Love Real Food: More Than 100 Feel-Good Vegetarian Favorites to Delight the Senses and Nourish the Body: A Cookbook Hardcover – May 16, 2017

I happened upon this blog through some other sites I visit often and I saw she was releasing a cookbook. Looked good so I pre-ordered. I didn't stay long on the site but just waited for the book to arrive. Well it did and I've recently vowed to not write a review until I've tried recipes out of the books I'm purchasing. To many times, folks write reviews never sharing the actual recipes and success/failures of actually cooking through a recipe. I'm trying to change that.First, I was blown away by the overall layout and awesome pictures for almost every recipe. Pictures are expensive, so kudos to Kathryne for producing a wonderful book full of what her recipes should look like. I try recipes most often based on pictures so I like lots of pictures. Some other stand outs: Nice intro on how she got interested in whole foods and their importance. And a great explanation of how to use the cookbook. Also, most recipes have a section at the bottom of each sharing how to make it gluten free, dairy free/vegan, egg/nut free and soy free so she's made her recipes very versatile to every kind of eater. Lastly, I appreciate that her ingredient lists use common, basic staples found in supermarkets across America. I haven't come across anything weird, however, if it's slightly unusual she explains where to find or how to substitute for it.Now for the first recipe - Southwestern Roasted Veggie Salad with Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing(pg 64). For starters this recipe will take some time because of the roasted veggies - BUT IT'S WORTH THE TIME --- trust me. I picked a awesome first recipe to try!!!! I did not have red pepper or broccoli. I substituted onions and Brussels sprouts. Roasting took about 30-40 min. Salad: Make sure you roast the pepita (pumpkin seeds) and don't sub these. Also, I wouldn't sub the feta cheese. The combination of these with the dressing it what REALLY makes this salad. Dressing: OMG - this is so very good. Make sure you can get the chipotle in adobo sauce (buy many cans - she uses this in many recipes). It's smoky spicy subtle heat with the hint of sweetness from the maple syrup is perfection. Everything about this salad makes it all work to deliciousness. After I had it for lunch - I made another one to take for lunch. Will make again and again. Can't wait to try the next recipe.UPDATE: 5/26/2017 Banana Pecan Shakes: Who doesn't like shakes for breakfast. I couldn't wait to make this recipe so had it for breakfast instead of dessert. It's very simple to make IF you have a high powered blender i.e. vitamix. (Side Note: every kitchen should have two things - a great food processor and a high powered blender. Invest in these and you won't regret it) My bananas were frozen solid - hence the vitamix and super sweet. Therefore I only use three dates instead of the four called for. Don't forget to roast the pecans and add the scant salt - doing this will really enhance the flavor of the shake. Also, the portion size for this is perfect - about a cup for each serving. Just right for a dessert or in my case breakfast. Can't wait to try this with peanuts and peanut butter.Easiest Honey Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (pg 171): Okay - this is a first for me. I made my own pizza dough and it came together just as Kathryne said. She suggest white whole wheat flour - I used whole wheat flour . It was super easy because the food processor does all the work. Produced two beautiful 12" doughs- I rolled it to about half inch. I can see this being my go to dough and never buying store bought again.Heirloom Tomato Pesto Pizza(pg 167): The pesto recipe for this pizza is delicious. I used fresh basil from my garden. It's easy to put together in the food processor. Once I had the dough rolled, assembling was fairly straight forward. I didn't have heirloom tomatoes but I did use tomatoes grown from my garden :) - And because I LOVE spicy food I added a fresh sliced jalapeño. I think the key to the success of the pizza was cooking it at 500 degrees. The crust was crisp and pizza was cooked through in about 11 min. With the other dough I made a pepperoni pizza for the hubby. He loved it!UPDATE 5/27/2017: Best Ever Guacamole w/ Toasted Pepitas and Chipotle Sauce (pg 111): There are many variations of guacamole out there and your always looking for a way to change it up a bit. Kathryne did just that with this recipe. Her love of pepitas and chipotle are evident again in this recipe and I loved it. This is a basic guacamole recipe with a twist of toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers.Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili (pg 83): Butternut squash is the star in this chili. The onions, bell pepper and black beans take a back seat but really add a nice mouth feel when you take a bite. However, the spices are what make this soup though. I did add one secret ingredient that I thought really brought out the smoky, zing of the "chili" flavor and that was about 2TB of maple syrup. It doesn't make the soup sweet, it just really enhances the flavor all the spice from the adobo and chili powder. Did not make my own chips and of course added the avocado, cilantro and squeeze of lime. Another winner Kathryne!UPDATE 6/3/17: Moroccan Roasted Carrot, Arugula and wild rice salad (pg52): This salad is dynamite!! I sub some things but it really worked: Instead of wild rice, I had left over wheat berries which provided the same chewy texture that the rice would have. I used roasted pumpkin seeds instead of pistachios, feta instead of goat cheese, and dark raisins instead of golden.... all okayed by Kathryne in the recipe. What really makes the recipe pop!!!.... the spice on the carrots (cinnamon and chili powder), the raisins and the dressing!!! It all works together to really make a happy pleasure in your mouth. Since the carrots are the star of this recipe, make sure you buy really high quality organic. I had a pack that was tri-colored that many stores are selling these days. Will make again and again.UPDATE: 7/8/2017 Okay I've owned this book for a little over two month and I'm still loving cooking out of it. I just made the granola this morning and I absolutely love it. I made half by her suggestion and half with my own flair and twists (added coconut and cranberries). Had it on yogurt and right out of the pan. Came together quickly and does get crunchy as it cools... just like Kathryne said. Sending some to a friend.Clearly by all the five star ratings this is a must "whole food" cookbook that anyone should be happy to cook from because the food is so dang delicious and simple to make. Can't wait for book two!

I love to cook, but I also lead a very busy life. I've now bought this cookbook three times due to wear and tear. I've made nearly every recipe in it outside of a couple salads and the cocktails. Her recipes are extremely versatile, super easy to throw together, don't require strange or hard to find ingredients, and she has an incredible grasp on flavors. DON'T make changes to her seasoning and cooking process until you try it first. I am constantly amazed at what she found that tastes so good together. While I'm not vegetarian, I am gluten and dairy free. There are substitutions at the end of every recipe! A few I now add some meat every once in a while, but she proportions macros really well without adding more protein. If you like clean, fresh food with lots of veggies, get this book. You won't regret it.

I remember when I came across this book, I thought there was no way it could be a hardcover cookbook, with high quality photos, AND be under $15. But it was. So far I would say my favorite recipes are:1. Thai-style Mango Slaw (pg 55, photo #2 sans rice) It tastes like a Thai version of a Mexican mango Pico de Gallo. Can be made with or without rice. We substituted quinoa in it once. It's super easy to make and very fresh tasting. A perfect summer dish!2. Green Goddess Kale Salad (pg 67) I'm not a radish fan, but I end up craving everything in this recipe including the finely sliced radishes. She describes it as crispy, chewy, and zingy and she's not wrong! It's a very filling salad while still remaining bright. And it's very simple. Kale, radishes, carrots, cucumber, and sunflower seeds (plus the dressing.) I LOVE curly kale salads. Not sure what it is but the texture of curly kale is so wonderful- especially when the dressing makes its way into the edges so you can taste it in each bite.3. Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (pg 144) This is the perfect fall dish! It tastes like autumn on a plate. Between the sugary sweet potato, the chewy quinoa, savory chickpeas, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and the freshness that the lemon, garlic, onion, and parsley add, well, you're in for a treat! Pair this with a salad (if you can even fit anything else in your belly!) and you're good to go.4. Roasted Cherry Tomato and Brown Rice Risotto (pg 172) This is more of a side than a meal, but wow is it good! So creamy in a way that reminds me of a warm bowl of oatmeal- except a dinner version. And I love anything with tomatoes. Perfect for a cold night! I paired it with shrimp once and loved it.5. Roasted Broccoli, Bell Pepper, and Tofu Bowl with Peanut Sauce (pg 175) My boyfriend and I made this but substituted rice for noodles. Mmm mmm this hits the spot. The crispy tofu, crunchy broccoli, rich and spicy peanut sauce. You can't go wrong!6. Banana Pecan Shakes (pg 207, photo #1) Dead. I got the bug to make this recently- I normally don't go for these types of flavors as they seem too sweet. But I made it, I drank it. I died and went to heaven. This tastes like a milkshake I used to get at Carls Jr but better.Kathryne has photos for every single recipe. If she has a photo "out of place", she references the recipe and the page it's on which is incredibly helpful. I have some cookbooks without photos, but I like to see what it is supposed to look like, so I kind of know I'm on the right track. I'm a visual learner so the pictures really help. I like that she has substitutes, pairings, tips and tricks woven throughout the book. She also has extra bonuses like salad dressings, pizza dough, whipped cream- the accessories to meals. I like to eat as much plant based food as I can, as I don't often crave or care for meat. There are still plenty more recipes I have yet to try in here. This book is a success for me! And for the price, you really can't go wrong. I have yet to find a cookbook that has as much included as this one at such an affordable price. I hope she comes out with another book!