5 Easy Ways to Spot a Useful Cookbook

5 ways to spot a useful cookbook

Call me old-fashioned, but I love to hold a good cookbook in my hands. A collection of an authors best efforts in the kitchen all in one place, bound together by pages full of story, direction, and beautiful images that inspire and spark courage in the reader to join the author in the kitchen.

5 ways to spot a useful cookbook

 

Recipes found in cookbooks often tell a collaborative story, strung together by the creative wisdom of the author. With each cookbook comes passion, pride, and vulnerability as the cook pulls back the curtain on their own habits, techniques, and style in order to equip you to try something new.

Enter to Win a Copy of the Nourish: Whole Food Recipes Featuring Seeds, Nuts & Beans Cookbook!

Cookbooks can be a great asset to you as a home cook. Not only do they highlight recipes that will hopefully give you more at-home meals to try, but they can shed light on technique and empower you with a little nutrition knowledge to ensure you make the most out of each meal you make.

But not all cookbooks are going to be in your best interest though. To help you quickly identify which cookbooks you should buy, here’s a quick 5 point checklist to keep in mind:

The majority of ingredients are somewhat familiar. Although cookbooks can serve as great inspiration for out-of-the-norm meals, if the cookbook only contains foods you don’t use on a regular basis, they probably won’t make it into your regular rotation. Hopefully, when you crack open your cookbook, you’ll see plenty of ingredients already on your basic food list. Or, if you are just beginning to eat healthier, look for foods that are simple and easy to find in your grocery store.

Most of the recipes match your skill-level. Recipes can range from the ridiculously simple to extremely difficult depending on the cook behind them and the audience they are aiming to reach. Before you purchase a cookbook, take a quick look at a few of the recipes. How many ingredients are listed and how many steps each recipe takes to create are good indicators of complexity. I find that for real-life cooking, the simpler the better. That means short ingredient lists and relatively short directions. Also look to see if techniques are explained throughout the book – this can also be a good indicator as to which skill level the book is geared towards.

Nutritious ingredients are often incorporated. You know when it comes to making meals at home, I’m going to want you to incorporate as many nutritious ingredients as possible! This means fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, lean meats, and dairy. Yep, those pesky basics. Nutrition information may also be listed in the cookbook and that is another great way to see what sort of added value the meals are providing when you add them to your day.

There are lots of “extras” included. Take a look to see what additional tips, resources, or advice are given in the book. To me, this is really where the true benefit of purchasing a cookbook lies. Are there shopping lists? Tips about eating right? Recipe notes that help you make the most of each meal or explanations of the unique techniques used? These are great ways to maximize your cookbook and take full advantage of the cook who put those recipes together for you.

A registered dietitian was involved. If a registered dietitian helped create the cookbook in your hand or contributed to it in some way, you know that it was created with nutrition in mind. This means the meals you create aren’t just delicious, but designed to positively impact your health and well-being. Keep an eye out for those credentials because its an easy way to know nutrition is an essential factor.

My colleague Cara Rosenbloom, RD just teamed up with Nettie Cronish to develop a cookbook that meets all these criteria. It’s called Nourish: Whole Food Recipes Featuring Seeds, Nuts & Beans and it’s an excellent resource for your home kitchen. And guess what!?!

You can even win a copy of your very own!

I love that the Nourish: Whole Food Recipes Featuring Seeds, Nuts & Beans cookbook features its own basic food list and provides great insight into how to build meals that make a lasting, positive impact. The recipes are creative yet simple, varied enough to help you incorporate new meals and snacks into various parts of your day, and provide a good mix of familiar ingredients with a few lesser utilized ones. The entire book is dedicated to seeds, nuts and beans – foods that offer major nutritional value but are often under-utilized in American kitchens.

I gave the Butternut Squash with Dried Cherry and Mint a try and it was a wonderful twist on a roasted veggie favorite of mine. The other recipes are similar, all featuring creative flavorful blends and deliciously simple foods.

Butternut squash with dried cherries and mint

Want to see what other people think of this cookbook? Check out the reviews on Amazon.

Disclaimer/disclosure: I was sent a free copy of the Nourish cookbook to review. The thoughts and views expressed here are mine alone. I was not compensated for my time or for writing this post. 

Blackberry and Cantaloupe Parfait

Cantaloupe and Blackberry Parfait

Cantaloupe and Blackberry Parfait

Cantaloupe and Blackberry Parfait
Blackberry and Cantaloupe Parfait
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Sweet cantaloupe pairs beautifully with the sharpness of fresh blackberries. Combine with your favorite fiber-rich granola and protein-rich Greek yogurt for an easy make-ahead breakfast option!
Servings Prep Time
1 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1 5 minutes
Cantaloupe and Blackberry Parfait
Blackberry and Cantaloupe Parfait
BigOven - Save recipe or add to grocery list
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Print Recipe
Sweet cantaloupe pairs beautifully with the sharpness of fresh blackberries. Combine with your favorite fiber-rich granola and protein-rich Greek yogurt for an easy make-ahead breakfast option!
Servings Prep Time
1 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1 5 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. In a serving dish, layer Greek yogurt, cantaloupe, blackberries and granola. Repeat until serving dish is full. Top with any remaining fruit or granola.
  2. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Really short on time? Consider buying your cantaloupe already cubed.

For the granola, keep an eye out on the sugar and fiber content. Try to choose a granola with 3 or more grams of fiber and less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.

