Simply Ancient Grains Cookbook Review + Frittata Quinoa Casserole

I'm the kind of person who never buys cookbooks. Sure, I used the ones we had growing up in my parent's house, but it never occurred to me to actually purchase any of my own. I'd just adapt the recipes I had already learned, get new recipe ideas from my friends and family, or just throw together a dish based completely off what I had. Or, later on, find one using the internet. Honestly, I really only ever (and confess...still do) cook one meal a day, usually. I don't eat breakfast (taboo, I know), and lunch is usually leftovers or a few pieces of fruit and yogurt; perhaps with some muesli. Dinner is the only meal I really go prime-time for. Is this normal? What about you?

What I am trying to say is forget all that. I love using cookbooks and have started a shockingly sprawling collection of them...especially for someone who strives for minimalism, such as myself. I always feel a pang of guilt when a new one nestles a home on my shelf. Will I use it enough to warrant it's space? I'm not one to search through a cookbook, find a recipe, then scour said recipe for ingredients I don't have, and go seek out said ingredients to make a dish. However, I've been very grateful that the collection of recent cookbooks I've obtained all have been an absolute delight to pursue through and I hope to make many, many recipes from all of them. 

My latest cookbook addition is Simple Ancient Grains by Maria Speck. Here's the truth, I got it because I don't consume a lot grains (besides the use of flour in my homemade bread, let's be real...does that count?). This will make sense in a bit. I mean sure, I use quinoa, millet, and assorted varieties of rice on occasion, but they are hardly what I'd call a staple in my home. Yet, on various blogs I've recently been noticing various grains that I've never seen up here in Alaska (maybe I wasn't looking) or have casually seen but just never picked up, making a prominent feature.

Grains like amaranth, buckwheat, einkorn, emmer, farro, freekeh, kamut, sorghum, spelt, and teff, I'm ashamed to say...have never crossed my lips! We just don't have access to a lot of those hip, unusual grains up here in the Great North it seems. I've seriously been searching for farro for the last six months! Other grains like bulgur and barley, I've had before (I don't live under a rock!) but I admit to never actually buying them (quinoa and millet seem to be adequate substitutes). Even despite my love for all things barley. Fun fact: I was once gifted a bag of dry barley in middle school by my BFF...due to my obvious love of barley and all things food. That should of told me a lot right there. It's okay, I think I gave her a Milkbone presented in a necklace giftbox. That's certainly worse. I would love to get a bag of grains! We were odd children to say the least.

I digress. I chose this book because I wanted to learn all there was to know about cooking with a variety of unusual grains. This cookbook did not disappoint. Maria expands concisely about everything you need to know about emmer all the way to teff. The girl knows her grains. It was neat and helpful that her recipes included how to make variations, how to make them gluten-free or vegetarian, and also showcasing make-ahead options. In her chapter, Ancient Grains 101, Maria gives us a short background on grains in general including a few paragraphs detailing each grain in the book, including it's history, texture, flavor, nutrition bonus, and it's flour profile if it has one. I really enjoyed these little factoids and tidbits, like how millet is among one of the oldest staples of humankind. I also learned that einkorn, emmer, and spelt are all a type of farro (it's no wonder I can't find it...I think I've just been searching for straight-up farro!).

“With this book I would like to show how easy it is to cook up ancient grains in your busy life.”

— Maria Speck

Maria includes everything from how to soak, toast, cook, reheat, freeze, store, and shop for grains, and pseudo grains like millet and quinoa. I found her grain cooking table to be very helpful in learning how much dry grain I'll need to produce a desired amount of cooked grain. She also denotes whether or not soaking is optional, and how long the grain will take to cook. In the back of the book is a chapter of sources; where one can find quality brand names of specific grains, flours, and pastas. It was unfortunate, however, to discover that the index wasn't (at least extensively) listed by ingredient as I've found other cookbooks sometimes are. I found myself with an abundance of cucumber I really needed to use up, but alas had to search through the entire book to find a recipe with cucumber in it.

