Creative Cookbook for Culinary Adventures, July 10, 2017

If you are on the DASH diet you may enjoy a little more variety. If you are trying to stick with a low-salt diet this book is also very helpful. There are quite a few recipes for no salt seasonings. Some of the recipes call for no-salt items that may be easier to order online than find in a local grocery store. I've never seen low-salt ketchup at my local stores.

You can tell these recipes were written by a professional who has written other cookbooks. The expertise shows and is refreshing in a world of quickly produced cookbooks. This one has heart. I like that there are instructions for difficult things like how to peel a mango or roast red bell peppers.

For this cookbook you will need a few things like a pump sprayer to minimize oil usage to keep the calories down to a manageable level. The granola recipe I tried was delicious all while helping me cut fat and sugar. The granola is then used in the Easy Pear Crisp recipe which was delicious with a little vanilla ice cream. I find I have to buy the pears a little under ripe and let them soften and ripen at home. Once cooked the sweet soft warm pears melt into the ice cream as the crisp oats give texture.

I've also been enjoying making the gingered green tea, however I use slices of candied ginger which are more convenient to use. The recipe calls for unpeeled fresh ginger and that is probably stronger. Still it is fun to eat the candied ginger when the tea is finished.

There is not a picture for each recipe but there are some beautiful pictures in the middle of the book to inspire you.

Some of the recipes I'm looking forward to trying include:

Curry-Rubbed Sirloin with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw
Creamed Spinach with Mushrooms

To be honest there are so many great sounding recipes it is difficult to make a decision on what to make next. I can see myself cooking from this cookbook years into the future. I will definitely make the granola and the pear crisp again soon.

The nutritional analysis also provides the amount of calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, cholesterol, sodium and potassium for each recipe.

The only thing I do have to say is however that the author may be a bit behind the times in regards to the use of coconut oil. She still thinks coconut oil is bad for you which isn't the case anymore.

So with this cookbook you won't run out of ideas for delicious things to cook anytime soon. You can also adapt recipes fairly easily as I did when making the Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup. I will only admit that I used a little more stock than just water. I make my own stock with a teaspoon of chicken base and one cup water. It saves time not to have to make a homemade stock. I also used two cans of tomatoes instead of just one. I'm happy to say I now have some frozen soup for spontaneous dinners. One of the great things about this book is that there are lots of soup recipes for winter.

One of the best tips in this book is how to store basil. No wonders my basil always turns black in the refrigerator. I had no idea I was not storing it properly.

So I'm very happy with this cookbook and think you will find it creative and fun. Enjoy! :)

~The Rebecca Review