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A Wonderful Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Cookbook: Whole Bowls by Allison Day

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Whole Bowls Cookbook by Allison Day

Whole Bowls Cookbook by Allison Day

When I had to quit eating wheat and gluten (as well as cooking, baking, smelling, and dreaming about them), I had to adopt and adapt. Adopt a new way of eating, cooking, and serving meals and adapt to every single change or be a miserable cuss.

I have no intention of being a miserable cuss… so adapt, I did!

One of my favorite sanity savers and means of serving meals became (and remains) “Bowls.”  Some call them Buddha Bowls and others call them even fancier names. Me.. well I’m a simple gal from Kentucky, so Bowls suits me just fine.

My middle daughter, Brittany (who happens to be a beautiful vegetarian – more about her here!), knew how much Bowls mean to me and gifted me with the gorgeous cookbook you see here, “Whole Bowls: Complete Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Meals to Power Your Day.” This cookbook could not be more up my alley! Not only are there MANY (countless, really) great gluten-free recipes but they’re ALSO vegetarian, meaning I can make them for Brittany to enjoy as well.

Only fair, right? After all, she bought the book!

Above, I referred to the recipes in this cookbook as “countless.” Obviously, the actual recipes can be counted – I’ll tell you why I insist on calling them countless! Each and every recipe in Whole Bowls can be tweaked and switched up to your individual tastes. For example, “Loaded Baked Potatoes with Baked Beans and the Works” (page 157), calls for russet potatoes, you can easily use sweet potatoes. If a recipe calls for quinoa, you can use brown rice.. if a recipe calls for white rice, you could use cauliflower rice… and on and on. I would recommend making each recipe exactly as given – but, after that, get creative. It’s your Bowl, after all!

There are also recipes for out of this world sauces that can be incorporated into the bowls they’re recommended for as well as other bowl recipes (whether in or out of this particular cookbook). A few of the sauces are Pumpkin Seed Sauce, Homemade Mayonnaise, Balsamic Glaze, and a Chive Oil (page 109) that is extraordinary on just about anything and everything. In fact, I have a special glass bottle in my Amazon cart I’m buying solely for keeping some of this oil made up and handy.

I love that author Allison Day has made Whole Foods such a gorgeous cookbook (they’re somehow more enjoyable to use, aren’t they?) and that the recipes are completely gluten-free. I also love that they’re basic – deliciously creative, but yet “doable.”

{Continued Below…}

Other AMAZING Recipes Include:

  • Mac and Cheese with Smoked Tofu and Baked Tomatoes
  • Mediterranean Pasta with Arugula, Peas, Yellow Tomatoes, and Feta
  • Roasted Pears with Whipped Goat Cheese and Maple Pine Nut Brittle
  • Hummus
  • Coconut Dreamy Whip
  • Homemade Nut Butter
  • Spring Rice Bowls with Chive Oil
  • Holiday Bowls with Stuffing, Sweet Potato Latkes, Brussels Sprouts, and Balsamic Glaze
  • Greek Mushrooms Stifado with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
  • Miso Meal in a Bowl
  • Black Beans with Butternut Squash, Black Rice, and Chimichurri
  • Three Bean Garden Salad with Asparagus and Coconut Dressing
  • Curried Falafel with Kale Salad
  • Winter Chopped Salad
  • South of the Border Bowls with Walnut Meat and Grilled Avocado
  • And many, many, many more creative, delicious, and nutritious recipes.

About the Author


Whether you choose to eat gluten-free or the choice has been made for you, you will absolutely love Whole Bowls. For that matter, you’ll love it if you eat gluten with wild abandon! This is just a fun, exciting, and delicious cookbook. I highly recommend it to everyone.

{A few more words about Bowls below the picture…}

Bowl

A few tips I’ve picked up along the path of my relationship with Bowls:

  • If you’ve given up wheat/gluten for health reasons, to cut calories, or because you’re on a particular “diet,” you don’t have to give up flavors because of it. Get creative! Sloppy Joes, for example don’t have to have buns – they can just as easily be served over potatoes (baked, mashed, roasted..) in a bowl with pickles and onions on the side. Same with Pulled Pork or any other “sandwich” you need to deconstruct. Even Egg Rolls can be deconstructed and presented, beautifully, in bowls.
  • We all know how nutritious vegetables are or us. I won’t insult your intelligence or bore you unmercifully by going into their virtues. One of the wonderful things about Bowls is that you can “sneak” beautiful, colorful, and healthy vegetables in to the mix without compromising the taste. I love to keep avocados on hand because they add SO MUCH to bowls. They look great, taste great, and are healthy to boot.
  • Spiralized vegetables aren’t just beautiful in Bowls, they’re also filling and fun to eat. Kids, especially, love different sizes, shapes, and textures.
  • Roasted vegetables are also fun to throw into Bowls – they give a delicious contrast in flavors alongside cooked or raw vegetables and grains.
  • Bowls are IDEAL for those of us who keep and insist on using leftovers. Leftover corn is one of my favorite things to pop into bowls.
  • A “mock” KFC Chicken Bowl technique I love – Put Mashed Potatoes into the bowl(s), top with cooked yellow corn, chicken (omit if you choose), and brown gravy. I love to make and add a little vinegar coleslaw to the side, too. It’s outrageously good.
  • When buying bowls for… well… Bowls… look for wide-open bowls, usually called pasta or salad bowls.  Bowls can make a gorgeous presentation – I like to use white bowls, often, but have also fallen in love with colorful ones.
  • Bowls are ideal for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Breakfast bowls are another favorite. Potatoes, bacon or sausage, eggs, broccoli, and cauliflower bowls make a breakfast that’s worth getting out of bed early for even on a Saturday.
  • Once you go down the Bowls rabbit hole, you’ll wonder what took you so long! Again, Whole Bowls is a wonderful source for inspiration and countless ideas.


Review: Gluten-Free Small Bites by Nicole Hunn

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Gluten-Free Small Bites by Nicole Hunn
Before I get to my raving-licious review of Nicole Hunn’s newest MUST HAVE gluten-free cookbook, Gluten-Free Small Bites, I just want to publicly thank her for the time and effort she puts into her gluten-free blog (Gluten-Free on a Shoestring), her gluten-free cookbooks, and even her social media accounts.

Before I had to give up gluten/wheat nearly four years ago, I had always been known in my family as an avid baker and cook – and (*tosses modesty aside for just a second) and a darn good one.  As compliments poured in, I was always thinking of the next bread or cake from scratch I’d make. I was known for my sourdough breads, buttermilk biscuits, cakes, pies, cookies, cornbreads, pastries, etc.

If we’re being honest, my sourdough bread was legendary.

Baking was a major part of my identity.

Then… it wasn’t. My body decided gluten/wheat were poison and they had to be permanently removed from my kitchen. I’m not exaggerating when I say that (as a food blogger, restaurant reviewer, and avid cook/baker), my world was rocked and I was in a daze for about a week. If it had not been for blogs like Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, and cookbooks such as the ones Nicole Hunn writes, I might still be in that daze with a ridiculously stupid look on my face.

Thank God for these lifelines because I don’t wear stupid well. It wasn’t long before I was, once again, baking bread, making pancakes, cakes, cookies, and even pies. I could make fried chicken again and, trust me, for a Kentuckian, that is huge. The work is sometimes more difficult and, let’s not fool ourselves, it’s usually more expensive to make gluten free recipes than traditional recipes – BUT you can’t really put a price on getting a major part of your identity back.

While I don’t have all of them yet, I am in the process of collecting Nicole Hunn’s gluten-free cookbooks. My husband gave me an early Christmas present about a week ago – Nicole Hunn’s newest cookbook, Gluten-Free Small Bites. He handed it to me in the middle of the day and that was that. Not a single thing got done the rest of the day. I escaped to my favorite den chair with iced tea in one hand and my new cookbook in the other.

{Cookbook Review Continued Below the Corn Muffins…}

Corn Muffins - A Gluten-Free Recipe from Gluten-Free Small Bites by Nicole Hunn
As I gawked at the recipes that were once again a possibility for me, I felt like Disney’s Pocahontas must have felt when she sang,  “A Whole New World… Shining, Shimmering, Splendid.”

Side note: when you raise three daughters, songs from Disney Princesses become firmly planted inside your brain and they play at pretty random times – at least this time, the song choice was appropriate.

From the Back Cover:

100 irresistible one-bite recipes—for everything from parties to portable meals

You know those days where dinner is grab-and-go, but you’re not sure what to grab? The older kids have a soccer game, a ballet lesson, the little one has a kazoo party, and they all need to be fed? Or maybe you’ve been volunteered to bring the mini quiches to the office potluck. Well you’re in luck: with Nicole Hunn at the helm, you can choose from 100 recipes for small bites—from party-pleasers like jalapeño poppers and pigs-in-blankets to easy meals like hand pies and chalupas. Have one of those special occasions when you can sit down for a meal? Nearly every recipe has instructions for how to make a bigger bite.

Recipes Include:

  • Pretzel Dough
  • Phyllo Dough
  • Flour Tortillas
  • Corn Tortillas
  • Naan Bread
  • Pizza Dough
  • Miniature Mac and Cheese Cups
  • Garlic Pizza Breadsticks
  • Pizza Bites
  • Cheesy Potato Pierogi
  • Miniature Chicken and Waffles
  • Sweet and Sour Meatballs
  • Empanada Dough
  • Shrimp Pot Stickers
  • Sopapillas
  • Glazed Donut Holes (!!!)
  • Pretzel Dogs
  • Pigs in Blankets
  • Fish Sticks
  • Samosas
  • Egg Rolls (YES, egg rolls!)
  • Fried Wontons
  • Cheddar Hush Puppies
  • Mozzarella Sticks
  • Onion Rings
  • Truffles
  • Chalupas
  • Wraps
  • And many, many more…

Basically, all the things you thought you had to do without eating and live without making are right here in one beautiful book, ready to bring new life back into your cooking and baking.

{Cookbook Review Continued Below}

Gluten-Free Small Bites by Nicole Hunn
The first recipe from the book that I made were the ridiculously adorable Corn Muffin Bites (page 73).   I did not have any corn in my kitchen and since it was pouring down outside, running to the store wasn’t in my game plan. So, I decided to just add a little jalapeno and chopped green onion in place of the corn. These corn muffins weren’t just beautiful to look at, they were out of this world delicious. I can’t wait to try them with corn next time (although, I’m not lying, the jalapeno and onions were knock outs).

