Exploring a Cookbook: Health Nut by Jess Damuck

New year, new cookbook. This one was a Christmas gift.



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





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.

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.


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.


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.


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.


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.

These both sound delicious. Appreciate the updates!

wineaux wrote:These both sound delicious. Appreciate the updates!

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

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.



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.


(A sprinkling of Costco cashews were my addition.)

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.



Garnishes ready:

In addition to the salsa macha I offered red & green salsas.


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

With garnishes:


These were tasty and filling vegetarian tostadas. I highly recommend La Coman Danta salsa macha!

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.

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.

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

LynnB wrote:

wineaux wrote:These both sound delicious. Appreciate the updates!

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

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.



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.


(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!

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.

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.



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.


(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.

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:


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



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.

Last night I made the Crispy Rice and Salmon Bowl with Quick Pickles and Greens.

Ingredients:
English cucumbers
Spinach
Avocados
Salmon fillet
Salt
Rice vinegar
Oil
Sushi rice
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Honey
Chili sauce
Garlic powder
Togarashi
Edamame
Furikake, to serve

I started this on Saturday by cooking the rice, seasoning it with rice vinegar and salt, and then pressing it into a parchment-lined square pan. This chills at least 2 hours or overnight.



On Sunday, quick pickles were next using the cucumbers, salt & rice vinegar.

The dipping sauce is whisked together - soy, fish sauce, honey & chili sauce.

The cold rice is cut into 8 rectangles and pan fried.



Cubed salmon is tossed with garlic powder, salt, and togarashi and also pan fried.



Edamame and spinach are tossed with a bit of water and warmed in the same pan as the rice/fish. I kept everything warm in a low oven.



Bowls are assembled with avocado and a generous sprinkling of furikake.



I was a fan of everything except the spinach. IMO, it just didn't work well with the other ingredients. If I do it again I will either go with the edamame alone or add tatsoi or gai lan.

LynnB wrote:Last night I made the Crispy Rice and Salmon Bowl with Quick Pickles and Greens.

Ingredients:
English cucumbers
Spinach
Avocados
Salmon fillet
Salt
Rice vinegar
Oil
Sushi rice
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Honey
Chili sauce
Garlic powder
Togarashi
Edamame
Furikake, to serve

I started this on Saturday by cooking the rice, seasoning it with rice vinegar and salt, and then pressing it into a parchment-lined square pan. This chills at least 2 hours or overnight.



On Sunday, quick pickles were next using the cucumbers, salt & rice vinegar.

The dipping sauce is whisked together - soy, fish sauce, honey & chili sauce.

The cold rice is cut into 8 rectangles and pan fried.



Cubed salmon is tossed with garlic powder, salt, and togarashi and also pan fried.



Edamame and spinach are tossed with a bit of water and warmed in the same pan as the rice/fish. I kept everything warm in a low oven.



Bowls are assembled with avocado and a generous sprinkling of furikake.



I was a fan of everything except the spinach. IMO, it just didn't work well with the other ingredients. If I do it again I will either go with the edamame alone or add tatsoi or gai lan.

Looks really good, Lynn. Love your idea of subbing in a more bitter and substantial green than spinach on this one.

=R=

Enter, the Dragon Bowl. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

I made Dragon Bowls last night. In the same way that I am a sucker for Bento, I enjoy these "bowl" recipes. I like a variety of textures and flavors on the plate.

This one has a lot of moving parts so definitely not a weekday recipe for us.

Ingredients:
Small kabocha squash
Curly kale
Extra-firm tofu
Instant wakame
Toasted sesame oil
Ume vinegar (new to me)
Salt
Neutral oil
White beans, cooked or canned
Kombu
Tahini
White miso
Cooked brown rice
Gomaisio, to serve (also new to me)



I made the seaweed salad first. Rehydrated the seaweed and added sesame oil and ume vinegar.


Next up, tofu. My standard method, baked.


Peeled and sliced the squash. Removed the ribs from the kale.

I used canned navy beans. Rinsed and drained. Put in a pot with 1 1/2 cups water and a piece of kombu. Simmered about 20 minutes.


Steamed the squash about 20 minutes. Steamed the kale about 2 minutes. As I finished the various components I kept them warm in a low oven.

Made the miso-tahini dressing - whisked tahini, miso, ume vinegar, and warm water together. I doubled her amounts as we like sauce.


I also seasoned everything well with salt & pepper.

To assemble: mound rice in the middle, add seaweed salad, tofu, beans, kale, and squash around the sides. Drizzle with tahini-miso dressing and sprinkle on gomaisio.


Enjoyed this. It was fun to eat. Looking forward to the leftovers for lunch.

Last of the "bowl" recipes for awhile...

Spicy Peanut and Veggie Noodle Bowl. Gotta say, this one was pretty underwhelming.

Ingredients:
Garlic
Ginger
Limes
Cilantro
Red cabbage
Radishes
English cucumber
Carrots
Avocados
Mint
Toasted sesame oil
Sriracha
Nut butter
Dried rice noodles
Salted peanuts or cashews

Sauce was made by whisking together microplaned garlic and ginger, lime juice, sesame oil, sriracha, nut butter, cilantro, and water.

Prep produce, cook noodles, assemble, drizzle sauce. Straightforward but ultimately a bit dull. I decided to add some hard boiled egg to make it a bit more satisfying. Some chickpeas might have been nice too but I didn't have any on hand.

There was nothing wrong with this bowl of food, it just wasn't memorable or exciting.

Tonight's dinner was Orecchiette with Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce.

Ingredients:
Garlic
Cherry tomatoes
Parmesan
Anchovies
EVOO
Salt
Red pepper flakes
Orechiette

Super-simple, but tasty. An easy sell with the family.

I did catch an error in the recipe. The anchovies are listed as an ingredient and in the first paragraph of the recipe you are directed to "give 2 anchovies a good chop." They are never mentioned again.

I tossed them in with the cherry tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, and olive oil prior to roasting. Sloppy editing.

LynnB wrote:I did catch an error in the recipe. The anchovies are listed as an ingredient and in the first paragraph of the recipe you are directed to "give 2 anchovies a good chop." They are never mentioned again.

I know many people people who think that's probably the right action.

This pasta dish sounds like it has a lot in common with a household favorite of ours (here: https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/fusi ... ato-sauce/)

I like the idea of adding an anchovy or anchovy paste - I bet it gives the sauce some nice richness. Thanks for posting about your experiment!

- zorkmead

zorkmead wrote:This pasta dish sounds like it has a lot in common with a household favorite of ours (here: https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/fusi ... ato-sauce/)

I like the idea of adding an anchovy or anchovy paste - I bet it gives the sauce some nice richness. Thanks for posting about your experiment!

- zorkmead

That recipe looks good too - I may give it a try sometime. I’m sure a little anchovy would be a nice addition. I used 2 anchovies for 1 pound of pasta & 2 pints of cherry tomatoes.