Cut the Sugar: You’re Sweet Enough Cookbook. / Ella Leche, 2016. Andrews McNeel Publishing. 212 p., illustrations in color.
To get a sweeter taste, mimimize sugar! Yes, eat less sugar but enjoy the benefits of sweeter food: seek out Cut the Sugar You’re Sweet Enough Cookbook the recently published book from Ella Leche who writes and photographs for her blog “PureElla.com”. Cut the Sugar sets forth an elegant approach to everyday fare with mains and sides that are nutritious and filling.
From an assortment of pastas, some made of vegetables like zucchini and spaghetti squash, sauced with greens pesto or tomato if you prefer, to veggie balls, meatless meatballs, stuffed peppers, casserole you make in a skillet, burgers and pizzas, drinks, breakfast and lots of desserts!—there is a varied and interesting menu to choose from.
Vegan cuisine is beginning to come into its own with certain recipes appearing in most all cookbooks: a few recipes are standard. That way if you purchase one cookbook, you’re covered for supplemental dishes and snacks, desserts and drinks and not lacking for that cheese, smoothie, or brownie recipe you might need at a moment’s notice. It turns voluminous shelves of cookbooks into a more manageably-sized collection.
Cut the Sugar proves this phenomenon of essential vegan cuisine with overnight oats, kale chip, and chia pudding recipes. Yet author Leche adds a twist or two in many favorites like jam, cheese balls, green smoothies, mousse and cookies. This cookbook is one I’ll refer to often while developing my very own personal vegan cuisine, and here’s why: this cookbook rates very high on my best vegan content list.
I was anxious to try the burgers, even though I usually purchase vegan burgers, frozen, these actually appeared to be do-able. To me, vegan burgers represent the ultimate in fast, but densely nutritious food when done right. And they pair so well with cut vegetables in salads or sides, grains and pastas.
And guess what, they are delicious!
“Lentil Burgers with Spicy Tamarind Ketchup” (p. 102) comes with two recipes, one for the burgers and one for the sauce. That’s typical of Leche’s mains and salads: you have a focus recipe and you also have a separate set of ingredients and instructions for the sauce or dressing for that dish. So you can mix and match according to your taste and desires. Here the burgers are made of lentils, rolled oats, chickpea flour, walnuts, garlic and other spices plus fresh parsley leaves. And the ketchup (a homemade version elsewhere detailed) is enlivened with tamarind paste and cayenne pepper.
When time is short, but you need a break with a treat, you can try “Raw Cranberry-Chocolate Protein Balls” (p.162), an uncooked nut, dried fruit, cacao powder, date and vanilla protein powder mixture that will make up in a matter of minutes. Add a “fruit-infused water” and enjoy the benefits of sweeter without sugar!
Visit Ella’s website for more on her fantastic photography and recipe presentation.
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