Thursday, December 10, 2015

My UnDiet Cookbook Review



I'm here to share with you some of the yummy goodness that you will find in Meghan Telpner's The UnDiet Cookbook.  

I was so excited for this book to hit the shelves that I pre-ordered it months before it was released, then I waited and when it finally arrived I was like a kid at Christmas.  I may have done a little dance standing at the mailbox that day.  

The first thing that will draw you in is the photos.  The colors are bright and crisp so everything just jumps off the page and make you want to run to the kitchen and recreate what you're seeing.

When you're done flipping through the photos it's time to get to reading.  This is not your average cookbook.  There is so much more than delicious recipes.

In the Introduction you'll learn what UnDiet means as Meghan shares her food philosophy.  

  • UnDiet is looking at the world through a fuchsia-colored lens, seeking and creating the joy, fun and vibrancy that comes with living a healthy life.
  •  UnDiet is about being set free from whatever titles and labels we have dropped on ourselves about the way we eat, look, move, love, think, sleep and shake the jiggle in our wiggle.
  •  UnDiet is breaking free from the rules we think we’re meant to follow, un-cubing ourselves from the cubicle world (or at least the beige, wall-to-wall carpeted way of thinking), and doing what is the very best for our individual health.
  • UnDiet is about questioning the paradigms of convention, and breaking the rules so we can create our own.
  • UnDiet is a simple, effective, bright-side-of-the-road way to achieve optimal vibrant health and live the life of our dreams  
Next on the list, Meghan gives you a lesson in how to cook the UnDiet way before you get in the kitchen and start cooking up a storm.




After that we move on to the main event THE RECIPES! You'll find things like Jamu Juice.  The first recipe I tried from the book.  



Chocolate Chocolate Say it Twice Pancakes


Oh Wow Cacao Truffles


Last but certainly not least Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potato



These are just a few of the 130 delicious, nutritious easy to make recipes.

But wait we're not done yet.  Believe me when I say this book has it all.
  • There's a chapter on Beauty Care. 
  • Entertaining that includes menus and party plans including ones for Taco Night, Brunch, Girls Spa Night and there's even a party menu plan for the Kiddies. 
  • If you travel Meghan's got you covered there too with snack ideas for the plane and lots of ideas and tips to have a fun trip the Undiet way. 
  • In the final chapter, UnDiet for life Meghan talks about structuring your free time, goal setting, sleep hygiene and much much more.
This book has very quickly become one of my favorite books to read.  There is so much information packed in this book each time you look at it you will learn something new.

Thanks for stopping by. 
Jackie 


Here's the Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potato Recipe for you to try out.
 

Nut-free         
Soy-Free (option)      
Grain-free      
Protein Powered (option)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45–60 minutes
Serves 4

4 organic sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp avocado oil, coconut oil or organic ghee
1/2 red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
one 14 oz can organic beans of choice, drained and rinsed*
6 cups greens, trimmed and sliced into ribbons
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Make-Your-Own Sambal (page 206 in The UnDiet Cookbook), red pepper flakes, or your favorite hot sauce
Sea salt

Optional Add-ons
·       Hemp seeds (protein bonus)
·       Toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
·       Fresh sprouts
·       Tempeh bits (prepared as with TLT Deluxe Sandwich, page 83 in The UnDiet       Cookbook)
·       Tahini Dressing (page 194 in The UnDiet Cookbook)

* Make it Protein-Powered!
Swap the beans for 1 lb pastured, organic protein of choice such as ground beef, chicken, or turkey. Cook the meat just until browned and then use in place of the beans.

Make It Like So
  •      Preheat the oven to 400°F.     
  •      Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork (this gives  them room to breathe as they bake). Place them on a baking sheet and bake  until soft all the way through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  •      While the sweet potatoes are baking, heat the olive oil in a medium pan and  the onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes,  stirring occasionally.
  •      Remove from the heat and stir in your greens (the heat will wilt them). Add  your lemon juice, sambal, and sea salt to taste.
  •      Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. To serve, slice each sweet potato through the middle and top with beans + greens mix and your optional add-ons.


Excerpted from The UnDiet Cookbook: 130 Gluten-Free Recipes for a Healthy and Awesome Life by Meghan Telpner. Copyright © 2015 Meghan Telpner. Photography Copyright © 2015 Maya Visnyei and Catherine Farquharson. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Random House of Canada Ltd., a Penguin Random House Company. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved