The highly anticipated cookbook Oh She Day Glows Every Day: Quick and Simply Satisfying Plant-Based Recipes by Angela Liddon is a sequel to her international bestseller, The Oh She Glows Cookbook. It doesn't disappoint, listing over 100 plant-based, tasty and family-friendly recipes to make nourishing meals for every day, holidays and special occasions.
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Contents
The About this Book chapter lists information on labels used in the recipes as well as notes on salt, oven cooking and measuring flour, as well as a section describing Kitchen Tools and Appliances.
In the Oh She Glows Pantry chapter, you’ll find a comprehensive resource of ingredients used in the recipes. I strongly recommend reading this chapter before you dive into the recipes. Although most of the ingredients are familiar, there’s a possibility of not having some of them in your pantry.
Chapters
The Oh She Glows Every Day recipes are spread throughout nine chapters:
- Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls
- Breakfast
- Snacks
- Salads
- Sides and Soups
- Entrées
- Cookies and Bars
- Desserts
- Homemade Staples
The Recipes
The over 100 plant-based recipes are well written in an easy to follow format that includes prep and cooking/baking times, and accompanied by beautiful colour photography. Allergy and preparation labels listed at the top of each recipe provide information as to whether the recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, grain-free, oil-free, advance prep-required, kid-friendly and freezer-friendly. This information is a helpful guide for people with allergies and/or diet preferences. The recipes do not include nutritional information, but it can be accessed at the Oh She Glows website.
A sample of family-friendly recipes includes:
- Salted Hemp Shake for Two and Glowing Rainbow Smoothie Bowl
- Apple Overnight Oats and Black Bean Rancheros
- Fresh Tomato Salsa and Banana Bread Muffin Tops
- Protein Power Rainbow Quinoa Salad and Curried Chickpea Salad
- Roasted Garlic Basil Pesto Potatoes with Arugula and Cast-Iron Tofu
- The Big Tabbouleh Bowl and Loaded Shephard’s Pie
- The Ultimate Flourless Brownies and Chewy Molasses Spelt Cookies
- High Rise Pumpkin Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Lover’s Chocolate Tart
- All-Purpose Cheese Sauce and Magic No-Cook Caramel Sauce
Tested Recipes
Loaded Sweet Potatoes (Page 165)
I chose this recipe because it includes some of my favourite ingredients: sweet potatoes and black beans. It’s a vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free recipe with a kid-friendly option. It’s not a last-minute dish to prepare as you have to allow 45 to 75 minutes for the sweet potatoes to bake (depending on their size).
In the meantime, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients: the avocado crema made with avocado, lime juice, cilantro and spices, and black beans seasoned with chilli powder and cumin that add a burst of flavour. Once baked, layer each sweet potato with the avocado crema and seasoned black beans. I always try to stay true to the recipes I test by not substituting ingredients, but in this case, due to my aversion to cilantro, I substituted parsley.
The Loaded Sweet Potatoes are packed with flavour and make a nutritious meal for the whole family to enjoy. To make it kid-friendly, just top them with chopped avocado instead of the avocado crema. Next time I’ll make the kid-friendly version.
Golden French Lentil Stew (Page 145)
Lentils are one of my family’s favourite pulses. They were one of the staples in my mother’s pantry as they are now in mine. This recipe fits right in with my lentil recipes repertoire.
It's labelled as: vegan, gluten-free, nut-free option, soy-free, grain-free, advanced prep required, kid-friendly option and freezer-friendly, covering a broad range of dietary preferences. You can substitute the French lentils with either brown or green lentils. I used brown lentils. I was hesitant to use nuts due to my nut intolerance, so opted for the nut-free option by substituting the raw cashews with raw sunflower seeds as suggested in the recipe. I mixed the sunflower seeds with water and blended them in a high-speed blender until a smooth texture was formed. The sunflower seed cream is added to the lentil stew at the end to give it a rich and creamy flavour. One to two teaspoons of vinegar is also added to add brightness. Add a bit at a time and taste in between to make sure the vinegar doesn't overpower the taste of the lentil stew.
Although this hearty lentil stew was delicious and packed with flavour, I wasn’t too fond of the taste of the raw sunflower seed cream. For the kid-friendly option, purée the lentil stew in a blender and serve with Easiest Garlic Croutons (recipe on page 257). The Golden French Lentil stew is loaded with vegetables, including Swiss chard or kale, and makes a nutritious meal to enjoy for lunch or supper.
- ½ cup (125 mL) raw cashews, or
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 mL)
- raw sunflower seeds
- 2 cups (500 mL) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, diced, or 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (about 2 cups/500 mL)
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced (2 table- spoons/30 mL minced)
- 1 to 11/2 teaspoons (5 to 7 mL) fine sea salt, to taste, plus a couple pinches
- 2 medium carrots, diced (1 heaping cup/275 mL)
- 2 stalks celery, diced (3/4 cup/175 mL)
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cumin
- 11/2 teaspoons (7 mL) dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground turmeric
- 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can of diced tomatoes, with juices
- ¾ cup (175 mL) uncooked French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 cups (750 mL) stemmed and chopped Swiss chard or kale leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 mL) white wine vinegar, to taste
- Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with a couple of inches of water. Soak for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. (For a quick-soak method, cover with boiling water and soak for 30 to 60 minutes.) Drain and rinse. Transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender along with ½ cup (125 mL) of the water. Blend on high until super smooth and creamy in texture. Set the cashew cream aside.
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and a couple pinches of salt, and sauté until the onion is softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and celery, and cook for another few minutes or so. Stir in the cumin, thyme, and turmeric until combined.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, lentils, broth, and remaining water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Stir in the cashew cream and chard. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. (The vinegar’s role is to lend brightness to the soup; add a little bit at a time and keep tasting, as it can quickly overwhelm.) Cook for a couple of minutes over low-medium heat, until the chard is wilted, and then serve. This stew will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for 1 to 2 months (always let it cool completely before storing). The stew will thicken after sitting in the fridge; you can thin it out with a bit of broth when you reheat it, if desired, or simply serve it thick with some crusty bread.
Make it nut-free Use sunflower seed cream rather than cashew cream.
Make it kid-friendly This soup has a lot of nutrient-packed ingredients, which can mean a lot of chewing for little ones. You can purée their servings in a blender and serve with my Easiest Garlic Croutons (page 257) cut into strips for dipping.
Bookshelf Worthy?
Whether or not you eat a plant-based diet, you have to include the Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook in your cookbook collection. Not only are the recipes delicious, but they’re filled with nutritious ingredients that are beneficial for the whole family.
Oh She Glows Every Day: Quick and Simply Satisfying Plant-Based Recipes
Author: Angela Liddon
Soft Cover: 333 pages
Publisher: Penguin Canada Books Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-14-319651-8
Acknowledgement
Excerpted from Oh She Glows Every Day by Angela Liddon. Recipes Copyright © Glo Bakery Corporation, 2016. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved. Photography Copyright © 2016 Sandy Nicholson.
The Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook review was written by Liliana Tommasini, author of the aptly named blog My Cookbook Addiction. Her passion for baking and cooking began at an early age. Liliana grew up in an Italian household where each meal was made from scratch with fresh ingredients and Sunday family lunches were always a celebration. She has a passion for collecting cookbooks and believes that every recipe tells a story that must be shared to nourish your soul and feed your belly. You connect with Liliana on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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Try the Sweep Potato, Chickpea, and Spinach Coconut Curry (pg 179) next. So delicious!