I also made them in a traditional muffin pan instead of a mini-muffin pan. Why? Total accident. In my defense, I was under the influence of my allergy meds (Benadryl) and by the time I realized I was greasing the wrong muffin tin, I’d already committed to it. In my state, the thought of re-greasing another pan was out of the question.

The second recipe I made from Gluten-Free Small Bites were the Asparagus Fries (page 67). I made a ridiculously simple dip for them (Ranch Dressing with Prepared Horseradish and Kosher Salt) and they were unspeakably delicious. Crunchy, fun to eat (and make), and full of flavor.

I can’t wait to make both of these recipes again – and to use the Asparagus Fries as inspiration for Green Bean Fries. That’s a classic example of what separates good cookbook authors from great ones – good cookbook authors provide you with recipes, period. Great ones provide you with recipes, as well as techniques, that inspire confidence and creativity. They encourage you to branch out and try new things and they remind you that cooking isn’t just fun, it’s an adventure!

{Cookbook Review Concludes Below the Asparagus Fries!}

Asparagus Fries - A Gluten-Free Recipe from Gluten-Free Small Bites by Nicole Hunn
I 110 percent recommend you skip right over to Amazon and grab a copy of Gluten-Free Small Bites for yourself and anyone on your life who is gluten-free. If you need a little more inspiration, go back to the section above that lists some of the recipes included in this cookbook. Then remind yourself that these are just SOME of the recipes in this cookbook. Recipes and experiences that I, for one, thought were gone forever.

Reunions are a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Find Gluten-Free Small Bites on Amazon.
Find Nicole Hunn at Gluten-Free on a Shoestring!

Corn Muffins - A Gluten-Free Recipe from Gluten-Free Small Bites by Nicole Hunn

Gluten Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne (Cookbook Review)

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Gluten Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne
“No Meal Should Be Defined By What’s Not There.” – From the Back Cover
If you have to (or just darn choose to) eat gluten free, building a great library of gluten free cookbooks is essential.  While your run-of-the-mill cookbook can easily be tweaked to turn non-gluten free recipes into gluten free recipes, I feel it’s always best to approach a recipe from this stand point: It’s gluten free and proud of it.  You can rest easier when someone else has already tested the gluten free flour for you when it comes to baking. Even with the best of intentions, gluten free flour doesn’t always behave like we expect it to.

For these reasons, I always get up on my stump and preach to the gluten free masses.. “Build a strong gluten free cookbook library!”

Gluten Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne is a wonderful – downright perfect, even – addition.  The beautiful cookbook features 100 recipes that are simple, wholesome, delicious and just happen to be gluten free.

Gluten Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne
Some of the Wonderful Recipes Include:

  • Gingery chicken soup with spinach and eggs (gorgeous)
  • Coconut-lime granola with cashews
  • Spanish tortilla
  • Bread and butter pudding
  • Almond oat pancakes with blueberries and lemon
  • Pot of beans
  • Sole with vegetables en papillote (in parchment)
  • Cold chicken and rice noodle salad
  • Simmered halibut in a roasted tomato sauce
  • Green chickpea cakes
  • White pizza with blistered tomatoes
  • Sweet pea and ricotta ravioli (with a browned butter sauce)
  • White bean dip with preserved lemon
  • Breakfast pudding with chia, coconut, and cacao nibs
  • Parmesan cheese crackers
  • And many more… (see the ones perfect for the upcoming holidays below!)

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, the following recipes will prove EXTRA valuable…

  • Raspberry Cream Tart with Pistachios (pictured above in all its glory)
  • Stuffed dates with pomegranate and honey (absolutely beautiful, festive and colorful)
  • Hazelnut thumbprint cookies
  • Roast chicken with whole-grain sausage stuffing
  • Caramel walnut clusters
  • Raspberry hazelnut scones
  • A simple loaf of bread
  • Mocha cardamom almonds
  • Peach raspberry swirl fruit leather
  • Carrot cake with coconut cream cheese frosting
  • Macaroon brownies
  • Blondie bars
  • Crispy chocolate peanut butter bars (Just 6 ingredients!)
  • Upside down plum cake
  • Garlic saffron asparagus
  • Carrots with miso-orange butter (Again, just 6 ingredients.)

One of the recipes I’m most excited about is the one on page 43, Cinnamon Buns. I plan on making these Thanksgiving morning. Before my oldest daughter and I had to give up gluten and wheat, one of our most delicious holiday traditions was our Thanksgiving morning Cream-Filled Pastry Puffs. Before beginning my Thanksgiving meal marathon each year, I’d make these beautiful pastries and my family would enjoy them throughout the morning while watching parades on television and peeking in on the marathon.

I’m pretty entertaining when in the throes of a cooking marathon.

After we had to give up gluten/wheat, the pastries became history. Ever since, I’ve been trying to find a gluten free substitute for these pastries – something as beautiful to look at, aromatic to smell, and delicious to dive into.

I do believe these cinnamon buns will be just what I’ve been looking for and I’m all shades of excited.

This is simply a wonderful cookbook, front to back and cover to cover. I love that the recipes are clear, concise, and simple. Many gluten free cookbooks have earned their reputation for being overly complicated and they’re notorious for calling for FAR too many ingredients with each recipe. In fact, when doing my first browse through a gluten free cookbook, the first thing I look at is the length of ingredients.

