April Cookbooks. April 24, 2015

I have done a lot of improvisational cooking this month along with relying on some old favorites.  That doesn’t mean I have not been fully immersed in cookbook reading. I have only made a few recipes from these cookbooks but I have marked so many pages for future use.

I am loving this Supermarket Healthy cookbook my Melissa D’Arabian. It focuses on eating healthy and delicious foods without spending a lot or needing a ton of special ingredients. I have 99% of the ingredients in our kitchen already. This is exactly my style of cooking. I like things that feel a little special and taste really good but can prepared without a lot of time and fuss. Real, healthy food is obviously always a priority for me and this book is full of great ideas. Tilapia in Caper-Tomato Sauce, Kale and White Bean Caesar Salad and the Peach Dutch Baby Pancake are a few of the recipes I can’t wait to try!

The Pollan Family Table was mentioned in a magazine I read a couple of months ago. I needed to check it out immediately. Michael Pollan was a huge influence on my food philosophy. His books were the first books I had ever read about food. This  book was written by the ladies in the Pollan family and contains over 100 of their favorite family recipes as well and kitchen wisdom and the expected Pollan food philosophy. Beyond being useful and inspiring, it is full of gorgeous photos. Key Lime Pie with Walnut Oatmeal Crust, Spanish Tortilla with Spinach and Manchego Cheese and Cheezy Grits are on the short list for a place in my May meal plan.

After making the Lemon~Almond Tilapia from the Seriously Delish cookbook, I got kind of obsessed with the possibilities of almond flour. That is now one of our favorite Tilapia recipes and I knew I needed to explore more almond flour recipes. In the way that it always does, the universe brought The Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook across my desk at the library and I had to check it out. This book has recipes for breakfasts, entrees, baked goods and more. I am really excited about the many cracker and bread recipes in this book. You can buy it on amazon for less than $10!

* these are not affiliate links (although I should really look into that), they are just cookbooks I have recently enjoyed and  I wanted to share where you could find them too! You could also check out your local library- it is where all of these came from!

Favorite Recipe Resources- Websites. March 31, 2015

This is kind of my March version of the “monthly cookbook post” I started in January (and then skipped in February when we kind of totally avoided cooking at home pretty much all month). As much as I love cookbooks, sometimes my meal planning is done on the go and I use the internet to collect recipes for the month because I can do it anywhere I have a few free minutes.  This was most definitely the case for March. I usually just bookmark or “pin” the recipes I want to use in a designated folder/board and they are quick to access when I need them. Occasionally, I will print out a recipe if we really really like it and want to use it again.

Blogs are a great resource for recipes but I am going to share my favorite blogs for such things in another post. Today, I am just talking about good old fashioned websites. These are the websites I go to again and again when I need a dinner idea or if I kind of have something in mind but need to figure out how to make it happen.

1) Food 52– This website is a relatively new discovery for me. It kept coming up in my Facebook newsfeed and I finally checked it out. Beautiful photographs, easy navigation and a focus on real food quickly made it a favorite. There are plenty of tips and tutorials for beginning cooks and enough variety and complexity in the recipes to keep even the most seasoned cook interested. This is not the website for you if cooking on a budget is your main concern but still worth checking out for special occasion meals or inspiration.

2) The Bettter Homes and Gardens website is a great resource for recipes. They cover everything from quick budget meals to dinner parties. Most recipes are focused on getting good food on the table without a ton of fuss for busy lifestyles. I especially love their crock pot recipes because they are not drowned in “cream of” soups and boxes of stuffing mix. Processed food ingredients are very minimal. They have a great dessert collection too!

3) My Recipes is a long time favorite of mine. I know that this is where you can find all of the Cooking Light magazine recipes and from my understanding, it is also where you can find the recipes from several magazines like All You, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Sunset and Southern Living. You can search by ingredient to use up some obscure item in your fridge nearing it’s expiration, save recipes in your very own “recipe box” and it will even make grocery lists for you. They have a new “meal planning” feature but i haven’t really checked it out yet. I love Cooking Light magazine because of it’s focus on healthy real foods and this website is full of those recipes.

4) Food Network seems like an obvious place to go for recipes for most people I suppose. Truthfully, I ususally only use this site when I am looking up a specific recipe I have seen on one of their shows. Giada is a favorite of mine. It is totally worth a visit though. They often feature seasonal recipe collections and many recipes feature detailed reviews to help you avoid mistakes others have already made.

