Book Review: Crave, Eat, Heal

Crave, Eat, Heal is a vegan cookbook.  I am not a vegan, my husband is gluten free, I can’t eat oats or an ingredient in tofu.  But I am so glad I tried this cookbook!  This cookbook has multiple gluten free recipes and there was plenty that we COULD eat despite our dietary restrictions!!

The first thing I tried was the Cauliflower and Potato Wraps with Tahini Dressing.  I made this when I had company over.  It was amazing! 

Here’s the recipe

Filling

1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 cups chopped cauliflower 1 small onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Vegetable Broth (see page 60 for recipe), or store-bought low-sodium vegetable broth

2 Tbsp. liquid aminos or tamari

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

Pinch sea salt

Pinch cayenne

 Pinch sweet paprika

 2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

4 kosher dill pickle spears

4 whole wheat or gluten-free tortillas, lavash, or pita

 Dressing

1/2 cup tahini

1 clove garlic

 2 Tbsp. to 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 to 1 Tbsp. white miso paste

1 tsp. dried onion flakes

 1/2 tsp. cumin powder

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Pinch cayenne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the potato, cauliflower, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, liquid aminos, and spices and toss to combine. Pour this mixture into a shallow baking dish and spread into one layer to speed cooking.  

Bake the potato-cauliflower mixture for about 45 minutes, turning the vegetables two or three times. The vegetables should be soft and slightly browned at the edges. If the mixture dries out during the cooking time, add a splash or two of water or vegetable broth.  

While the vegetables cook, prepare the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a high-speed or regular blender and process until very smooth. Set aside. 

To serve, gently warm the tortillas, lavash, or pita breads. You can either mix the vegetables with the dressing, or you can spread some of the tahini dressing on/into the breads and then add the other ingredients on top. Divide the romaine lettuce between the breads, then spoon on the potato-cauliflower mixture, sprinkle with chopped parsley and top with one pickle spear per wrap.

I made a special stop at the grocery store to purchase the goods for this meal.  But I forgot my list at home and forgot an onion.  I contemplated the 40 minute roundtrip to the grocery store for an onion (with a 3 year old and a baby), and decided to just use onion powder.  After all the chopping and dressing making, I decided to not make tortillas (we make them at home), so we didn’t have this as wraps.  I cooked pasta and mixed the cauliflower mixture with the pasta.  We ate it on a bed of lettuce, and added the parsley and dressing on top.  It looked beautiful!!  And it tasted delicious!  I was a little unsure of the dressing when I tasted it, but together everything had the perfect combination.  Literally.  I tried this on company, and everyone had seconds.  There wasn’t even enough left for my husband (who was working late out of town.)  I did make this again with the other half of my vegetables when my husband was home.  It seemed easier the second time, since I had made it and the dressing was already made.  This is a recipe that I think will be added to our regular rotation!!

We also made the CREAMY THAI CARROT COCONUT SOUP. 
This was great soup.  It’s been cold and rainy in Colorado, so this was the perfect time to make this receipe!  Plus I was craving carrots.  I love curry.  Always.  I don’t always love coconut.  This recipe also suggested putting chopped peanuts and cilantro on the soup for a garnish.  Now, I never would have thought of putting cilantro on a curry soup.   But I loved it.  Instead of putting the peanuts on the soup, I decided to use some peanut flour that we had (and never use) and mix it into the soup.  This soup hit the spot, I really enjoyed it and filled my craving!  I will make this again, but I will probably use almond milk instead of coconut milk.  My husband really liked the coconut milk. 

The author and creator of this book did a great job coming up with unique combinations that are deeply satisfying and will make you crave her recipes!  I can’t wait to try the Maple Cinnamon Glazed Chickpeas!  I just need to get some pure maple syrup!! 

The book is fun because each chapter is separated by different types of cravings instead of meals.  The pictures are beautiful, all the more impressive since she did the photography herself.  I do wish this book had a better index, because of the unique layout of the book, I have trouble remembering where I saw the recipe (except for the chocolate recipes – it’s easy to remember where chocolate is).  The index only lists the recipes in alphabetical order.   I would have loved to see an index by main ingredients or types of food.  But that is easily solved by marking your recipes. 

This book is only available for pre-order, but it is a book worth having!  

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