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Exploring a Cookbook: Health Nut by Jess Damuck

Exploring a Cookbook: Health Nut by Jess Damuck
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  • Exploring a Cookbook: Health Nut by Jess Damuck

    Post #1 - January 12th, 2025, 4:36 pm
    Post #1 - January 12th, 2025, 4:36 pm Post #1 - January 12th, 2025, 4:36 pm
    New year, new cookbook. This one was a Christmas gift.

    Image

    Last night was girls-only and Audrey & I wanted something with eggs.

    Masala-Spiced Potato Hash with Spinach & Yogurt

    Ingredients:
    yukon gold potatoes
    ginger
    shallot
    serrano chile
    baby spinach
    eggs
    coconut oil
    brown mustard seeds
    cumin seeds
    turmeric
    salt
    yogurt, to serve

    Image

    Image

    We enjoyed this. I served it drizzled with yogurt and had some roti on the side.

    I like that each recipe has a photo. Many sound appealing. Looking forward to cooking from this book.
  • Post #2 - January 15th, 2025, 7:32 pm
    Post #2 - January 15th, 2025, 7:32 pm Post #2 - January 15th, 2025, 7:32 pm
    We are big fans of "breakfast for dinner." When I saw this recipe - Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Greens Breakfast Bowl, I knew I would try it as a dinner. I did just that last night.
    Image

    Ingredients:
    red onion
    limes
    sweet potatoes
    collard greens
    cilantro
    avocado
    radishes
    canned black beans
    salt & pepper
    EVO
    salsa/s of choice
    hot sauce of choice
    eggs
    greek yogurt (I thinned out a little sour cream with milk instead)

    I did a little prep early in the evening - pickled the red onion in lime juice/salt, washed and chopped the collards & cilantro.
    Image

    Though not listed in the ingredients, the author does note that sometimes she adds brown rice to the bottom of the bowl. As a dinner, I thought this would be a good addition so I got out my rice cooker and headed to the pantry for my plastic tub of brown rice (which I hadn't used in a couple of months.) Much to my disgust, I opened the lid and discovered hundreds of tiny brown bugs had made themselves comfortable there and were turning my rice to dust!

    After cleaning up that mess, I headed back to the pantry for a hearty grain substitute. Wheat berries were going to take too long to cook, whole wheat couscous just didn't seem right with the other ingredients, Jonathan is not a big fan of bulgur.... Finally, I came across a container that I had purchased on a whim but hadn't yet opened.
    Image

    I popped that into the rice cooker and moved on to the rest of the recipe.

    Sweet potatoes went into the steamer first, followed by the collards a bit later. Garnishes were prepared - sliced limes, radishes & avocado. Black beans were rinsed, drained, and warmed with a bit of water, salt & pepper.

    Next, eggs were scrambled and the bowls were assembled.
    Image

    Salsas, "crema," hot sauce, and cilantro were all offered at the table.

    This was a bit fussy for a weeknight and created a lot more dishes than I prefer, but the end result was quite satisfying on a chilly night. Also very filling. We liked the red rice. I found it reminiscent of wild rice.
  • Post #3 - January 15th, 2025, 11:46 pm
    Post #3 - January 15th, 2025, 11:46 pm Post #3 - January 15th, 2025, 11:46 pm
    These both sound delicious. Appreciate the updates!
  • Post #4 - January 21st, 2025, 4:38 pm
    Post #4 - January 21st, 2025, 4:38 pm Post #4 - January 21st, 2025, 4:38 pm
    wineaux wrote:These both sound delicious. Appreciate the updates!


    Thanks! I appreciate knowing I am not posting into a black hole. :D

    Last night I tried her Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry. I've mentioned elsewhere that Jonathan is not a big fan of cauliflower so I don't cook with it often. I love it though so every once in awhile I go for it.

    Ingredients:
    onion
    garlic
    ginger
    large head cauliflower
    baby spinach
    cilantro, to serve
    coconut oil (or ghee)
    turmeric
    cumin
    coriander
    Kashmiri chile powder
    salt
    tomato paste
    can of coconut milk
    can of chick peas
    rice, to serve (I used basmati)

    This recipe was very straightforward and easy to put together on a weeknight. I liked the combination of the cauliflower and chickpeas - both texture and flavor. The spinach, folded in right before serving provided a nice color contrast and seemed to tie all the ingredients together.