Gluten Free for Good (Amazon link) keeps the ingredient count down while keeping the recipes delicious.

I also love the fact that the recipes are so creative. These aren’t recipes you’ll find online anywhere. They are highly creative and nothing short of gorgeous.

About the Author: Samantha Seneviratne was a food editor at Good Housekeeping, Fine Cooking, and Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food before starting her blog Love, Cake, which was a 2015 finalist for the Saveur Blog Awards. She is also a recipe developer, food stylist, and the author of The New Sugar and Spice. She lives in New York City.

Why I’ve Included this Book in the Category “Christmas Gift Guide for Cooks”

Cookbooks make excellent gift ideas for cooks – especially for those of us who have to eat gluten free. Gifting a GF cook with a gluten free cookbook shows just how thoughtful you are. Cookbooks are gifts that will be enjoyed for years.  Want to know a cool bonus? They’ll think of you each time they use it!

You can (and should!) find Gluten Free for Good on Amazon.

Gluten Free for Good
Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Paleo Cookbook Review: Sheet Pan Paleo

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Sheet Pan Paleo Cookbook

When I was sent a copy of a new gluten free, paleo cookbook, Sheet Pan Paleo, to review, I was ecstatic. As a newbie to the world of Gluten Free eating (my body’s idea, not mine) I’m now obsessed with adding as many gluten free cookbooks to my library as possible. The fact that this one is both gluten free and “Paleo” made it even more exciting.

Ironically, the very day before this cookbook arrived in the mail, I watched a Pioneer Woman episode where she made a few meals entirely on one sheet pan. I found myself thinking (and even announcing to my cat), “One pan to clean…” I must’ve said it three times within the 30 minute show.

One. Pan. To. Clean.

I love cooking as much as anyone, and probably more than most, but the cleanup? Not so much.

This cookbook is FILLED with recipes that’ll allow you to mess up one pan and only one pan. I think you’re going to love the simplicity of the meals, too. I mean, come on, does it get any easier and less complicated than tossing your ingredients together and roasting/baking/or broiling them?

Talk about a fast supper. You could come home from work, toss everything together and pop it in the oven… then by the time you’ve gotten comfortable and done a few household chores and waited hand and foot on the cat – supper is ready!

I can’t help thinking about this summer – when I come in from a long day at a state park, a hike or from working in the yard – the easier the meal, the better. Sheet Pan Paleo means I can get a healthy meal together in minutes and have it in the oven and me in the shower in no time at all.

Recipes Included in Sheet Pan Paleo:

  • Korean-Style Short Ribs with Red Cabbage
  • Ginger and Garlic Marinated Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps
  • Whole Baked Trout with Lemon, Fennel, and Rainbow Carrots
  • Salmon with Caper and Raisin Cremolata and Potatoes
  • Sweet Potato Hash with Baked Eggs
  • Zucchini and Sweet Potato Fritters with Chipotle Aioli
  • Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Chili Dipping Sauce
  • Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Garlic
  • And Many More…

Sheet Pan Paleo is ideal for anyone…

  1. …… interested in eating healthier
  2. …… who has to/chooses to eat gluten free
  3. …… who has to/chooses to eat paleo
  4. …… who is looking for easy recipes
  5. ……. who wants to feed their family healthy meals

Sheet Pan Paleo Cookbook Recipe

A Recipe from Sheet Pan Paleo

About the Author: Pamela Ellgen is a paleo food blogger, certified personal trainer, and author of the books Psoas Strength and Flexibility and Modern Family Table; Savoring Fresh Whole Foods with the People You Love. Her work has been published on The Huffington Post, LIVESTRONG, and Spinning.com. She lives in Petaluma, CA, and may be found at pamelasmodernfamilytable.com.

Sheet Pan Paleo (Amazon link) is a great, no-nonsense collection of easy to make, delicious, and healthy Paleo/Gluten Free recipes. The book is paperback, 259 pages in length, and does not have pictures. A big plus is the large, easy to read print.  Click through the link for more information.

The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook (Review)

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The Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook
The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook
Somewhere around November 12, 2105,  I saw a cookbook I simply HAD to have (as in couldn’t possibly find a way to live without another day), The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook.

For one thing, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Cooking Light magazine. A lot of recipes I use on “repeat” actually had their origins in recipes pulled directly from this great magazine.

Add to this the fact that I collect cookbooks AND have to eat gluten free…. how could I not want this cookbook in the worst possible way???

I told my husband that I’d seen something I wanted for Christmas and when I gave him the details, he simply sat down and ordered me a copy.  Win, win. I got the cookbook and didn’t even have to count it among my Christmas presents.

As soon as the cookbook arrived, I flung myself onto the couch in the den and devoured it – cover to cover. I was thrilled to see that it was even better than I’d expected.

The Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook Lasagna Recipe
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna Recipe 
 

Recipes from The Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook Include:

  •  Diner-Style Onion Rings
  • Tempura Green Beans with Mild Cayenne Sour Cream
  • Eggs Blindfolded over Garlic-Cheddar Grits
  • Egg and Cheese Breakfast Tacos with Homemade Salsa
  • Breakfast Tortilla
  • Chickpea Bajane
  • Indian-Spiced Salmon
  • Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb and Garlic Rub
  • Three-Cheese Baked PenneTeriyaki Pork and Vegetables with Noodles
  • Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia Sandwiches with Lime Butter
  • Ham, Cheese, and Apple Panini
  • Chipotle Salmon Burgers
  • Chewy Gooey Marshmallow Cookies with Minichips
  • Mocha Cream Brownie Wedges with Fresh Raspberries
  • Pina Colada Cheesecake Bars
  • Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens
  • Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Sauce
  • Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
  • Baked Vegetable Lasagna
  • Pizza Margherita
  • “The Works” Pizza
  • Pepperoni Pizza
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • And many, many more beautiful and delicious gluten free recipes!

I love this collection of gluten free recipes – they’re unique and creative, without costing a fortune to make. The ingredient lists aren’t complicated, which is something else I love. I’ve come to absolutely hate recipes that read something like this: 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1 tsp sorghum flour, 1/3 cup oat flour, pinch of xantham gum, 2 tbs fava bean flour, and 4 pinches potato starch…

Uh, no.

These recipes are break from the “gluten free insanity” that makes my skin crawl. These are recipes I use and recipes that you’ll use as well. It’s a perfect addition to your gluten free cookbook collection and I whole-heartedly recommend it.

See The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook on Amazon for more information.

The Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook
See Also: 10 Reasons Cookbooks Will NEVER Become Extinct!


Review: Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook

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Bob's Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook

Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook

Most of us who have to eat gluten free are more than a little familiar with Bob’s Red Mill. In fact, when I first learned I had to start eating gluten free, it was Bob’s Red Mill foods that made me think, “This isn’t going to be so bad.” In fact, one of the first things I ever made, White Chocolate Muffins with Bob’s Red Mill Rice Flour, made me realize that not only was this not the end of the world but was, rather, the beginning of a whole new, exciting world.

And a delicious one, at that.

I always feel 110 percent safe using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free products because they went so far as to build a separate gluten-free packaging division complete with specialized machinery to make sure that their products maintain their gluten-free purity.

When asked if I’d be willing to review Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook: 281 Delicious Whole-Grain Recipes, I was, understandably excited. A whole cookbook dedicated to a brand of food I loved? Sign me up.

Bob's Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook
In addition to 281 gluten free recipes,  Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook a very useful Gluten-Free Grains Primer with everything you need to know (cooking methods, origin..) about grains such as Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, and more. A lot of other favorite ingredients and foods are covered as well.  A lot of knowledge is covered in a relatively few amount of pages.

Recipes Included in Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook:

  • Salted Caramel Banana Waffles
  • Roasted Pepper Breakfast Bake
  • Banana Breakfast Cookies
  • Emerald Smoothie
  • Chorizo, Kale, and Teff Soup
  • Spanish Tomato Soup
  • Roasted Cauliflower and Buckwheat Salad
  • Snap Pea, Sorghum, and Taragon Salad
  • Greek Quinoa Skillet
  • Asian-Style Amaranth Burgers
  • Ancient Grain Huevos Rancheros
  • French Chickpeas and Quinoa with Poached Eggs
  • Grille Portobellos with Pesto Quinoa
  • Salmon Amaranth Cakes
  • Millet, Beef and Basil Lettuce Wraps
  • Corn Free Millet Cornbread
  • And many, many more unique gluten free recipes….

Bob's Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook
As you can tell in a few of the recipes I listed above, this cookbook has a lot of unique, creative, and highly original recipes. What’s more, you’ll be introduced to many foods you probably haven’t met before. As a foodie, I always find that to be a highlight of the week – getting to experience cooking with and eating new foods and ingredients.  It keeps things interesting and keeps you on your culinary toes.

If you’ve never cooked with quinoa, trust me, you’re going to fall in love. The flavor, the appearance – there’s nothing I don’t love about it.

About the Author: Camilla V. Saulsbury is a food writer, cooking instructor and creator of the healthy cooking blog powerhungry.com. She has been featured on The Food Network, Today, Good Morning America, and Katie, and in the New York Times. She is also a fitness trainer and endurance athlete.

Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook is paperback, includes 32 pictures, 281 recipes, is 326 pages in length, and is available on Amazon. I think it’s a must have in any gluten free kitchen.

See  Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook for more information!

Bob's Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook

Review: The Joyful Table by Susan Joy

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The JOYful Table by Susan Joy

The JOYful Table by Susan Joy

I was recently sent a copy of The Joyful Table by Susan Joy to review on Get Cooking. As someone who has to eat gluten free, it’s my pleasure to tell you all about a cookbook filled with gluten free recipes!

First of all, allow me to say this – The JOYful Table isn’t JUST for those of us who eat gluten free or for our culinary “cousins,” those who follow the Paleo diet. This book is filled with wholesome, creative, flavorful, healthy, and delicious recipes anyone will enjoy.

Having said that, it is most definitely the next cookbook you should buy for your gluten free loved ones – even if you ARE your gluten free loved one.

As someone who has hundreds of cookbooks, it’s a special “joy” to open one that’s as gluten free as I am. I don’t have to worry about mentally “fixing” recipes or “judging” ingredients. I can just lose myself in the magic of the recipes.

