doesn't it?!

I enjoy entertaining with mixed drinks, and I've seen on Pinterest, and have pinned similar recipes to try, but haven't quite gotten around to making them yet, but my own liquors for the Holidays or whenever. The two that were listed in 'Infuse', that caught my attention, were homemade "Overnight Limoncello", and "Coffee Liquor". So Simple and easy to make, I don't know why I haven't made them sooner.

Next up on the list is Peach Bourbon!

Also this Summer we've been eating more green salads with romaine, kale and spinach. There is a page dedicated to Vinaigrettes. Again, so simple and easy to make, I am never buying store bought dressing ever again. For the Pizza Bianco recipe I posted, I made this simple RedPepper Chili Oil, since both my brother and husband like to spice things up. It really takes the flavor of the pizza up a notch!

Some other recipes include:
-Kale and Apple Salad with Orchard Vinaigrette
-Greek Vinaigrette
  -Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Infused Maple Syrup

Three Things I liked about this book:

• Simple, easy and quick recipes to follow. No complicated steps or ingredients, I don't know the names of. Most ingredients I already had on hand.
• While this book is in the top 10 books for Cocktails and Mixed drinks, there are also some wonderful recipes for flavor infused oils (vinaigrettes), waters and teas.
• The photographs are bright, clean and although they are minimalistic, they are very beautiful pictures, that are easy to look at.

To read more review of (affiliate link) Infuse: Oil, Spirit, Water at Amazon via the picture link below

Author: Eric Prum and Josh Williams

Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches

Paperback: 176 pages

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Until next time!

xo,

 

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Street Vegan by Adam Sobel & Raw Raspberry Chocolate Tart

Hope you are all relaxing this weekend, or

 out there enjoying some Summertime fun!

 

 

 

Do you love doughnuts? Very random I know, but we will get to that In a bit, but first today, I am excited to share with you a fascinating cook book, "Street Vegan"! For an omnivore like myself, I have always been intrigued by the idea of someone not wanting to eat meat. And I've always been that mother who has told her children, "Don't knock it, until you try it"! (unless it's okra)

 

 

 

When my oldest daughter decided she wanted to be vegetarian, almost five years ago, my husband and I were concerned, that she wouldn't receive  the protein she needed for her body. On her 18th birthday she chose 'The Green Vegetarian', for her birthday dinner. My husband ordered the BBQ chicken sandwhich. He almost spit out his sandwhich when told him it wasn't chicken. My favorite meal with her was at 'Pita Jungle', when she took me out to lunch with her first pay check. As I was taking my nutrition classes, I began to understand more about protein intake, and how much we really do need. Then it wasn't so much the amount of protein that she would be getting, but the vitamins and minerals. Again, she showed me, that she was able to eat healthy if not healthier as a vegan.

 

Another interesting concept of Vegetarianism, is the idea of only consuming food in 'Raw' form. The first time I read about eating only a raw diet was from this women, Karyn Calabrese, and her story of why a plant based diet is more beneficial for our health. The first time I saw a slice of her "Raw" cheesecake, I was seriously intrigued. Don't get me wrong, I love me some real cream cheese, cheesecake, but what made her cheesecake so different that I wanted to try it?

 

This is why I got excited to review 'Street Vegan', raw pie recipes, including a 'raw pumpkin' one for the Holidays to try! What I loved about reading the book, were not only looking at the incredibly delicious photos, but this quote from Adam Sobel,  

"I don't make food that pretends to be something it isn't-just food that's overwhelmingly made with love and with intentions to make the world a more blissful, peaceful place"

Adam Sobel, had a dream to start a Vegan Food Truck, "The Cinnamon Snail", and turned it into a successful business, with people waiting not only in lines, but in the zero degree, bitter winter cold, to get their hands and mouths on his food.

