Oh She Glows Cookbook // Chana Masala + #giveaway

I'm thrilled for today's post, everyone! First of all, HAPPY FRIDAY! And now: I have been excited for The Oh She Glows Cookbook even before there was a cookbook to be excited about.

When I started blogging way back when, Oh She Glows was one of the very first healthy living blogs I followed. Angela taught me the way of the green smoothie, and her vegan recipes inspired my own kitchen creations from nut butter parsnip fries to baked oat squares to green monster oats.

Beyond her delicious vegan recipes, I've really enjoyed watching Angela's food photography evolve over the years. She's always been a great photographer, but I can't believe how gorgeous and well composed the pictures in her NEW book are. The word incredible comes to mind, which we all know rhymes with edible.

So, yeah. Talk about feasting your eyes!


Photo Credit: Angela Liddon. I know we get readers from all over, so it's good to know that The Oh She Glows Cookbook has 2 different covers for Canada and US. The first photo is the American and the second being the Canadian cover. 

The content in both books is the same.


// QUICK + EASY CHANA MASALA
Serves 4, PREP: 15-20 Minutes, COOK: 20 Minutes
gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, sugar-free, grain free option

I chose to share this recipe because it's a simple weeknight dish you guys can make in a hurry. As Angela notes in the book, dishes like Chana Masala can seem intimidating with long ingredient lists. But once you get all the spices on hand, they last forever, and the rest is really quite easy.

In fact, even on our extremely limited grocery budget, I had most everything I needed. I simply swapped a green pepper for the chile pepper, a white onion for the yellow, and some ginger powder for fresh.

No one would know it only takes 35-40 minutes from prep to finish. We've made variations on this sort of dish (our Curried Chickpea Mash with 5-Minute Naan, for example) in the past, but I really like the proportions and flavor this particular recipe packs.

What you'll need . . .

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) coconut oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) cumin seeds
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 green serrano chile pepper, seeded, if preferred, and minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 mL) fine-grain sea salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 (28-ounce/793-g) can whole peeled or diced tomatoes, with their juices*
• 1 (28-ounce/793-g) can chickpeas, or 3 cups (750 mL) cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup (250 mL) dry/uncooked basmati rice, for serving**
• fresh lemon juice, for serving
• fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving

NOTES:

* I actually diced my own tomatoes because I had some that were getting soft. I then added some leftover tomato sauce for moisture. It worked wonderfully -- so fresh is always an option, too.

** Instead of rice, we opted to make naan. I used our Greek Yogurt Naan recipe, but I used all whole wheat flour instead of a mix.


Method . . .

1. In a large wok or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles upon hitting the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and add the cumin seeds. Stir and toast the seeds for a minute or two until golden and fragrant, watching carefully to avoid burning.
2. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano. Cook for a few minutes or so, then stir in the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, salt, and cayenne (if using, but you SHOULD use it!), and cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and their juices and break them apart with a wooden spoon (skip if using diced tomatoes or my fresh option). You can leave some chunks of tomatoes for texture.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the chickpeas. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to develop.
5. Serve over cooked basmati rice (or 5-Minute Naan), if desired, and garnish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some chopped cilantro just before serving.

Recipe reprinted by arrangement with AVERY, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © GLO BAKERY CORPORATION, 2014


// GIVEAWAY

If you'd like to win a copy The Oh She Glows Cookbook, please leave a comment below with the words "GLOW ME!" -- and tell me which of the following recipes makes you salivate most just thinking about it:

• Apple Pie Oatmeal
• Perfected Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Summer Harvest Tortilla Soup
• Creamy Vegetable Curry
• Pan-Seared Garlic Tofu
• Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

Make sure to leave some way to contact you in your comment.

The giveaway ends on Tuesday, March 11th at 11PM EST. The winner will be contacted via email.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

Thanks again to Angela for including me in her cookbook review group.

I hope you guys enjoyed getting a glimpse into this long-awaited treasure for vegan cooking!

