So let's just get something clear - I am a cookbook hoarder. I have shelves and piles and stacks of vegetarian cookbooks, vegan cookbooks, gluten-free cookbooks, juice and smoothie recipe books, raw foods un-cook books, an entire book devoted to peanut butter, and oh-so-many vegan and vegetarian "health" books. Yup. It's bad. It's bad because so frequently I get all excited to pre-order a new, well-reviewed and highly anticipated book on amazon (yes, guilty as charged), only to flip through the pages a few times, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the glossy photos, try a half a dozen recipes and then put it aside, somehow forgetting about all the delicious meals I was once oh-so-inspired to make (that's why Pinterest is so freaking handy!). Then, naturally, when the next cookbook arrives, this routine starts all over again. Now, that's not to say I don't return to the said cookbooks from time to time... But in reality, there are only a precious few that encompass recipes that end up making themselves into my weekly cooking menus.
Christy Morgan`s Blissful Bites is one of them. This book, my friends, has turned my kitchen into a Blissful Bites Cafe. I kid you not - ever since I purchased Blissful Bites, I have been literally living off of her Mac `n Kale Salad (I eat it nearly every day- sometimes with extra veggies, hemp seeds, a little tempeh or whatever else is handy). I also LOVE the Kale Salad with Sweet Mustard Dressing. Can you tell kale is my favorite food? Aside from these amazing massaged kale salads, my boyfriend and I LOVE her tempeh recipes and I make either the Maple Tempeh or the Tempeh Fakin' Bacon each week to add to salads, wraps and sandwiches. Other faves include her Curry Tempeh Chicken Salad, Save a Duck Pate, Not-Your-Usual Pad Thai, Gluten-free Banana Walnut Pancakes and the Basil-Cashew "Cheese" Sauce... and so many more! What makes Christy's recipes different, in my opinion, is her perfectly balanced focus on health in all aspects- physically, mentally and spiritually- combined with her creativity in the kitchen and desire to make health taste as good as it feels.
Aside from providing me with the majority of the recipes my boyfriend and I literally LIVE on, I have to say.Blissful Bites is more than a cookbook. It is full of bright, vivid food porn! The photographs are eye-catching, amazing and always inspire me to experiment with even more of her delectable creations. What's more, however, is the length that Christy goes to in order to truly educate (and again, inspire!) her readers about not only her vegan philosophy and tips for "starters," but also the basics of macrobiotic cooking, tips on pantry stocking, explanations of some of the less common ingredients, clear directions on various cooking, chopping and slicing techniques and the benefits of seasonal eating (going so far as to divide the chapters up by season, which makes it effortless!). With all of this goodness packed into one book, what isn't there to love?
So, as I stated- Blissful Bites is one of my absolute favorite cookbooks- full of delicious, healthy, easy to prepare plant-based foods that both long time vegans and full time omnivores (yes, even vegaphobes, ie: my brother!) enjoy. If you have yet to get this cookbook, I highly recommend you do so- if you are anything like me, it will be a worthy investment for your health, taste buds and for anyone that is ever lucky enough to have you prepare a meal for them!
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Reviews with images
Flavorful, easy and really healthy :)
Not only are Christy's recipes super healthy, but they really are delicious! There's absolutely no reason that rich, satisfying foods can't be healthy at the same time, and Christy proves that over and over with her recipes.I made her Azuki Bean and Japanese Pumpkin (aka kabocha squash) Soup for my husband, and he thought it tasted just as rich as his mom's beef stew. And his mom is an amazing cook - the kind who would boil down her own beef broth and use a ton of butter, garlic, salt and other rich seasonings.There are a lot of amazing flavor combinations in her recipes, but one that stands out for me is her Indian pizza with mango chutney... A polenta pizza base (which is a fantastic gluten-free pizza crust option) topped with a spicy-sweet mango chutney and curry-flavored veggies... it tastes ridiculously good, and is such a unique direction to take a pizza.For those just learning how to cook, or learning how to cook with plant foods, Christy gives the best tips I've seen in a cookbook for how to set up your kitchen and prepare whole grains, beans and vegetables. They're spot on, and give the most important information without being overwhelming so that even the most beginner cook should feel empowered to do it.Christy's recipes give you a gentle nudge in certain healthier directions (like using whole foods and lots of vegetables) while making incredibly flavorful and fun dishes and without being pushy.Some recipes that I've tried and LOVED:- Azuki bean and japanese pumpkin soup- Indian pizza with mango chutney- Mole enchiladas- Mama mia magnifico pasta sauce, with tofu ricotta cheeze- Pumpkin hot chocolate- Heavenly raw chocolate mousse- Mango-peach salsa over Maple-glazed tempeh- Brown rice sushi rollsSome recipes that look amazing and I can't wait to try out:- No-oil pumpkin spice bread- Blissful two-bean harvest chili- Baked oil-free falafel with tzatziki sauce- Macro mac and cheeze- Zucchini pasta with mint-cashew pesto sauce- Mango-pineapple tropical soupI've seen reviews talking about having difficulties finding ingredients. Personally, I have everything Christy uses on hand, or available at my local organic grocery store - because she uses the highest-quality options for healthy ingredients. But there are easy substitutions for things that you can't find. For example, she uses gluten-free flours in cookies and muffins, but you can easily use regular flour instead. Brown rice syrup might be hard to find, but you can use maple syrup instead.Overall, if you want to start making healthy meals for yourself and your family that taste good and are easy and quick to whip up, you'll definitely find some great ideas in this cookbook.
Top reviews from other countries
Emma Folkema
A favourite; excellent for eating with the seasons
Reviewed in Canada on November 29, 2015