This is not a vegan, or even vegetarian book. Maria states that many of her recipes are vegetarian or have substitutions when they do have meat. I think I got overly excited about this because it was kind of a disappointment. There were many omnivorous recipes, especially in the Simply Mains and Pasta chapters and many included no recommended substitutions. She also includes chapters such as Breakfast, Slow Mornings, Salads and Sides, Soups and Stews, and Simple and Sweet. Purchasing this book for or as a vegan, you'll have explore some heavy improvising with many substitutions including but not limited to cheese, dairy, eggs, meat, seafood, etc. However, her recipes were all right up my flavor profile alley! She does include some token tofu in a few of her recipes as well. However, I probably wouldn't recommend this book to a newly minted vegan or someone who isn't very comfortable in the kitchen yet, as they'll have to forge their own path in most recipes.

Even with the disadvantage of having to basically entirely recreate many of the recipes, I'd still buy this book. It's a great cookbook if you're new to the wide world of grains (like me) and are looking to do some conscious exploring. I can't wait to make the 50 mile journey to our natural food store in the big city and see if they carry some of the more unusual grains I've been missing in our local grocery store. 

I decided to give a go at an adapted version of Mara's Frittata Muffins for Any Grain. It seemed like a good choice since I always have quinoa on hand and I haven't been able to make it into Anchorage lately to seek out some kamut, freekeh, and/or farro. I did implement several changes:

•  I used 1 can of sweet corn in place of fresh or frozen green peas.
• I used Daiya shredded mozzarella in place of sharp cheddar and omitted any for sprinkling.
• I simply forgot to add green onions, but somehow managed to work in a handful of chives.
• I used a mixture of parsley and mint for the herbs, but doubled it (mostly by accident).
• I omitted the serrano chile completely. 
• I replaced her 7 eggs with my 12 oz container of silken, firm tofu.
• I used Kala Namak salt in place of regular salt.
• I used Kalamata olives as a substitution for green olives.
• I also added turmeric, paprika, nutritional yeast to my adaptation, because those make everything delicious.

I wanted something easy after months and months of grueling recipe testing and developing for my own cookbook (I'm finally done!!!) and this was perfect. The recipe couldn't be easier. For real (unless you already have cooked quinoa on hand).

I combined the entire mixture, instead of pouring the eggs (tofu) on top of everything else in the muffin pan. However, my muffins wouldn't stick together, so I've included directions for using a pan and making a sort of casserole out of it. This was exceptionally delicious and I could definitely see it being a rotating dish in our house. It's full of complete protein thanks to the quinoa and tofu, with a nice dose of veggies and healthy spices, like turmeric. 

Frittata Quinoa Casserole

Recipe by Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

This is exceptionally delicious little dish and will definitely be a rotating meal in our house. It's full of complete proteins thanks to the quinoa and tofu, with a dose of veggies and healthy spices. This recipe also couldn’t be any easier. A great side or breakfast that’s quick, simple, and nutritious.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, dry
• scant 1 cup water
• 1 15 oz can of sweet corn, drained
• 1 12.3 oz box of silken firm tofu
• 14 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• ¾ cup shredded vegan cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup fresh herb mixture, chopped (I use parsley, mint, and chives)
• ¼ cup large-flake nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp Kala Namak salt or kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• a bit of ketchup or salsa, for serving (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for about 10-15 minutes then remove from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
2. While the quinoa cooks, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Be sure to mash the tofu completely when stirring so there are no tofu clumps and it’s completely incorporated. When the quinoa is done cooking, stir it into the the tofu mixture.
3. Pour the batter into a 9x13 inch casserole dish coated with a nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the top has browned slightly.
4. Slice into 12 pieces and serve warm with additional fresh herbs and a bit or ketchup or salsa if you like.

I have the cutest little sous chef!

Purchase Simply Ancient Grains on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold. Find out more about Maria, here. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

Street Vegan Cookbook Review + Homemade Potato Pierogies w/ Horseradish Cream

I have a confession. Before becoming vegan I rarely consulted cookbooks and certainly never bought any. What kind of food obsessed person am I? I'm not really sure why but I find that whenever flipping through a cookbook there's only ever a handful of recipes that tickle my fancy. That was not the case with Adam Sobel's new cookbook Street Vegan. He is the owner and chef of the renown Cinnamon Snail food truck that roams the busy streets of New York City, doling out mouth-watering vegan food to the masses. 

Adam's and my tastebuds must have been cut from the same cloth because pretty much everything in this book...I was looking to whip up and scarf down! From his Bourbon Hazelnut Pancakes to the Polenta Sage Cashew Cheese Wedges to Rosemary Hemp Seed-Crusted Tofu and Lavender-Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. I would happily consume every meal in his cookbook. 

The book is divided into the usual chapters like Breakfast, Beverages, Appetizers, Soups, and Desserts. However, there is also a Sandwiches chapter as well as Cinnamains (main meals), Veggies and Sides, Donuts, and The Saucy Stuff. Yep, you read that right, he has an entire chapter on donuts. Genius. 

Adam discusses, "Some kooky (and not-so-kooky) things in the snail's pantry". Most of the items I think of as staples in a vegan kitchen such as tofu, almond milk, vegan mayonnaise, tempeh, etc. However, there were some ingredients that I have yet to discover in our rural Alaskan grocery stores such as Umeboshi Plum Vinegar, Chestnut Flour, Lucuma, Gochujang, and Asafetida (umm, whaaa?) to name a few. 

Street Vegan is filled beautiful matte photos (not a photo for each recipe, to my great misfortune) and short stories about the Cinnamon Snail's adventures, such as acquiring daily parking tickets and the like. Adam has a unique and very comedic voice that had me giggling and smiling all throughout the book. He has funny lines all throughout the book. Take this one from his Acknowledgments:

“A giant-size set of lips bigger than buildings for the smooches for Kim Ima from the Treats Truck, for all her mentoring and support. You are my food truck mommy.”

Or this one pulled from the introduction to his recipe for Cinnamon Snails. These are actual quotes. 

“...But then a Sasquatch snatched up all the puppies, and we had to save the day by riding on a giant cybernetic snail dousing the bad-guy Sasquatch with cinnamon, until he stopped being mean and did a lot of giggling, and we all ate cupcakes, and yayyyy!”

I really appreciated that the index was ordered by ingredient (which isn't always the case), however, I found the recipes to be a bit cumbersome to follow for a few reasons. 

1. The layout of the recipes are a strange in that they're arranged in long vertical columns as opposed to the usual shorter, horizontal sentences. I found myself losing my place many times while making the recipes.
2. Some of the recipe staging and flow could have been more efficient. For example, in the pierogi recipe he instructs you to make the cream sauce first, but to me it made much more sense to start with putting the pot of water on to boil for the potatoes and make the dough because it needs to rest for 30 minutes. I think it made the entire recipe just take a bit longer than it needed to.
3. Oftentimes, the recipes were quite ambiguous. Adam instructs to "heat the canola oil in a saute pan..." What size saute pan? I was lucky that I used my largest one to saute the onion because later in the recipe, two pounds of mashed potatoes were added! Little things like that sometimes popped up and I found myself scratching my head. 

The only other criticism I have is that many of the recipes were pretty heavy. Perhaps it's a personal preference that I gravitate away from greasy, oil-drenched foods. Also, if you don't prefer to fry your homemade donuts, you're out of luck because there are no baked donut recipes in his entire chapter dedicated to donuts (sad face). This excludes an entire chapter of the book! Also, the spine of the book doesn't lay flat, which is a petty pet peeve of mine.  Okay, now I'm just being nitpicky...

BOTTOM LINE

That being said, this is one of the most unique and personally appealing books I have ever reviewed or had the pleasure to own. It's full of new and inventive recipes that will delight you just as much as his writing. I highly recommend Street Vegan! It's snagged a 4/4 star review on Amazon and is available wherever books are sold in a ebook and paperback format. 

It was hard to pick out a single recipe to test in this book but I finally decided to try my hand at the Truffled Potato and Fried Onion Pierogies with Horseradish Mustard Cream. Todd is from Cleveland and I'm pretty sure it's the pierogi capital of the USA. Correct me if I'm wrong. There must be a lot of Polish influence in Believeland.