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Oat Squares and Cookie Dough

I baked and photographed these beauties before work today. It was that kind of crazy morning. I woke up -- reluctantly -- at 6:30AM and immediately turned on Stephen's laptop. I hobbled downstairs to grab a bag of corn out of the freezer. I drank a glass of water. Took a multivitamin. Then hopped back upstairs to ice my knee. Under the covers. Laptop atop my lap.

(Say that last sentence out loud. It's fun!)

I start each day with a visit to Edible Perspective. Then Oh She Glows. Then The Front Burner. Now, my reaction time is a bit slow in the early hours. But . . . back up for a moment. Woah! Angela had outdone herself again: Healthy Strawberry Oat Squares with Homemade Jam.


You can get the full recipe (complete with gorgeous prep photos) on Oh She Glows. If you'd like muffin-y bars versus oat-y bars, you can follow my modifications:

• 1 cup of white whole wheat flour to replace the Kamut flour
• 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin to replace the maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar to replace the Sucanat

I followed Angela's method exactly for the oat base. But then I made blueberry jam instead of strawberry jam. (Not very shocking. I just didn't have strawberries.) I'm sure you can figure this one out on your own, but here's what I used.

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoons chia seeds

(And prep tip: Instead of slicing the fruit -- once it was warm, I mashed it with a potato masher.)


And because I was ever-so tired and rushed, I forgot to set aside extra oat topping for the, um, top. I improvised by mixing together 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 to 3 teaspoons Earth Balance. Worked like a charm. I also used an 8 x 8 inch pan versus the 9-incher Angela suggests (I just don't have one that size). I think the pan size combined with the pumpkin substitution contributed to the muffin-ness of it all.

I'm not complaining either. The bars taste amazing. I had two for breakfast. And I especially enjoyed the pre-baked state. Batter is always, always awesome. I would like to try the recipe again (and have plans to for a weekend party) with strawberry and a crunchier texture. Using a larger baking pan (good excuse to buy one!).

Who knew you could use chia seeds to make a fast, easy, and DELISH jam? I'm hooked. And making this recipe was a much better use of my time than taking a shower and drying my hair. (For those of you who are wondering, I do practice good hygiene. I showered after my run last night! Thankyouverymuch.)


COOKIE DOUGH. WOAH.

Speaking of batter, though. I'm always scrounging around for asses cookie dough at night. (Sorry! Those of you who aren't fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm will definitely not get that joke reference.) Not cookies. Just the dough. Time and time again, I've made batches of cookies just so I could savor a few tablespoons of the dough. So much effort. Too many ingredients. Way more yield than I ever need. Enough, I said a few nights ago.

This cookie dough recipe is now what gets me through the night. On many occasions. Commit it to your memory -- NOW -- and you'll be forever grateful. I know. I'm kind-of awesome. You're welcome.

This recipe makes 10 heaping, healthy tablespoon-sized servings of oh-so egg-less (vegan) chocolate chip cookie dough. So, please excuse some of the screwy measurements.


GOTTA-HAVE-IT-ASAP COOKIE DOUGH

What you'll need . . .

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance (I used the soy-free kind, you can also use butter)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon of "regular" sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 (or more) cups chocolate chips (I used Sunspire)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional, but recommended)

Method . . .

1. In your electric mixer, cream together the Earth Balance, brown sugar, and sugar. Blend on high for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in vanilla.
3. Then mix in the flours, salt, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes.
4. Line a pan (or plate) with wax paper and scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough.
5. Keep refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap (or in another air-tight container). That is, if it lasts that long.

By the way. These dough chunks sure look orange. Don't they? I didn't play with the color in Photoshop. I actually made the ones you see pictured with pumpkin instead of the Earth Balance (butter). BUSTED. The ones I made (the REAL ones from the recipe) I made earlier in the week. At night. No photos. But they taste SO MUCH BETTER, so I seriously don't recommend subbing in the pumpkin.

