Cookbook Review: Nourish

I just received a new cookbook titled Nourish: Whole Food Recipes featuring Seeds, Nuts & Beans by Chef Nettie Cronish and Cara Rosenbloom, RD.

Nourish is a tribute to seeds, nuts and beans — a group of plant-based foods that seldom get attention in the foodie world, yet are packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants and essential nutrients. Most importantly these foods add delightful texture and a delicious flavor to every meal. Scientifically, these foods are all seeds because nuts are the seeds of trees, beans are the seeds of legumes and seeds are just seeds! While Nettie and Cara’s book is not strictly vegetarian, the recipes contained within it are chock full of fresh and wholesome ingredients.

One chapter focuses on techniques for cooking with beans, nuts and seeds along with commentary on their health benefits. The recipe chapters are listed as breakfast & brunch, appetizers, salads, soups & stews, entrees, vegetable side dishes and snacks & desserts. The nutritional information is presented for each recipe.

I love that the authors are a chef and registered dietitian team. Being a registered dietitian, I identify with Cara when she talks about how important it was when she realized that “people eat food, not nutrients.” Instead of recommending 300 milligrams of calcium, she now suggests a morning latte to fill that need. “It’s about embracing food for its potential to nourish while we enjoy it”. I couldn’t agree more.

The title page acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit. Although it’s a Canadian publishing company, the book can be purchased online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Here is a sneak preview recipe from the book:

Chicken, Beans and Greens Stew

This warming stew is a modern take on traditional chicken soup with rice. The red quinoa adds beautiful color and texture, and using the pre-cooked chicken allows you to cook this soup in about 25 minutes. It’s a quick and delicious weeknight meal, and the leftovers make a great lunch.

Makes 7 cups – serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ½ cup red quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 14 oz. can no-salt-added white kidney beans
  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  1. In a large pot over high heat, combine the broth, onion, quinoa, oregano, garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.
  2. Remove lid and add kidney beans and kale. Cook until the kale has wilted, about 3 minutes.
  3. Stir in the chicken, season with salt and pepper, remove bay leaf and serve. 

Tip: If you can’t find red quinoa, you can use tan quinoa too. However, be sure to reduce the cooking time in step 1 to just 15 minutes rather than 20 minutes, since tan quinoa cooks faster than red quinoa.

Nutrition facts Per 2 cups:

221 calories

5 g fat

1 g saturated fat

434 mg sodium

24 g carbohydrates

5 g fibre

3 g sugar

21 g protein

  • High in fibre
  • Excellent source of vitamin A and thiamin
  • Good source of vitamin C and niacin