I'm somewhat ashamed to divulge that I've never actually had a pierogi before (despite my many adventures in the wonderful West Side Market)! They're absolutely delicious, though I did find them to be a bit heavy for me. Next time I'm in Cleveland I will have to pick some up at the Market to compare.

I did make a few changes to Adam's recipe, notably the "truffled" part. Surprise, our local grocery store does not in fact carry truffle oil, nor (at the time) fresh horseradish; I did manage find the stuff jarred however. I hope you enjoy my adaptation of Adam's recipe! Here's a few things I changed:

• Drastically mixed up the flow of the recipe.
• Left the potatoes unpeeled, as opposed to peeled.
• Extended the boiling time of the potatoes.
• Extended the sauteing time for onions and decreased the cooking time for horseradish.
• Used onion instead of shallots.
• Used coconut milk instead of almond milk.
• Increased the flour by 1 cup.
• Changed the mustard quantity. 
• Used rice wine vinegar instead of brown rice wine vinegar. 
• Doubled the quantity of oil for frying. 

These creamy, potato filled pierogies with a delicious homemade dough and horseradish dipping cream are browned to perfection and sure to wow anybody!

Homemade Potato Pierogies w/ Horseradish Cream

These creamy, potato filled pierogies with a delicious homemade dough and horseradish dipping cream are browned to perfection and sure to wow anybody! Adapted from Adam Sobel's cookbook, Street Vegan.

Yield: 30 pierogies

Ingredients

• Pierogies
• 5 medium russet potatoes (about 2 lbs), unpeeled
• 4 cups all-purpose flour + additional for rolling out the dough
• ¼ cup vegan sour cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• ¾ medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp coconut or soy milk
• ½ cup olive oil, divided (for frying)
• Cream
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ medium yellow onion, diced
• ¼ cup jarred, extra-hot horseradish
• 6 drained capers
• 1 tbsp stone-ground or Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 6 oz (half a block) of firm silken tofu

Cooking Directions

1. Scrub the potatoes clean and quarter them. Place them in a large pot and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil and cook, uncovered, for about 10-13 minutes until fork tender. When done, drain and set aside.
2. While the potatoes boil, make the dough by whisking together the flour, ½ tsp kosher salt, and black pepper in a large electric stand mixing bowl. Stir in the sour cream with a wooden spoon. Then, with the dough hook attachment, drizzle in the water with the mixer on speed 2. Increase to speed 4 and knead for about 5 minutes, until a semi ball of dough has formed. It’s okay if it’s sticking to the bottom of the bowl a bit. This is a somewhat sticky dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a heavily floured surface. Form into a ball and allow to rest for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the cream by first heating the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium. Sauté the onion for about 4 minutes, until it begins to soften then stir in the horseradish, capers, mustard, agave, and vinegar. Cook another 2 minutes then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before placing in a blender along with the tofu. Blend on high for 1 minute, until very smooth. Transfer to a medium serving bowl and place in fridge until ready to use.
4. While the dough rests, make the filling by heating the canola oil in a large, cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 8 minutes until it begins to brown. Remove from heat and stir in the olive oil, coconut milk, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Add the boiled potatoes and mash until mostly smooth with a potato masher. Set aside.
5. Once the dough has rested, roll it out into 1/8th inch thickness. Using a small mason jar lid ring or small wine glass (about 2.5 inches in diameter) cut circles. Form the scraps into a ball and roll out again, making more circles until all the dough has been used.
6. Place 1 heaping tbsp of the filling into the middle of each circle and dot the edges of the circle with water. Fold in half, closed, pressing the seams together with the twines of a fork. Be sure to gently smoosh down the filled belly of the pierogi so it’s somewhat flat and can brown easily (I learned this the hard way).
7. Heat the ¼ cup of olive oil in the same large, cast iron skillet. Once the oil is hot, add as many pierogies as you can fit in the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes per side, until they are a golden brown. Place on plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil and repeat with remaining pierogies.
8. Serve warm with the chilled cream. Place everything in respected Tupperwares, in a backpack, and run them 2 miles through the woods to your Dad’s house to share like I did (optional).

