Pretty Delicious

A few posts back, when I was singing the praises of quinoa, I alluded to having a new favorite cookbook. That cookbook is Pretty Delicious by Candace Kumai. This was a total impulse purchase for me, as I had never heard of either the book or the author (apparently a former Top Chef contestant). The pretty, Anthropologie-like design made the book jump off the shelf at me. Once I did a quick flip-through and saw the interesting recipes inside, I was sold.

It wasn't until I started reading the book more closely that I realized it's actually a cookbook with a health-conscious spin. It's not about any kind of specific diet, but instead about recipes built around wholesome, nutritious ingredients. For each recipe, the author highlights the key nutritional ingredient used. Besides the two qunioa dishes, so far I've tried making:

Pad Thai

I'd never tried any Asian dishes at home before, but it was easier than expected and tasted just about as good as what I've had out.


Black Bean and Banana Empanadas

Apologies for the uninspiring picture of these. I had forgotten to take one until the leftovers were already packed up in tupperware. These are a new favorite of mine. They're a bit labor intensive, but well worth it. The book has a delicious guacamole recipe that goes well with these, and uses Greek yogurt and soy sauce as secret (and surprising) ingredients.

The book also hase some nice ideas for entertaining, like having a breakfast burrito brunch or setting up a make-your-own spring roll bar, and some easy yet unusual ideas for wraps that I plan to use to spice up my lunch routine.