 

 (affiliate link)

Street Vegan

Author: Adam Sobel

 Paperback: 272 pages
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 1 x 9 inches

It is the
#1 cookbook for 'Raw' cooking
#5 cookbook for baking (you'll see why)
#13 cookbook for Vegan

 

 

3 Things I liked about this book:

 

• The cookbook is divided into 10 sections, and there is one section completely devoted to 'Doughnuts'. When I saw that I jumped right too it, and there are recipes not just for ' BingCherry Fritters', but Cinnamon Apple and Blueberry-Pine Nut ones. This is the one I really can't wait to try, "Mexican Hot Chocolate Glazed Twists". If you wanted to try your hand at making doughnuts, he explains thoroughly the process of making doughnuts from the beginning, taking flour and leavening ingredients to twisting and frying techniques.
• My second favorite section is the soup section. I am always looking for something out of the ordinary to try, so when my daughter had strep throat and my husband had a dental emergency I made Ginger Laphing vs. Chicken Noodle soup. Other recipes include, Red Wine Minestrone, Cheesey Broccoli Beer Soup, and Maple Butternut Squash Soup. I really like how he denotes recipes as Gluten Free
• A word on the Sandwhich section, the photos are truly mouthwatering, and even my husband who has no idea what Seitan is, really wanted to try the 'Thai Barbecue Seitan Ribs'. In the introduction, Adam lists items in his Vegan pantry. With his recipes, there are in my opinion some exotic ingredients, like Umeboshi Plum Vinegar I still haven't found, along with other ingredients, where I can see his point of view, they are the best and bring out the best flavor, but not all of us have these in our pantries. That is what I like, is being exposed to new flavors, new ingredients, to tempt my tastebuds. 

To read more review about Street Vegan at Amazon via the picture link below.

 

 

Raw Raspberry Chocolate Tart (tweaked a little from Adam Sobel)

 

 

If I hadn't already known that this wasn't a real cheesecake, I would have had absolutely no idea in the world it was a faux one! One bite, and I thought I was enjoying the most decadent chocolate cheesecake, that reminded me, that I was eating a Godiva Dark Chocolate with raspberry bar, that's how amazingly delicious this Raw Raspberry Chocolate tart is. Not forgetting the flavors, the raspberry-orange sauce, really enhances the chocolate with the hint of sea salt, bringing out the dark chocolate flavor even more.

It was also good for me, because I wasn't conscious stricken for eating this guilty pleasure.   

My children ate it, and the only negative comment I got was from my son, who apparently doesn't care for dark chocolate. Weird, I know, but I still love him. All kidding aside. A celebratory slice of raw raspberry chocolate Tart, is in order.

 

 

For the raspberry sauce:

 

12 oz. of raspberries

the zest and juice of one medium lemon

2 Tbls. pure agave nectar/ pure maple syrup ( I bought it at Trader Joe's)

1/4 tsp. sea salt

 

for the chocolate-almond crust:

1 3/4 cups raw almonds

1/4 cacao powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 Tbls. pure agave nectar/ maple syrup

1 Tbls. melted coconut oil

 

for the raspberry- chocolate filling

2 2/3 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked in water for 30 minutes

2/3 cup agave nectar/ maple syrup

1 1/4 cups melted coconut oil

1 cup cacao powder

 2/3 cup fresh raspberries

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. sea salt

 

Mini chocolate chips for garnish (he used cacao nibs)

 

1. The raspberry sauce: Puree together the raspberries, orange zest and juice, salt, and agave nectar in a blender. I prefer a smooth sauce, so I would strain it, to remove the raspberry seeds. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

 

2. The chocolate-almond crust- I had some raw almond meal on hand that I made for these

Cookie Dough bites. Lightly grease a 9-in spring form pan with coconut oil. In a food processer, process the almonds, cacao powder, and salt until the almonds look like almond meal. Add the vanilla, agave nectar and coconut oil, and continue to process for 45 seconds until the dough for the crush looks crumbly. Press the crust into the bottom and up the sides half an inch. Chill the crust, for half an hour to an hour before pouring in filling.

 

3. Make the raspberry-chocolate filling: Drain the cashews and place in the blender, with the agave nectar, coconut oil, cacao powder, raspberries, salt and vanilla. He added 1 cup of water, I did not. Puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender, and pour into chilled crust.

Refrigerate over night until firm to the touch. Store the pie, covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

4. To serve, plate each slice with 2 Tablespoons of  raspberry sauce, fresh raspberries and mini chocolate chips.

 

Have a beautiful weekend!

Until next time!

xo, Christine

 

 

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this honest review.

 

Sharing this at these parties:

Metamorphosis Monday

Healthy Living Link up