It’s a luxury you take for granted until you lose it, trust me. Thankfully, more and more gluten free cookbooks are coming out each year and this one is a straight up winner.

You know the old saying, “You are what you eat.” The JOYful Table: Gluten & Grain Free, Paleo Inspired Recipes for Good Health and Well-Being (Amazon link) author Susan Joy (like many of us) doesn’t just know the saying, she lives the saying.

For years, she lived iwth nutrition-related illness and poor health. However, when she discovered the Paleo diet, her life turned around.

In her new book, The JOYful Table, Joy makes her personal transformation available and attainable to all. By combining the natural ingredients of the Paleo lifestyle with her own expertise and personal knowledge of food, she dismisses the idea that wholesome living and bland meals go hand in hand.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs from The JOYful Table

Sweet and Sour Meatballs from The JOYful Table

“I want to show that eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and tasteless. My book includes healthy desserts for a treat or celebration and no fuss recipes that suit the entire family. the goal is to go back to basics with food for a better, healthier lifestyle that is good for the body.” – Susan Joy

After spending years struggling with fatty liver disease, Joy reversed her health issues when she adopted the Paleo lifestyle. By eliminating all processed and unnatural foods and creating traditional meals prepared with Paleo-Friendly ingredients, she hopes to share her life-changing experience with the rest of the world.

“The recipes I’ve created have helped me in my journey to mend my body and I want it to benefit others in similar situations.” – Susan Joy

The JOYful Table is beneficial to anyone who’s looking to improve their health and overall quality of life. It’s also perfect for anyone who is presently healthy and wants to keep it that way!

Paleo Satay Chicken from The JOYful Table

Paleo Satay Chicken from The JOYful Table from The JOYful Table

Delicious Gluten & Grain Free Recipes in The JOYful Table Include:

  • English Muffins with Egg and Avocado
  • Cream of Asparagus Soup
  • Cream of Cauliflower Soup
  • Taco Soup
  • Seafood Chowder
  • Grain Free Sandwich Bread
  • Hamburger Buns
  • Naan Bread
  • Wraps, Tortillas, and Crepes
  • Spinach Flat Bread
  • Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake
  • Protein Balls in Coconut
  • Ham and Asparagus Quiche
  • Mini Meat Loaves
  • Beef Stroganoff
  • Green Thai Curry Chicken
  • Turkey Meatloaf
  • Crunchy Nut Fish
  • Battered Fish and Seasoned Fries
  • Beef Gravy
  • Chicken Gravy
  • Brownies
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Scones
  • Banana Bread
  • Cinnamon Pecan Rolls
  • Apple Pie
  • Raw Raspberry Cheesecake
  • Vanilla Cupcakes
  • Strawberry Preserve
  • Almond Milk
  • Cashew Milk
  • Macadamia Milk
  • Coconut Milk
  • And A LOT MORE!

The JOYful Table (Amazon link) would make an excellent gift for absolutely anyone who’s interested in healthier eating. Obviously, it’s the most perfect gift imaginable for anyone who has to or chooses to eat gluten free or who follows the Paleo diet.  If I were ranking this collection of recipes on a scale of 1-10, I’d ask for a higher number than 10.

This collection of gluten free recipes and this cookbook are off the charts. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

 

Review: Going Against the Grain – Italian Style!

By

Going Against the Grain Italian Style Cookbook

When you find out you have to eat gluten free, yet LOVE Italian food with a capital L, O, V, and E, life loses a bit of its luster. Until, that is, you find a cookbook with authentic Italian recipes that are all.. you guessed it… gluten free.

Welcome back to my world, luster!

I received a copy of the wonderful new cookbook Going Against the Grain – Italian Style to review on the food blog. For whatever reasons, I expected the recipes to be complicated and filled with difficult-to-find-and-perhaps-even-pronounce ingredients.   Fortunately I was wrong on all accounts.  The recipes aren’t just doable, they’re very easy and the ingredients are readily available.

The beautiful author (Nuccia Ardagna) is Sicilian, so she knows better than most what makes an Italian meal taste Italian – she knows how to bring out the bold, beautiful, and unmistakable deliciousness that is Italian cuisine.

All while keeping everything gluten free.

 

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Going Against the Grain Italian Style Cookbook

Some of these gluten free Italian recipes include:

  • Hearty Sicilian Broccoli Soup in Tomato Broth
  • Hearty Sicilian  Minestrone
  • Fresh Tomatoes and Pesto Rotini
  • Breadcrumb Pasta
  • Grilled Pork Tenderloin
  • Chicken Cacciatore
  • Grilled Fennel
  • Gluten Free Panna Cotta With Blueberries
  • Fruit Parfait with Ricotta
  • Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Arugula, Pesto, and Goat Cheese
  • Classic Potato Gnocchi
  • Stuffed Cabbage
  • Sicilian Citrus Salad
  • And many, many more!

Nuccia Ardangna also gives her tools of the trade, valuable tips, personal resources, and even her favorite gluten free pastas. She also lists her favorite bakeries and gluten free food and snacks.

