Super Natural & Writing Books

I was thrilled to win Helene of Tartlette’s recent give away for a copy of Heidi Swanson’s book, Super Natural Every Day

The book is simply amazing. Both the recipes and the food photography are just stellar.

The recipes focus on real food, natural food, and plant-based ingredients.  Heidi shows us that you can make great meals, without being overly complicated or “fussy”.  She allows plenty of room for substitutions and modifications in her recipes, which is precisely how I cook.  Following a recipe to a T is not my strong suit.

Kale Salad.  I’m a fan of those.  As well as chocolate cococnut kale chips.

Even though there is simplicity in her recipes, by reading the ingredient lists, there is usually a unique ingredient in most dishes that provides a wow factor.

Pomegranate-Glazed Eggplant with Tempeh.  That has some definite wow factor for me.

The recipes use an abundance of fruits and vegetables.  It happens to be a vegetarian cookbook but I don’t think of it as a “vegetarian cookbook”.  I think of it as a cookbook showcasing plant-based ingredients, whole grains, and making due with ingredients you have on hand without a lot of fuss.

Summer Squash Soup

I can’t wait to try Heidi’s Chickpeas

I make Carmelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts”

And her Oatcakes look great.

I may need to step away from the microwave with my Microwave Banana Oat Cakes with nut butter on top…

She has a recipe for Baked Oatmeal that looks wonderful

Again, I may need to put down my own Microwave Blueberry Banana Oat Cakes to try her baked blueberry oatmeal.

And here’s Heid’s recipe for Tutti-Frutti Crumble

I love crumbles, like Raw Vegan Apple Crumble so I’m sure I’ll love her crumble!

Both Helene and Heidi are amazing cooks, photographers, and both are authors.

Helene’s book, From Plate to Pixel, just came out, too. I can’t wait to buy that one!

So many books, so little time.

Need any other cookbook reviews?

So many books.  Anyone have a sumo wrestling team that needs to be fed?

I can’t wait to dig into Heidi’s book and start making things.

From my last post about Nicer Days and What to Make Next, hopefully you all get some nicer weather soon!

Thanks for sharing whether you have things on your radar screen that you’re wanting to make next and I also enjoyed reading whether you’re a creature of habit with your food and meals or whether you’re a try new things person.   As I explained, I am both.   Heidi’s book is perfect for the way I like to eat, as I discussed.

Time for dessert and a  No Bake Vanilla Cake Batter Chocolate Truffle

They don’t use super or natural ingredients.  But there is chocolate invovled which I think is super.

Questions:

1. Do you have any cookbooks that are on your wish list or any go-to cookbooks you can’t live without?

I have talked cookbooks many times and have a massive post about them with links to reviews on dozens and dozens of cookbooks I own.  Check that out if you’re in the market but in a nutshell my cookbook must haves:

simple recipes that don’t take hours and hours to prepare

ingredient lists that aren’t a mile long or with hard to source/exotic/expensive ingredients

a focus on fresh, real food

beautiful photography (so many cookbooks have either no photos or poor quality.  Not Heidi’s book, though.  Plentiful and gorgeous images!)

2. Do you ever want to write a cookbook or a book?

I know, not firsthand but from what I’ve read and been told, that it is so much work to write a book!

Not just the actual writing of the book, but the proposals, finding an agent, editors, revisions, photographing it all.  Oh you have to actually write the book, too.  And if it’s a cookbook, knowing how to cook and create original recipes is a good thing.

It all sort of scares me off!  Sort of.

Some days I dream and say maybe one day I will…but who knows.

For now, I write my blog posts twice a day and work full time and am a full time parent (often, a single parent while Scott travels).  I don’t know how I’d write a book right now.  But I never say never.

Anyone bitten by the writer’s bug out there? And if you are and want to share how you got started, fill me in!  I’m all ears!

P.S. If you’re just catching up on posts from the weekend, here are mine since Friday:

• Nicer Days & What To Make Next
• White Chocolate Blondies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
• Spring Fever & Summer Excitement
• Bests & Winner
• Lovely Food
• At Home Workouts: DVDs & Podcasts

Hope your Monday is off to a good start!