    Image

    Certainly not a dish that's going to knock anyone's socks off, but it was a one-pot meal that was comforting, easy, and good for a chilly night in.

    Image
    (A sprinkling of Costco cashews were my addition.)
  • Post #5 - January 27th, 2025, 8:09 pm
    Post #5 - January 27th, 2025, 8:09 pm Post #5 - January 27th, 2025, 8:09 pm
    We had Black Bean Tostadas with Avocado and Crispy Leeks for dinner tonight. I started this one on Saturday by soaking a pound of black beans. Cooked the beans yesterday to save some time tonight.

    Ingredients:
    garlic
    cilantro
    oranges
    avocados
    1 recipe Crispy Leeks (just sliced leeks fried in avocado oil and tossed with a bit of salt.)
    lime wedges, to serve
    dried black beans
    bay leaves
    corn tortillas (I used purchased tostadas as I already had some on hand.)
    avocado oil
    salsa macha (there is a recipe in the book for this but again, I used purchased as I had some in the pantry.)

    The beans were cooked with garlic, the green tops of the leeks, cilantro stems and bay leaves. After cooking and removing all but the garlic, they are mashed and then seasoned with orange juice and salt. These were really flavorful. We liked these a lot.

    Image

    Garnishes ready:
    Image
    In addition to the salsa macha I offered red & green salsas.

    Image
    The recipe did not call for it but I sprinkled a bit of cheese on top of the beans.

    With garnishes:
    Image

    These were tasty and filling vegetarian tostadas. I highly recommend La Coman Danta salsa macha!
  • Post #6 - January 28th, 2025, 5:47 pm
    Post #6 - January 28th, 2025, 5:47 pm Post #6 - January 28th, 2025, 5:47 pm
    That bean recipe does sound good and I always enjoy your threads from a single cookbook. Question: is the cookbook entirely vegetarian or are you just choosing vegetarian meals from it? I know you are not a heavy meat eater yourself, but I didn't know if it was a truly vegetarian cookbook.
  • Post #7 - January 28th, 2025, 6:54 pm
    Post #7 - January 28th, 2025, 6:54 pm Post #7 - January 28th, 2025, 6:54 pm
    Northcenter Joe wrote:That bean recipe does sound good and I always enjoy your threads from a single cookbook. Question: is the cookbook entirely vegetarian or are you just choosing vegetarian meals from it? I know you are not a heavy meat eater yourself, but I didn't know if it was a truly vegetarian cookbook.


    Hi Joe, yes, I am mostly pescatarian. I dabble in Thanksgiving Turkey and maybe some ham at Xmas…. I also like to think of bacon as more of a condiment. :D

    This book is predominantly vegetarian with some vegan recipes, but it also includes several fish recipes as well as one for clams. I will definitely get around to some of the fish-based meals. Nothing with red meat, but three recipes for chicken:

    Turmeric Ginger Bone Broth (uses chicken wings or feet.)
    Lemony Chicken and Quinoa Bowl with Watercress, Cucumber, and Avocado
    One-Pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
  • Post #8 - February 1st, 2025, 1:21 pm
    Post #8 - February 1st, 2025, 1:21 pm Post #8 - February 1st, 2025, 1:21 pm
    LynnB wrote:
    wineaux wrote:These both sound delicious. Appreciate the updates!


    Thanks! I appreciate knowing I am not posting into a black hole. :D

    Last night I tried her Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry. I've mentioned elsewhere that Jonathan is not a big fan of cauliflower so I don't cook with it often. I love it though so every once in awhile I go for it.

    Ingredients:
    onion
    garlic
    ginger
    large head cauliflower
    baby spinach
    cilantro, to serve
    coconut oil (or ghee)
    turmeric
    cumin
    coriander
    Kashmiri chile powder
    salt
    tomato paste
    can of coconut milk
    can of chick peas
    rice, to serve (I used basmati)

    This recipe was very straightforward and easy to put together on a weeknight. I liked the combination of the cauliflower and chickpeas - both texture and flavor. The spinach, folded in right before serving provided a nice color contrast and seemed to tie all the ingredients together.

    Image

    Certainly not a dish that's going to knock anyone's socks off, but it was a one-pot meal that was comforting, easy, and good for a chilly night in.

    Image
    (A sprinkling of Costco cashews were my addition.)


    This looks sooo good! Ironically, my husband went to the store and I had 1 head of cabbage on the list. He came home with 2 heads of cabbage & one head of organic cauliflower:)! I'm now looking for something different to make with the cauliflower and this fits the bill!