Introduction: This two-part book is a vital adjunct to any home attempting to be gluten-free. The first part guides you through early diagnosis and is an essential guide for any beginner diagnosed with celiac disease or some form of gluten sensitivity. You will learn how to identify symptoms of the disease, how celiac disease is diagnosed, and the consequences if left untreated. It will help you to understand how to read labels and how to manage your gluten-free home in a shared environment. It outlines practical advice for parents of children with celiac disease as well as tips for eating out and dealing with social settings such as special occasions or when traveling. Honorary foreword provided by renowned Dr. Peter HR Green, MD – Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

Growing up authentically Sicilian, Nuccia Ardagna thought that getting rid of gluten meant giving up her favorite traditional foods, but that could not be further from the truth! Nuccia combines her passion for eating amazingly Italian with her new dietary needs to bring you scrumptious, traditional Italian (and Sicilian) recipes. From simple, classic appetizers to decadent desserts you thought you could never enjoy, every recipe is easy-to-follow and offers beautiful full-color pictures throughout. You can feel confident about entertaining guests and family with these mouth-watering recipes. You can eat healthier, feel better, and truly enjoy living gluten-free while never having to sacrifice great taste! In this book, Nuccia not only shares her personal story with celiac disease but also the recipes she grew up with at home and uses to entertain guests. Look for the bonus section at the end of the book along with a section dedicated to her favorite links and resources. – From Amazon

Going Against the Grain – Italian Style is an essential resource for those who are fairly new to eating gluten free.  My oldest daughter, Emily, and I had to give up gluten for health reasons a couple of years ago. I’ve been adding gluten free cookbooks to my cookbook collection – bread, desserts, etc. As someone who is obsessed with Italian food, I’m thrilled to now have a “go to” cookbook for Italian gluten free recipes.

If you or anyone you know is new to the gluten free way of life, Going Against the Grain – Italian Style is a must have.

The wonderful thing is, this cookbook is also a must have for those who have had to eat gluten free so long that they’ve forgotten what whole wheat bread tastes like. The recipes are just outstanding and the author has a natural gift for writing that feels like a friendly visit.

In addition to the wonderful recipes, tips (I especially love her expert opinion on the best gluten free pastas on the market!), and advice, I also love the fact that the book is packed with big beautiful photographs of each recipe.  A lot of cookbooks will give you pictures of a few recipes… or sometimes even just a sketch. When a cookbook provides a big, colorful photograph of each recipe, I feel like they went above and beyond what they could get away with and… let’s just be honest here… I totally appreciate that.

I also appreciate that these recipes aren’t just “gluten free,” but are also healthy in every other way. As a mother to a ridiculously adorable little boy, the author, herself, puts a great value on healthy eating and it shows in her recipes.

Going Against the Grain – Italian Style is perfect in every way and I hope you’ll add it to your cookbook collection right away.  I know you’ll love it as much as I do.

 

A Word on the Recipe Part of the Book
by Nuccia Ardagna
I really love food and I really enjoy preparing exquisite culinary creations for my family and friends. I am not a chef, but growing up with my Sicilian mom, aunts and grandmothers I certainly learned how to cook. We maintained our tradition of making our own sauce, marinating our own vegetables, making our own wine and growing our own garden. We may not have had much, but we always ate well that’s for sure. Maybe it’s in our DNA, who knows, but when I was suddenly forced to follow a strict gluten-free diet, after the initial panic subsided I knew I could make this work. It would take time and effort but I knew it wasn’t impossible.

So let’s talk about the recipes in this book and why I chose them. There are millions of cookbooks out there. There are many cooking channels featuring renowned chefs on TV. Each bring their own special something to the table. In this day and age, no one is reinventing the wheel when it comes to cooking, however we are all trying to eat healthier and putting a little bit of ourselves into our dishes.

I am no different. I don’t promise recipes you’ve never heard of before. Sometimes, just a tiny tweak to an old classic is enough to impress. In my case, I had to take old, favorite recipes I grew up with and in many cases modify them, as they now needed to be gluten-free.

My motto, which I emphasize in my book, is to stick to healthy fruits, vegetables and lean meats, all of which incidentally are gluten-free. There is of course the pasta and breaded dishes that required modification but short of making your own pasta from scratch or making your own breadcrumbs, these dishes require purchasing ready-made items.

I wanted my book to be simple enough for a beginner but wanted to include some of the more elaborate dishes as well in hopes that I could cater to those who aren’t so new in the kitchen. Many cookbook reviewers will not enjoy a particular book because of its simplicity while others might criticize the complexity of the recipes or the ingredients contained in other books. Bottom line is that you can’t please everyone and that’s fine too.

My goal was to keep it simple featuring classic recipes. Some may surprise you as to why I would include them in the book (like the prosciutto-melone antipasto) but I really wanted to because they are true classics and gluten-free to boot, not to mention a crowd-pleaser. Other recipes are native to Sicily and while some of these are simple and others require a little more effort, the goal was to share our heritage with you.

These recipes were was not meant to dazzle you with complex ingredients, but rather to help you eat well, simple while you are adapting to your new gluten-free lifestyle.
I hope you enjoy the carefully selected recipes. Stay tuned for a new book that will feature elaborate menus.

Find Going Against the Grain – Italian Style! on Amazon. This is one you’ll definitely want to add to your cookbook collection.

