I've been thinking a lot about how to start someone on the path to veggie mastery. My grandma has been asking a lot of questions lately, concerned about her health as she ages. She has been having trouble finding recipes that aren't "diet" themed that feature veggies. I remember my own journey trying to learn to love veggies, and how hard that was. I tried googling "healthy" recipes and just got into a lot of guilt about what I ate and so pressured to eat salads and chicken breast and steamed veggies ( I mean, seriously, ew). Or, I'd find veggie recipes in "side dish" tabs on websites and have to hack them- stuffing tofu, beans, meat, adding toast, doubling or tripling recipes to make them veggie based meals. I began to doubt that my idea of health (whole foods, omnivorous, seasonal) existed. Is it really that awful to dunk veggies in ranch? Is butter really the enemy? What if I don't want my veggies to just be adornments for meat? Where am I supposed to find fresh corn in early spring to go with my peas and carrots? Where are my people?
I am a stubborn human. Also, weak willed. I am never not going to eat cheese, give up butter, stop eating chili cheese fries, ranch, ice cream, and especially not my occasional top ramen. And as a feminist, I find the idea of dieting to control my weight repulsive. But, I also want to be healthy and know that my junk food forays are occasional treats. What am I to eat each night? Can someone please make healthy delicious and guilt free?
So, over the years I have checked out hundreds of cookbooks from the library pouring over recipes trying to find that balance. I have found about a dozen that I liked enough to buy (man, cookbooks can be pricey!) and I believe enough in them that I encourage you to splurge and invest in your enjoyment of being healthy. I'll share a few here with you and highlight some of my favorite recipes.
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| This Book is basically my bible in the kitchen. If you only choose one book, this is it. This book has been a staple in "healthy" cuisine for nearly half a century. It's about $20 and is readily found at your local book establishment. Some of our favorite recipes out of this book are: Stir Fry and Stir Fry Sauce- an amazing veggie drawer clean out meal! Throw saucy stir fried veggies on top of brown rice and BAM! Dinner! Samosas and Chutneys- yes, you can make this at home and it is just as good as the restaurant version (also not deep fried!) Borchst- it's an amazing way to enjoy beets. Don't complain or make that face! Try it! Potato Fennel Soup- Perfect spring soup! It's such a wonderful twist on potato soups! (I could go on and on gushing, but just go buy the book and get cooking!) |
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| This book is a new favorite. It'll put you out about $15. It is peppered with saucy language (and a fair amount of cultural appropriation that miffs some very staunch feminists) and tasty recipes. I have a few vegan friends, and I love them and they are super great and humble, but sometimes, people with special diets can get pretty smug about it and its off-putting. This is not that book. It succeeds at making eating vegan accessible. It has a ton of great, flavorful meat-less dinners that are full of nutrition and leave you feeling satisfied. I actually find myself adding in a few extra veggies, but hey, you should be trying to do that always! Here are some favorites: Veggie-tofu chilaquiles- tofu scramble with spinach, and fresh salsa make vegan breakfast miracles Spiced chickpea wraps with tahini dressing- we've made this three times this month, seriously Coconut-lime rice with red beans and mango- tropical complete protein deliciousness Black bean tortas with coconut chipotle mayo- as a mayo lover, I was fooled by this vegan mayo, won over really the whole shebang was a big hit |
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| This Book is amazing. It's like the "South Beach Diet's" delicious, guilt-less cousin for about $5. You still get all the really great olive oil, tomato, cucumbery recipes that hold promise of health and longevity without all the weight-loss rhetoric! There is still some recipe hacking to do. You may have to double a veggie dish, add tofu, beans or the like to it, serve it with toast and a smear of cheese- but there are a ton of recipes to work with. I have not made one that wasn't absolutely delicious! Here are some of my favorites: Eggplant Dip! Seriously, eggplant is delicious- give it a chance! Eggplant and egg sandwich with olive hummus- no seriously eat more eggplant! Egyptian Breakfast Greens- favas, lentils, eggs, lemons, tomatoes! Delicious! Do go out of your way to find Aleppo pepper- it's life changing Turkish braised leeks with carrots- uh, yum! Summer Squash Stew with sweet peppers- for that time when you find that honkin zucchini you left... |
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| These two books will stir up your wanderlust! These two are about $15 each. The authors toured the Italian countryside, visiting Agrotourismos and getting the recipes from the chefs they visited. This is truly authentic. These recipes are perfect for eating fresh, local, seasonal, and omnivorously! They feature produce, herbs, dairy, and meat produced in the area cooked in a simple, straightforward way that accessible. The results are mind-blowingly delicious because of the high quality, fresh ingredients. Here are some of my favorites (from both books together) Swiss Chard and Ricotta tart- Seriously delicious Stuffed Zucchini Flowers- a delicate delicacy! Saffron Risotto with sausage and kale- don't let the two first words intimidate you. Your kale wants this to happen to your mouth! Beet bruschetta with goat cheese and caramelized onions- omg, amazing Pork Stew with red wine and juniper berries- the most delicious pork...ever Farro Stew with butternut squash- a hot bowl of ultra cozy in the winter! |
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| This book will run you about $15 for some of the most fun you'll have with veggies. Just for fun, go Google the Portlandia pickle skit- yeah, you can pickle that! This is a great way to learn to love veggies, re-learn to love veggies, add probiotics to your diet, and increase the flavor POW of a meal! It's a bit involved sometimes (cough, cough, kimchi, cough) but so worth it. I love adding these pickles to stir fry, rice bowls, fried eggs and toast at breakfast, or just out of the jar at 1 a.m. Here are my favorites: Thousand slices turnips- turnips and seaweed pickle into a tart, briny miracle Pickled mustard greens- spicy, sour and oh so healthy Wasabi pickled carrots- this is amazing alongside some homemade veggie sushi rolls or over sweet, sticky rice Marinated bean sprouts- I've watched Tarra eat it out of the bowl like chips, so there's that review Sesame seed spinach- an amazing way to pizazz your green |
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| This book is a tank. Nearly 900 pages of Italian recipes and it will set you back about $30. Though, as someone who grew up pretty broke, I say splurge! You can always come look at mine too! Like the books above, the recipes are simple so be sure to use the freshest ingredients, you'll really notice the difference if you cut corners. It is exhaustive, like 9+ recipes for bean and pasta soup (arguably it's an Italian staple, but really). You can really get into some seriously delicious nit picking of regional cuisine and enjoy super healthy, super tasty food. Here are some of my favorites: Farro Soup 1-5- they're all delicious Wedding soup- fava beans, guanciale (they sell it at Taylor's in Sacto) fennel and rustic bread...serious yum Soupy pasta with cauliflower and black olives- cauliflower is seriously underrated eggplant parmesans 1-3- yes, three different recipes marinated zucchini with mint- just yum
I am not going to leave you with a recipe at this time, mostly because I have given you a crap-ton of resources I whole heartedly endorse. Go forth! Rent from the library, go in on books together, or treat yourself to a shiny new book and supporting a local bookstore!
Do you have any favorites? Where do you have luck finding down-to-earth, healthy recipes?
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