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. ”
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. ”
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
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
- 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.
- Transfer the mixture onto two large, rimmed baking sheets in an even layer and bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve warm.
Learn more about Bowl + Spoon. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
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