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon Cookbook Review & A Recipe

I've been following the blog, The Sprouted Kitchen, for quite some time and was delighted to discover that they were publishing a bowl inspired cookbook! The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon cookbook is a beautiful one, indeed; filled with gorgeous, matte photos taken by Hugh Forte, the author's husband. Sara Forte has created a lovely collection of healthy recipes devoted to consumption via just a simple bowl and a spoon. 

“...this book is a collection of recipes inspired by the marriage of flavor, color, texture, and wholesomeness that compose a dish - nestled in a bowl, in particular. ”

— Author, Sara Forte

The book is divided into Morning Bowls, Side Bowls, Big Bowls, Sweet Bowls, and Dressing and Sauces. It includes how to stock your kitchen with Sara's input on everything from rimmed baking sheets to kitchen scissors. Sara briefly touches on sweeteners, oils and fats, vinegars and salts, and lists other pantry staples she uses frequently such as flours, nuts, and noodles. The index is ordered by ingredient which is always grately appreciated. 

As far as being a vegan is concerned regarding this book, you'll have to find many alternatives to frequently included items like eggs (in every way possible!), salmon, scallops, a vast variety of different cheeses, ricotta, honey, butter, and many more. There's fish and seafood in the book, but no meat other than that. This is clearly not a vegan or even vegetarian book, but the recipes are quite healthy and can be easily adapted with vegan alternatives in many instances. A bit of creativity regarding substitutions will be necessary in some recipes. I found the differing uses of eggs; fried, boiled, poached, scrambled, etc. to be the most challenging. However, eggs can be replaced with tofu with little trouble. 

“I depend on using fresh, seasonal produce at its peak for the food to taste great in its natural state. ”

— Author, Sara Forte

I really enjoy the whole food approach to this book. You won't find any lasagna or casseroles here. It's all pretty simple with a very "fresh from the garden" sort of appeal. It was refreshing to see such a culturally wide scope of meals and such fun twists. Everything from Marrakesh Carrots to Strawberry Tabbouleh to Mixed Berry Tiramisu! However, there were a few peculiar ingredients such as Lillet, pasilla peppers, and Manchego cheese that I scratched my head at. Maybe it's just an Alaskan isolation thing?

I imagine it can be difficult to make bowl recipes feel like a genuine meal, as opposed to a side dish, but Sara does a fantastic job of it. Overall, I think this is a wonderful book filled with healthy yet quick meals that are mostly uncomplicated. If you're vegan, you might struggle to replace the vast array of cheeses in the book and other non-vegan items. However, getting a bit creative in the kitchen is always fun! I definitely recommend getting your hands on this stunning cookbook by the vastly talented, The Sprouted Kitchen. 

I decided to adapt her Emerald Greens recipe and share it with you!

Jade Greens

Recipe by Katie @ Produce On Parade

This is a wonderful little side dish and a great way to “clean the fridge”! It’s a lemony bowl that’s a great way to get in some greens! I strayed from Sara’s recipe by cutting the recipe in half and using kale instead of romanesco, onion instead of leeks, decreasing the oil, increasing the spinach and the parsley, using pepitas instead of almonds, and whisking a bit of miso into the dressing in place of feta cheese. Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon cookbook.

Yield: 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 2 heads (1 lb) of broccoli broccoli, chopped
• 1 bunch (8 oz) of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• ½ medium yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch (4 cups) fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp - 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp miso paste (I like red)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup pepitas
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop the broccoli florets and peel off the fibrous outer layer of the stem to discard. Dice the remaining tender bit. Add the florets and diced stems to a large serving bowl along with the kale and onion; coat in the olive oil.
2. Transfer the mixture onto two large, rimmed baking sheets in an even layer and bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
3. Place the spinach in the large serving bowl and set aside. Whisk the remaining ingredients, excluding the pepitas in a small liquid measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.
4. When the vegetables are done roasting pour over the spinach and allow to rest for 2 minutes so they can wilt the spinach. Then, drizzle on the dressing and add the pepitas and parsley. Stir well to evenly coat the mixture in the dressing.
5. Serve warm.

Learn more about Bowl + Spoon. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.