5) Allrecipes was one of the first online recipe collections I discovered. I used to be obsessed with looking at recipes on this site. I don’t use it as much anymore but I still rely on it for some tried and true recipes or anytime I am looking for a recipe for something my Grandma used to make. Anyone can submit recipes on this site. They are not reviewed or tested before being posted so results can be pretty hit or miss if you are a new cook. You can generally find a variety of recipes for just about anything. These are recipes written by real people in normal kitchens with normal budgets, equipment and schedules. My favorite part is reading the little recipe introductions about the traditions, stories and inspiration that the author associates with the recipe.

6)101 Cookbooks is another beautiful website focusing on real food. When I first discovered food 52, I immediately thought of this site. Beautiful photography, simple ingredients and a true love of food make this site inspiring. I believe it may have started as more of a blog but has shifted towards more of a website. You can search by ingredient, season or type of recipe/meal. I love the simplicity of their recipes. My favorite recipes use minimal, quality ingredients that can all shine through and I find that in a lot of recipes on this site.

7) Pinterest is kind of a no brainer, but I had to include it because it is a favorite. I am sure most of you are familiar with the way it works but I love that you can find such a huge variety of ideas from across the internet all in one place. Follow me here.

8) This is kind of cheating since it is a blog, but my very own website right here has become a great resource for me. I love that I have finally written down many of our favorite stand by recipes and I can access them in one place.

These are the sites I use most regularly for recipe research and meal planning. What are some of your favorite online resources for recipes?

January CookBooks. January 28, 2015

I have a bit of a cookbook problem. “A bit” is an understatement. I have well over 100 cookbooks and the collection keeps growing. I do weed them out from time to time, but it is still out of control. I read cookbooks like novels… I bring a pile into bed to look at while I drink my coffee on a lazy Sunday morning. I find so much inspiration in cookbooks~ in both the recipe sense and in the best of cookbooks, the life sense. I love the stories people tell about the recipes, the beautiful photographs, the kitchens etc.

Needless to say, going through all of them for my monthly menu planning session would be too much. In order to make sure I use as many of them as possible, I choose 3 or 4 each month and pick out some recipes for our meal plan. I never use the same book two months in a row. I leave a lot of room in the meal plan for improvisation, my own recipes and recipes from online sources and magazines, but I like to choose a few from each cookbook I pick out that month. Sometimes I will make the same favorites over and over again, but I try to choose at least one new recipe from each one. I thought I would start sharing the cookbooks I use each month. I love hearing about others favorite cookbooks and the reasons why they like them. I just decided to start sharing, so this post is coming a little late in the month but I will be putting these up the first week of each month in the future.

I was lucky enough to get two cookbooks from my two of my favorite bloggers this Christmas so I just had to use them immediately.

1.Seriously Delish: 150 Recipes for People Who Totally Love Food

I have loved her blog for years and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her cookbook! There is a nice variety of snacks, meals and beverages. Her recipes range from easy and healthy to a little more involved and indulgent. Everything I have tried has been phenomenal. Our favorites so far have been the Lemon Almond Tilapia with Coconut Rice, the Turkey and White Bean Enchiladas and the Crispy Salt & Pepper Brussels Sprouts. There are so many more things I want to try in here.

2. Homemade Decadence

Joy is just the best blogger. I love everything about her. I bought her first cookbook and could not wait for this one to come out. (She is working on a Brunch cookbook now and I could not be more excited). There are a lot of baked good recipes in here since she is Joy The Baker, but I still managed to fit a few things into the meal plan (and a treat or two). My favorite recipe so far has been the Dirty Chai Lattes and I am pretty much just obsessed with drinking them everyday. The Roasted Potato Breakfast Nachos are pretty much heaven and the Dark Chocolate, Pistachio and Smoked Sea Salt Cookies I made for Christmas were a HUGE hit!

3. Now Eat This!This is a cookbook I randomly came across in the Library Book Sale (I work at the library, so you will see this statement often). I had never heard of these cookbooks, but apparently there is a series. I thought a healthier twist on classic American comfort food was worth checking out and I have not been disappointed yet. I have made Mac and Cheese, Chicken Piccata, Portabella and Ground Beef Meatloaf, and Chicken with Mango Salsa. All have been delicious and fit my partners need for some classic comfort food while staying pretty healthy.

So, those were my choices for January. Please let me know what your favorite cookbook is in the comments!