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Butternut Squash with Dried Cherries & Mint

Butternut squash with dried cherries and mint

Butternut squash with dried cherries and mint

Butternut squash with dried cherries and mint
Butternut Squash with Dried Cherries & Mint
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Roasted butternut squash is good, but roasted Butternut squash with dried cherries and mint is even better!
Servings Prep Time
6 5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Butternut squash with dried cherries and mint
Butternut Squash with Dried Cherries & Mint
BigOven - Save recipe or add to grocery list
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Print Recipe
Roasted butternut squash is good, but roasted Butternut squash with dried cherries and mint is even better!
Servings Prep Time
6 5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, toss butternut squash with oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
  3. Transfer squash to a roasting pan or baking dish and roast until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 30-40 minutes.
  4. Top with sunflower seeds, cherries and mint.
Recipe Notes

This recipe for Butternut Squash with Dried Cherries and Mint was originally published in the Nourish Cookbook and was developed by Nettie Cronish and Cara Rosenbloom, RD. They were gracious enough to let me share this recipe with you. Want this recipe and more delicious whole food inspired dishes? Order your own copy  of Nourish here!

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Asparagus Artichoke and Ricotta Cheese Flat Bread Pizza

Ricotta Cheese Flat Bread Pizza

Ricotta Cheese Flat Bread Pizza
Asparagus Artichoke and Ricotta Cheese Flat Bread Pizza
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In a hurry? Redefine your definition of “fast food” with this flavorful, veggie-loaded ricotta cheese flat bread pizza.
Servings Prep Time
1 pizza 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1 pizza 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ricotta Cheese Flat Bread Pizza
Asparagus Artichoke and Ricotta Cheese Flat Bread Pizza
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In a hurry? Redefine your definition of “fast food” with this flavorful, veggie-loaded ricotta cheese flat bread pizza.
Servings Prep Time
1 pizza 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1 pizza 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: pizza
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. On a baking tray or pizza pan, layout your Naan bread.
  3. Mix in 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese with ricotta mixture.
  4. Spread cheese mixture evenly across bread with spoon, leaving a crust around the edges.
  5. Top with spinach leaves. Set aside.
  6. In a small saute pan, heat oil. When oil moves freely across the pan, add onions and asparagus. Saute until tender or until onions become translucent. Remove from heat.
  7. Sprinkle sauted vegetables and artichoke hearts evenly across the bread.
  8. Top with remaining 1/2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese.
  9. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
  10. Remove, eat and enjoy!
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How to Create a Basic Food List

Let’s stop planning meals and start building them instead. To do so, you need foods that work well in a variety of ways. Do you know what foods you need to build successful meals? If not, you may benefit from creating your own basic food list.

Creating Your Healthy Food List

The essentials.  What are your go-to meals? We all have them – those meals that consistently greet us no matter how busy our schedule gets. Whether its spaghetti and meatballs (which just happens to be one of mine) or Filet mignon (not one of mine!), we all have meals we turn to time and time again.

This means we have go-to foods as well, but we often fail to think about our meals in that way. These go-to foods are the essential elements necessary to create meals you enjoy. By breaking down our meals into their food components, we can create a list of foods we need to stock our kitchen with. We may even be able to identify ways to modify or enhance our regularly occurring meals by incorporating new foods to the mix.

When we break it down, our food list is where potential lies, where real meal magic happens. Because without our go-to foods, we don’t really have meals to speak of.

The Basics. As you are creating your food list, I’m hoping that some of the basics will pop up on your list more than once. Okay, what I’m really hoping for is that they pop up A LOT. 

Not quite sure what the basics are? The “basics” are foods that fit within the five basic food groups – fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and lean proteins. These are the true essentials – the foods providing your body with lots of nutrients, flavor, and variety. They should be showing up pretty frequently in your meal plan – like 80% of the time. They don’t necessarily have to be the only foods you eat, BUT they should provide the structure of your plan.


My Essential Foods. Instead of having several go-to meals in my regular rotation, I like to have between three to five different foods from each food group to start from.

My basics (1)

This ensures I always have the ingredients I need to keep meals nourishing and simple. Of course, this list doesn’t always stay the same, but it is a nice starting point to ensure more of my meals are eaten at home.

How to Build Your Own Food List. Ready to build your own food list? You can use my starter list as a launching point, but in order for your meals to be successful, use the following guidelines to help create a food list that works specifically for you.

  • Keep Seasonality in Mind. One of the reasons my food list doesn’t always stay the same is because I try to eat with the seasons. This can be a great way to add variety to your plate, save money, and experiment with new foods. Building your food list with seasonality in mind can also increase the likelihood that you’ll find the foods you need in the grocery store or at your local farmer’s market.
  • Be True to your Palate. Not every food that’s good for you will be an automatic hit for you or your family. And guess what? That’s okay. Be sure to build your food list with your preferences in  mind. But please make sure you are always leaving a little bit of room to give new foods or foods you haven’t eaten in a while a chance. You’d be surprised how many foods you disliked as child are actually appealing to your taste buds as an adult. Or how much a different cooking method, preparation technique, or the addition of  a certain spice or seasoning can change the way you approach a food. Always keep an open mind – pretty pretty please!
  • Remember why you’re eating in the first place. This may seem silly, but sometimes when we’re so focused on creating a list of foods we “should” eat, we forget that we should also be enjoying our foods in the first place. It’s important to work in foods that you love in addition to the foods you know are good for you. I like to think of this as balance. Balancing out your plate so that you have a good mix of foods that make your meal worth eating. This is also why starting your list with a few of your current meals in mind can be a great place to start.
  • Consult your physician or registered dietitian. Building a food list may also require consulting with your physician or registered dietitian, especially if you have special dietary needs or a medical condition that might require you to eat a certain way. Meeting up with a registered dietitian, like myself, may also help you identify new ways to enjoy nutrient-rich foods or approach food in a positive way.

Want more inspiration? I love this ultimate grocery-list-for-one registered dietitian Dana Angelo White put together over on Greatist. Be sure to check out! And if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter – you’ll get my pantry starter kit download for FREE when you do!