    Question on the cookbook. I was looking to purchase it, but noticed in the reviews that numerous people mentioned that there are many omissions an errors in the recipes. I take Amazon reviews with a grain of salt and thought you might be able to give me some honest feedback before I purchase it.

    Thanks!
  • Post #9 - February 1st, 2025, 2:22 pm
    Post #9 - February 1st, 2025, 2:22 pm Post #9 - February 1st, 2025, 2:22 pm
    wineaux wrote:
    LynnB wrote:
    wineaux wrote:These both sound delicious. Appreciate the updates!


    Thanks! I appreciate knowing I am not posting into a black hole. :D

    Last night I tried her Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry. I've mentioned elsewhere that Jonathan is not a big fan of cauliflower so I don't cook with it often. I love it though so every once in awhile I go for it.

    Ingredients:
    onion
    garlic
    ginger
    large head cauliflower
    baby spinach
    cilantro, to serve
    coconut oil (or ghee)
    turmeric
    cumin
    coriander
    Kashmiri chile powder
    salt
    tomato paste
    can of coconut milk
    can of chick peas
    rice, to serve (I used basmati)

    This recipe was very straightforward and easy to put together on a weeknight. I liked the combination of the cauliflower and chickpeas - both texture and flavor. The spinach, folded in right before serving provided a nice color contrast and seemed to tie all the ingredients together.

    Image

    Certainly not a dish that's going to knock anyone's socks off, but it was a one-pot meal that was comforting, easy, and good for a chilly night in.

    Image
    (A sprinkling of Costco cashews were my addition.)


    This looks sooo good! Ironically, my husband went to the store and I had 1 head of cabbage on the list. He came home with 2 heads of cabbage & one head of organic cauliflower:)! I'm now looking for something different to make with the cauliflower and this fits the bill!

    Question on the cookbook. I was looking to purchase it, but noticed in the reviews that numerous people mentioned that there are many omissions an errors in the recipes. I take Amazon reviews with a grain of salt and thought you might be able to give me some honest feedback before I purchase it.

    Thanks!


    I haven’t run into any issues yet, but it’s been a pretty small sample so far. I took a peek at Amazon and it seems like most of the complaints have been around the baking and pastry recipes. I haven’t tried any of those and likely won’t.

    I have never explored a cookbook where I didn’t run into a dud or two (or more.) So far, so good with this one but we’ll see as I continue to cook with it.

    If you are looking for more plant-based recipes I do highly recommend the book “East” by Meera Soda. I tried about 3/4 of the recipes and nearly all were winners. Many have become part of my regular rotation.
  • Post #10 - February 8th, 2025, 9:56 am
    Post #10 - February 8th, 2025, 9:56 am Post #10 - February 8th, 2025, 9:56 am
    Kitchari with Cilantro Chutney

    Ingredients:
    ginger
    white basmati rice
    yellow moong dal
    ghee or coconut oil
    cumin seeds
    mustard seeds
    coriander seeds
    cilantro chutney (There is a recipe. I used jarred as I had some on hand.)
    plain yogurt, to serve

    I made this last Thursday. It's a very straightforward recipe. Soak rice and dal for 20 minutes. Drain, rinse, drain. Warm up the ghee or oil, add ginger and spices, then the rice/dal and 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, partially cover, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Stir occasionally. Serve topped with chutney and yogurt.

    Despite the soak/cook time, this was easy for a weeknight meal. However, it had very little flavor when done exactly as instructed and the texture was off - nothing like it appeared in the accompanying photo.

    So..., I made some adjustments. Started by using my wand blender to gently puree the mixture a bit. I didn't want the rice to get too gummy so I didn't go crazy but it was an improvement in the texture. Next, I added some lemon juice, a good amount of fresh ground pepper and a bit more salt than I would have liked, but it was necessary. This dal needed more than just a garnish of cilantro chutney. I stirred in about 3 tablespoons. Now we had something good. If I make this again I would probably double the amounts of cumin, mustard seeds, and coriander. I also might use vegetable or chicken stock in place of the water.

    After pureeing but before additional adjustments:
    Image

    Garnished with additional cilantro chutney and the yogurt, I was happy with the end result.

    Image

    In case of a zombie apocalypse, this would be a good one to keep in mind. All pantry staples with the exception of the yogurt.

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