Going Against the Grain Italian Style Cookbook

Helpful Links:

Against the Grain: Gluten Free Baking Made Deliciously Possible

By

Against the Grain by Nancy Cain

When it comes to great gluten free cookbooks, I am on such a (gluten free) roll that you oughta call me (gluten free) butter. Ironically enough, two of the most recent gluten free cookbooks I’ve added to my cookbook collection and have subsequently reviewed are somewhat similarly titled.  The book you see here is Against the Grain (Amazon link) by Nancy Cain and I am as impressed by it as I have been any recipe collection I’ve ever had.

First, it’ll help to establish the author’s authority, so to speak.  Nancy Cain is the owner of Against the Grain Gourmet, a line of gluten-free breads and pizzas you can find at supermarkets and natural food stores nationwide.

That’s right. The lady knows her stuff. Inside out.

Before you even get to the wonderful gluten free recipes, the reader is treated to an introduction to end all introductions.  Ingredients are laid out and scrutinized – you’re given “behind the scenes” information on how each helps create the perfect environment for gluten free baking.  It’s written is a beautifully comprehensive and easy to understand manner that’ll leave you thinking, “Now I understand!” as a million light bulbs go off around you.

There is an art and there is a science to baking gluten free and Nancy Cain masters each.

Seriously? Someone who’s gluten free baking is so delicious she’s able to sell it in stores telling you how to make your own delicious gluten free delicacies? It does not get any better than that.

From the Inside Cover:

Revolutionary all-natural recipes for gluten-free cooking–from the owner of Against the Grain Gourmet.

Nancy Cain came to gluten-free cooking simply enough: Her teenage son was diagnosed with celiac disease. After trying ready-made baking mixes and finding the results rubbery and tasteless, she pioneered gluten-free foods made entirely from natural ingredients–no xanthan or guar gums or other mystery chemical additives allowed. That led her to adapt many of her family’s favorite recipes, including their beloved pizzas, pastas, and more, to this real food technique. In Against the Grain,Nancy finally shares 200 groundbreaking recipes for achieving airy, crisp breads, delicious baked goods, and gluten-free main dishes.
For any of these cookies, cakes, pies, sandwiches, and casseroles, you use only natural ingredients such as buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, and ripe fruits and vegetables. Whether you’re making Potato Rosemary Bread, iced Red Velvet Cupcakes, Lemon-Thyme-Summer Squash Ravioli, or Rainbow Chard and Kalamata Olive Pizza, you’ll be able to use ingredients already in your pantry or easily found at your local supermarket.
With ample information for gluten-free beginners and 100 colorful photographs, this book is a game changer for gluten-free households everywhere.

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Against the Grain by Nancy Cain

 

Against the Grain is a big, beautiful book with tons of pictures to accompany the delicious recipes.  I love that the author doesn’t just present the recipes (which would be perfectly fine, mind you, because they’re amazing), she gives a little insight and background into each. Again, it’s like an expert sitting down and personally showing you how you can create beautiful and delicious baked items in your own kitchen.

Some of the recipes include: 

  • Olive Flatbread
  • Blueberry Banana Crepes
  • Skillet Pizza
  • Shoofly Pie
  • Chocolate Eggs
  • Jalapeno and Cheese Biscuits
  • Zucchini Carrot Bread
  • Brioche
  • Sourdough Soft Pretzels
  • Lemon Thyme Summer Squash Ravioli
  • Italian Tricolor Rainbow Cookies
  • Microwave Vegan Cowboy Cookie
  • Basic Yellow Cake
  • Red Velvet Cake
  • Cocobean Cupcakes
  • Biscuits
  • Cheesy Breadsticks
  • Fig Bars
  • Energy Bars
  • Sunrise Warming Muffins
  • Tater Doughnuts with Silky Chocolate Glaze
  • Cranberry Date Bars
  • Boston Cream Pie
  • Fresh Strawberry Cake
  • Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
  • Deep Dish Vermont Apple Pie
  • And many, many, many, many, many more. Tons more!

A few other things I especially love about Against the Grain are “small” things only cookbook collectors would probably notice. I LOVE that the recipes are easy to read and easy to follow.

I also love that the author provides her ingredients’ measurements in cups and grams. VERY helpful to all readers. While it’s possible to find conversion charts, it’s just easier to have it presented to you in this way.

If you love great cookbooks and delicious baked foods, this is the next cookbook you should buy.  If you thought you had to give up the fun and excitement of baking and the rewards of baking extra delicious goodies for your family just because you had to give up gluten, this is the next cookbook you HAVE TO buy.  Nancy Cain will have you turning out bakery quality deliciousness again and again and again.

I’m sure that sounds as delicious to you as it does me!

When I first had to give up gluten, I admit I had some really “dark days.”  Not because of the food I could no longer eat, but (as someone who has gotten so much joy out of baking for her family for SO many years)because of the food I could no longer bake. I took so much pride in my homemade breads, buttermilk biscuits, fried cornbread, cookies, pies, cakes, and brownies. The sense of loss I felt could only be understood by other parents and spouses who love nothing more than cooking beautiful, delicious food for their loved ones.

I only wish I’d had Against the Grain (Amazon link) when I first had to give up gluten. I’d have realized that I actually never lost anything.

If you or anyone you know has to eat gluten free but loves baking, I hope you’ll get a copy of Against the Grain (Amazon link) in their hands as soon as possible.

A door you once thought was shut swings wide open the minute you open this book.

Against the Grain by Nancy Cain

 

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.