Not this time, at least!

What guilty pleasure recipe gets YOU through the night? Are you a cookie dough fiend like me? Or maybe you're more of a savory kind of snacker. We'd love to hear your quick-n-dirty tips on how to get a good fix! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Recipes We're Lusting Over

Finally Friday! We hope all of you are having a great pre-weekend day. (And those of you at the Healthy Living Summit look like you're having a great time in Chicago -- we're super jealous!) Our weekend plans aren't big. Grocery shopping. Reading. Dying hair (well, I'm doing that). Running 20-milers on Sunday (yikes!). You know. The usual.

We hope you've enjoyed our Healthy Living Celebration this week. We still have more stories to share. For now, though, we have pulled together all the latest on one handy-dandy page. There are also instructions on how you can submit your own story to us.

Just click this image on the right sidebar:


We consider (never home)maker to be about 50 percent food blog. We take great care in creating some tasty recipes to share with you all. But we don't live in a bubble. In fact, we're always trolling the internet for foodie inspiration. Here are some of the recipes we're drooling over right now. And as soon as we get some more time in the kitchen, these will be the first foods we try to replicate.

(All images below belong to their respective blog owners -- we included them to entice you to visit their sites!)

101 Cookbooks

There's something completely irresistible about this Lasagna Tart. I simply can't pass on gorgeous Italian food. And I'm always looking for ways to use my tart pan.


Edible Perspective

Leave it to Ashley to come up with an amazing combination like Curry Honey Hummus. She's so creative -- and her photos of this dish are enough to make you drool on your keyboard.


Honey & Jam

I'm a sucker for an awesome chocolate cake recipe. This one isn't your typical take either -- it has a secret ingredient (in the cake AND frosting) for some extra punch.


Kiss My Spatula

How cool is this? Instructions on how to make your own mozzarella cheese. That's right -- make your own CHEESE. Complete with tasty photos.


Food Loves Writing

I've been a fan of Shannalee for a while now. Her combination of basil, peach, and cheese . . . grilled on sourdough. Heaven! Check out this new version of an old favorite (grilled cheese) as soon as you can. You still have time to pick up the ingredients tonight and make it for dinner!


Oh She Glows

Angela is always coming up with the best healthy desserts. She pushes the envelope . . . and I love seeing the new recipes she creates. These raw Cookie Dough Balls are no exception. Yum!


Kohler Created

By now, I think you know about our love of all things chocolate and peanut butter. So, when I saw these Reece's Pieces Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, I just about screamed with joy. Yeah. maybe candy isn't the healthiest thing ever -- but who says health bloggers have to "behave" at all times?

What are YOU cooking up this weekend? Have any big plans? Going to be bums like us? Let us know! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!!

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This Weekend - Last Year

Yup. We had a life before (never home)maker. Sometimes it's hard to believe -- because blogging has become such a regular part of our routine. But I've been inspired by Angela's 1,000 words series to post some photos of what we were doing this weekend . . . last year.

We started that weekend off by hanging out with our good friend Kevin. He currently lives in California (on an island off the southern coast -- he studies birds!). So, it's nice to look back on these pics. We miss him!



Saturday -- we headed to Ithaca, NY, to hang out for the day. Walk around the downtown a bit.




We hit up the farmers market to grab a quick lunch and play with puppies. Relived our college days. Etc.



Much had changed, including our old apartment view -- which went from this gorgeous mural (that was part of a local running shop) . . .


To this boring brick wall (with a to-be sushi joint) . . .


Sunday we hung around the house and waited for a visit from my good friend (and fellow Ithaca College-grad) Steff of Steff Says!


After she left for NYC, we grilled some veggies. Played some yard games. And watched the sun set.



Strangely enough, we're headed back to Ithaca for dinner tonight -- at my favorite Thai restaurant. I'm already salivating. More time with good friends, too. Hope you all have lovely weekends. We'll be back at it Monday morning!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!!

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